Calculate the Descending Area of f(x) = (1/2)x²: Quadratic Function Analysis

Find the descending area of the function

$f(x)=\frac{1}{2}x^2$

To solve the problem of finding the descending area of the function $f(x) = \frac{1}{2}x^2$, we follow these steps:

• Step 1: Calculate the derivative of the given function. The function is $f(x) = \frac{1}{2}x^2$. Differentiating this, we get $f'(x) = \frac{d}{dx}(\frac{1}{2}x^2) = x$.
• Step 2: Determine where the derivative is negative. Since $f'(x) = x$, the derivative is negative when $x < 0$.
• Step 3: Conclude the solution. We find that the function $f(x)$ is decreasing for $x < 0$.

Thus, the descending area (domain where the function is decreasing) for the function $f(x) = \frac{1}{2}x^2$ is $x < 0$.

The correct choice that matches this solution is: $x < 0$.