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Let $f$ be twice differentiable on $\mathbb{R}$ and suppose $f''(x)>0$ for every real number $x$. Which of the following statements are always true?

  1. $f$ has at most one critical point.
     
  2. Every local minimum of $f$ is the unique global minimum of $f$.
     
  3. If $f'(1)<0<f'(4)$, then $f$ has a unique global minimum in $(1,4)$.
     
  4. If $f$ has no critical point, then $f$ must be bounded below.

1 Answer

1 1 vote

Since $f''(x)>0$ for every $x$, the derivative $f'(x)$ is strictly increasing. 

Therefore, $f'(x)=0$ can happen at most once, so A is true. 

Also, if $f$ has a local minimum at $c$, then $f'(c)=0$. 

Since $f'$ is strictly increasing, $f'(x)<0$ for $x<c$ and $f'(x)>0$ for $x>c$, so $f$ decreases before $c$ and increases after $c$.

 Hence that local minimum is the unique global minimum, so B is true. 

If $f'(1)<0<f'(4)$, then by continuity of $f'$, there is some $c\in(1,4)$ such that $f'(c)=0$. Since $f'$ is strictly increasing, this $c$ is unique, and it gives the unique global minimum. Thus C is true. 

D is false because $f(x)=x+e^x$ satisfies $f''(x)=e^x>0$ and has no critical point, but $f(x)\to-\infty$ as $x\to-\infty$. 

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