Answer: the interval on which the curve is concave up is (-∞, -1/2)======
we find the interval where this curve is concave up by finding the interval in which the 2nd derivative is positive.differentiate the curve equation with respect to x
let the function f denote be the anti-derivative of the inside expression, i.e. a function such that
f(x) = 1/(1 + t + t^2))
.then use the fundamental theorem of calculus:
![\begin{aligned} \frac{dy}{dx} & = \frac{d}{dx} \int_{0}^x \frac{1}{1 + t + t^2} \; dt \\& = \frac{d}{dx} \big[ f(x) - f(0) \big] & & \text{\footnotesize apply ftc} \\ & = \frac{d}{dx}f(x) - 0 \\ & = \frac{1}{x + x + x^2} & & \text{\footnotesize since $\frac{d}{dx}f(x) = \frac{1}{1 + x + x^2}$ } \end{aligned}](/tex.php?f=\begin{aligned} \frac{dy}{dx} & = \frac{d}{dx} \int_{0}^x \frac{1}{1 + t + t^2} \; dt \\& = \frac{d}{dx} \big[ f(x) - f(0) \big] & & \text{\footnotesize apply ftc} \\ & = \frac{d}{dx}f(x) - 0 \\ & = \frac{1}{x + x + x^2} & & \text{\footnotesize since $\frac{d}{dx}f(x) = \frac{1}{1 + x + x^2}$ } \end{aligned})
differentiate again to get second derivative. we can use chain rule with 1/x as the outside function and 1 + x + x² as the inside function
 & = \frac{d}{dx}\left(\frac{1}{1 + x + x^2} \right) \\ \frac{d^2y}{dx^2} & = \frac{-1}{\left(1 + x + x^2\right)^2} \cdot \tfrac{d}{dx}(1 + x + x^2) \\ & = \frac{-1}{\left(1 + x + x^2\right)^2} \cdot (1 + 2x) \\ & = \frac{-(1 + 2x)}{\left(1 + x + x^2\right)^2} \end{aligned})
find critical numbers of the second derivative. these numbers are where the 2nd deriv. is undefined or zero.where the 2nd derivative is zero: set (d²y/dx²) to equal 0 and solve for x
}{\left(1 + x + x^2\right)^2} \\ 0 & = -(1+2x) \\ -1 & = 2x \\ x & = -1/2 \end{aligned})
where the 2nd derivative is undefined: if the denominator is equal to zero, the derivative will be undefeined. attempting to solve the equation 1 + x + x² = 0results in a discriminant of
(1) = -3)
meaning that the equal 1 + x + x² = 0 has no real solutions and therefore will never equal zero.======our only critical number is x = -1/2.this forms two intervals to test the sign for: (-∞, -1/2) and (-1/2, ∞)test values into the 2nd derivative for (-∞, -1/2)if we try x = -1, we get
)}{\left(1+(-1)+(-1)^2\right)^2} \\ & = \frac{-(1-2)}{1} \\ & = 1 \end{aligned})
so the since the 2nd derivative of the curve is positive on the interval (-∞, -1/2), the curve is concave up on (-∞, -1/2)test values into the 2nd derivative for (-1/2, ∞)if we try x = 0, we get
)}{\left(1+(0)+(0)^2\right)^2} \\ & = \frac{-(1)}{1} \\ & = -1 \end{aligned})
so the since the 2nd derivative of the curve is positive on the interval (-∞, -1/2), the curve is concave down on (-∞, -1/2).the interval on which the curve is concave up is (-∞, -1/2)
