Determine the open intervals for x on which the function is increasing, decreasing, or constant. g(x)=(1/4)x^4-2x^2

Question

Determine the open intervals for x on which the function is increasing, decreasing, or constant.  g(x)=(1/4)x^4-2x^2

ranga · Answer

Find the critical points first by finding the derivative, g'(x), setting it to zero and solving for x.

anonymous · Answer

$$g(x)=\frac{ 1 }{ 4 }x ^{4}-2x ^{2}$$

anonymous · Answer

in english please

ranga · Answer

Are you in calculus or pre-calculus?

anonymous · Answer

Pre-Calc

ranga · Answer

Are you allowed to use graphing calculator?

anonymous · Answer

Yea

ranga · Answer

Just graph the function and you can clearly see the intervals where the function is decreasing, increasing or remains flat.

anonymous · Answer

Hang on, I'll be right back.

anonymous · Answer

Ok, so I got graph on my calculator but I have no idea what to right on the paper.|dw:1386992469086:dw|

anonymous · Answer

I meant write

ranga · Answer

You don't need all those (x,y) values.  You can just look at the graph and see where the function attains maximum (top of hill) and minimum (bottom of valley).  You need those x values.

anonymous · Answer

it's kind of a W shape on the graph

ranga · Answer

Yes.  In the W find the x values of the points marked A, B and C:|dw:1386993542085:dw|