How to remember which function is concave and which one is convex?

Question

I always struggle to remember when a function is convex and concave:

Do you have a particular trick to help you remember this?

My trick is based on the Spanish phrase "No cabe", pronounced nô ˈka.βe, which sound just like "concave". "No cabe" means it does not fit. Thus, whilst you can put something into a convex function (e.g. think of a bowl), you cannot put something into a concave function. Hence the relation.

I am curious on what other, perhaps more efficient methods people use.

Answer 1

I think it just depends on how you learn.

When I took calculus, we didn't use "concave" and "convex" - rather, we (and the AP exam) used "concave up" and "concave down." I still use these as a grad student.

One can also remember that concave functions look like the opening of a cave.

Answer 2

Well, I think of it as they both are in a smiling contest, concave smiles with the v and convex with the v and x. However, the fact that the function convex smiles more makes the concave sad.

Answer 3

you just need to remember 1 of them, conCAVE, it is already in the word it is a cave hence the shape :-)