Question

Find the intervals on which the function is increasing or decreasing.

Answer 1

To solve this, you have to know that the first derivative of a function is its slope. When an interval is increasing, it has a positive slope. Thus, we are trying to solve for when the first derivative of a function is positive/negative.

f(x)=2x^3+6x^2-18x+2
f'(x)=6x^2+12x-18
f'(x)=6(x^2+2x-3)
f'(x)=6(x+3)(x-1)
So the zeroes of f'(x) are at x=1, x=-3
Because there is no multiplicity, when the function passes a zero, he y value is changing signs.
Since f'(0)=-18, intervals -3<x<1 is decreasing(because -3<0<1)
Thus, every other portion of the graph is increasing.
Therefore, you get:

Increasing: (negative infinite, -3), (1, infinite)
Decreasing:(-3,1)