ECON 6305 – Learning Module 1
Limits, derivatives, sums of series, concavity
• After completing this module, the student will be able to:
Lesson 1:
– Recognize and manipulate arithmetic and geometric sums of series
– Find limits and compute derivatives of univariate functions
Lesson 2:
– Test functions for monotonicity and apply the inverse function
rule
– Use first and second derivatives to find and classify critical values
of univariate functions including border solutions
– Define and test for concavity and convexity of univariate
functions
Monotonic function
• Increasing:
Decreasing:
Note: can be monotonic over some domain of
Inverse function
• • If is monotonic
is the inverse function of
• Inverse function rule
If is the inverse function of and
Example: Inverse function rule
•
• Example
• Apply the inverse function rule
• Or calculate the derivative directly
Critical points (max, min, inflexion)
•
On left On right Classification
• Second derivative test at
Example: Critical points
•
Example: Critical points (cont.)
f(x)=x3-12x2+21x+1
20
-20
-40
f(x)
-60
-80
-100
-120
0 4 8 2 6 2 4 8 2 6 4 4 8 2 6 6 4 8 2 6 8 4 8 2 6 0
0. 0. 1 . 1 . 2. 2. 3. 3. 4 . 4 . 5 . 5. 6. 6. 7. 7 . 8 . 8. 9. 9. 1
x
Boundary local max or min
• • In the dismal science, it is important to keep things
positive; we often encounter the restrictions
• This boundary constraint can create local maxima or
minima where
• We can employ the concept of complementary slackness:
and
and
Self test LM 1.3 Boundary Max or Min
Concavity and convexity
• • Convex set: all points on the line segment joining any two points
in the set are within the set
• Convex function: for any two values in the domain of and , and ,
• Except for the endpoints which are on the function and secant,
all points on the secant lie above the function
• Equivalent definition: the set of points above the function form
a convex set
Concavity and convexity (cont.)
• • Concave function: for any two values in the domain
of and , and ,
• Except for the endpoints which are on the function
and secant, all points on the secant lie below the
function
• Equivalent definition: the set of points below the
function form a convex set
Second Derivative Text, Composite Functions
• • If is twice differentiable, is convex [concave] iff
for all
• If is convex [concave] and is a local minimum
[maximum], then is a global minimum [maximum]
• Suppose is a global maximum of and is a strictly
increasing function of , then ) has a global
maximum at
Example: Concavity and Convexity
• Example:
has a global minimum at
• Which is a global minimum of
Self test LM 1.4 Concavity and Convexity