Practice Problem Set 5
Topics: Continuity, IVT and Differentiation
1. Let f (x) be the piecewise-defined function defined by:
x + 5a , x ≤ −3
f (x) = −ax + b , −3 < x < 3
2x + 10b , x ≥ 3
Find a and b such that f (x) is continuous for all x ∈ R. Answer: a = 1, b = −1
√ √
2. If 5 − 2x2 ≤ g(x) ≤ 5 − x2 for −1 ≤ x ≤ 1, find lim g(x). Determine if g(x) is
√ x→0
continuous at x = 0. Answer: lim g(x) = 5 , g(x) is continuous at x = 0
x→0
3. Show that the function F (x) = (x − a)2 (x − b)2 + x with a < b has the value (a + b)/2
at some point x.
4. Let f (x) be a continuous function on [a, b] whose range is [a, b]. Show that there is a
point on the graph of f (x) that intersects the line y = x. That is, show that there
exists a number c ∈ [a, b] such that f (c) = c.
5. (a) Show that f (x) = x3 − x − 1 has at least one real root.
(b) Let h(x) be continuous on [0, 2] with h(0) = h(2). Show that there exists x ∈ [0, 1]
such that h(x) = h(x + 1).
6. (a) Show that the function h(x) defined by:
(
1
x4 sin x
, x 6= 0
h(x) =
0, x=0
is continuous on (−∞, ∞).
(b) Consider the function g(x) = tan−1 x + x3 + 1. Show that there exists c ∈ [−1, 1]
such that g(c) = 0.
√
7. Using the definition of the derivative, compute the derivative of H(x) = 1 − x2 .
x
Answer: H 0 (x) = − √
1 − x2
1 1
8. Using the definition of the derivative, show that f 0 (1) = − for f (x) = .
4 1+x
9. Consider the piecewise-defined function g(x) given by:
(
2 sin x − cos x for x ≤ 0
g(x) =
becx for x > 0
Find the values of b and c such that g(x) is differentiable at x = 0.
Answer: b = −1, c = −2
1
10. Use the definition of the derivative to determine if the function:
1
−1
x tan for x 6= 0
f (x) = x
0 for x = 0
is differentiable at x = 0. Answer: f (x) is not differentiable at x = 0
1
11. Suppose that 3 − ≤ f (x) ≤ 2 + x for all x > −1.
1+x
(a) Evaluate lim f (x) and show that f (x) is continuous at x = 0.
x→0
!
f (x) − 2
(b) Evaluate lim and show that f (x) is differentiable at x = 0.
x→0 x
Answers: (a) 2, (b) 1
12. Suppose f (x) and g(x) are two functions that satisfy f (x)g(x) = x for all x ∈ R and
f (0) = g(0) = 0. Prove that it is impossible for both f (x) and g(x) to be differentiable
at x = 0.
13. If g(x) = xx for x > 0, find the value of a such that g 0 (a) = 2g(a). Answer: e
1 9
x 3x −1 −1 0
14. For f (x) = −(1 + e + e ) , find (f ) − . Answer:
3 4
dy
15. Find for the following and simplify your answers:
dx
y
y x
ln y −
0 x
(a) x = y Answer: y = x
ln x − y
q
y 1 + 2x 1 − (xy)2
(b) sin−1 (xy) + x2 y = 1 Answer: y 0 = − q
x 1 + x 1 − (xy)2
(c) y = ln(ln(x2 )) Answer: y 0 = (x ln x)−1
1 x
ex 0 ex
(d) y = x Answer: y = x ln x + e
x
" #
0 1 + ln(ln x)
ln x
(e) y = (ln x) Answer: y = (ln x)ln x
x
2
(f) y = sinh−1 (2x) Answer: y 0 = √
1 + 4x2
cos x −1
(g) y = sin−1 Answer: y 0 = q
1 + sin x 2 sin x(1 + sin x)
(h) y = etan x Answer: y 0 = sec2 xetan x
2
16. (a) Find the equation of the tangent line to the curve ln(x + y 2 ) = x sin y at the point
(1, 0). Answer: y = x − 1
√ 2
(b) For f (x) = x3 + x2 + x + 1, find (f −1 )0 (2). Answer: (f −1 )0 (2) =
3
17. Find the equation of the tangent line to the curve y 2 − 2 tan−1 x = y cos x at the point
(0, 1). Answer: y = 2x + 1
18. Find the equation of the line that passes through the point (−2, 0) and is tangent to
√ x 1
the curve y = x. Answer: y = √ + √
2 2 2
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