Here are the essential concepts you must grasp in order to answer the question correctly.
Critical Points
Critical points of a function occur where its derivative is zero or undefined. These points are potential locations for local extrema (maximum or minimum values). For the function k(x) = x³ + 3x² + 3x + 1, finding the derivative and solving k'(x) = 0 will help identify critical points within the given domain.
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First Derivative Test
The First Derivative Test helps determine whether a critical point is a local maximum, minimum, or neither. By analyzing the sign changes of the derivative around the critical points, we can infer the behavior of the function. If the derivative changes from positive to negative, the point is a local maximum; if it changes from negative to positive, it's a local minimum.
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Domain Consideration
Understanding the domain is crucial when identifying extrema, as it limits where extrema can occur. For k(x) = x³ + 3x² + 3x + 1, the domain is −∞ < x ≤ 0, meaning we only consider critical points and endpoints within this range. The endpoint x = 0 must also be evaluated to determine if it is an extremum.
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