Functions with Corners

Tangent lines don't necessarily exist at every point on a graph. Below there are some examples of functions which have "corners" - sharp turns where tangent lines cannot exist.

Recall that one way to think about a tangent line is that if you zoom into the point far enough then the graph eventually looks like a line. Try zooming into the corners and notice that they never go away, i.e. the graph does not resemble a line no matter how far you zoom in.

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Jamie Mulholland
Department of Mathematics
Simon Fraser University
Created with GeoGebra