Skip to main content
Logo image

Active Calculus 2nd Ed

Activity 2.7.2.
Consider the curve defined by the equation \(x = y^5 - 5y^3 + 4y\text{,}\) whose graph is pictured in the following figure
(a)
Explain why it is not possible to express \(y\) as an explicit function of \(x\text{.}\)
(b)
Use implicit differentiation to find a formula for \(dy/dx\text{.}\)
(c)
Use your result from part (b) to find an equation of the line tangent to the graph of \(x = y^5 - 5y^3 + 4y\) at the point \((0, 1)\text{.}\)
(d)
Use your result from part (b) to determine all of the points at which the graph of \(x = y^5 - 5y^3 + 4y\) has a vertical tangent line.