Please Help!! You are having a meeting with the CEO of a technology company. You have interpreted the number of laptops produced versus profit as the function P(x) = x4 -3x3 -8x2 + 12x + 16. Describe to the CEO what the graph looks like. Use complete sentences and focus on the end behaviors of the graph and where the company will break even (where P(x) = 0)

Question

anonymous · Answer

Please help

anonymous · Answer

Please help

ganeshie8 · Answer

what does the `leading term` tell you about the end behavior of the graph ?

anonymous · Answer

im not very sure

ganeshie8 · Answer

its okay :) its easy, watch ths short+nice video https://www.khanacademy.org/math/algebra2/polynomial_and_rational/polynomial-end-behavior/v/polynomial-end-behavior

ganeshie8 · Answer

it is very good and answers your question, please watch..

anonymous · Answer

ok i will

ganeshie8 · Answer

good :) let me knw if some doesn't make sense in the vid

anonymous · Answer

the leading coefficient of a polynomial function determine the end behavior of the graph

anonymous · Answer

@ganeshie8

ganeshie8 · Answer

exactly! so whats the leading term of given polynomial ?

ganeshie8 · Answer

$$\large  P(x) = \color{Red}{x^4} -3x^3 -8x^2 + 12x + 16$$

anonymous · Answer

so its x^4?

ganeshie8 · Answer

yes, whats the degree of leading term ?

anonymous · Answer

4?

ganeshie8 · Answer

yes, is 4 even or odd ?

anonymous · Answer

even

ganeshie8 · Answer

since 4 is even, the graph goes either UP at both ends, something like below :
|dw:1405914962212:dw|

or it goes DOWN at both ends, something like below :
|dw:1405915023166:dw|

(ignore what happens in the middle for now)