Suppose that is defined on an interval . We say that:

  • is increasing on if whenever with in
  • is decreasing on if whenever with in
  • is constant on if whenever with in

Generally, when we ask to find where a function is increasing, we are asking for the largest intervals for which this is true. We may find several intervals where this is the case, and we consider the collection of all intervals to be the solution. The same is true regarding where a function is decreasing.

Consider the graph of below
PIC

Consider the graph of the function below:
PIC
On which of the following intervals is increasing?
On which of the following intervals is decreasing?