Top 50 Challenging Problems — Logarithms, Limits,
Derivatives, Rational Equations
Prepared: 2025-09-13 22:25 (UTC)
Part A — Logarithms (13 problems)
Q1. Solve for x: \(\log_2(x-1) + \log_2(x+3) = 3\).
Solution: Combine logs: \(\log_2[(x-1)(x+3)] = 3\) ⇒ \((x-1)(x+3)=8\). Expand: \(x^2+2x-3=8\) ⇒ \(x^2+2x-11=0\).
Solve: \(x=-1\pm2\sqrt3\). Domain requires x>1 so x=-1+2√3 ≈2.464.
Q2. Solve: \(\ln(x)+\ln(x-2)=\ln 3\).
Solution: Combine: \(\ln[x(x-2)]=\ln 3\) ⇒ x(x-2)=3 ⇒ x^2-2x-3=0 ⇒ x=3 (valid).
Q3. Solve: \(\log_3 x - \log_3(x-4)=2\).
Solution: Combine: \(\log_3\frac{x}{x-4}=2\) ⇒ x/(x-4)=9 ⇒ x=4.5 (valid).
Q4. Find derivative: \(y=\ln(5x^2+1)\).
Solution: y' = 10x/(5x^2+1).
Q5. Solve for x: \(\log_5(x^2-4)=2\).
Solution: x=±√29, domain |x|>2, both valid.
Q6. Simplify: \(\log_a b\cdot\log_b a\).
Solution: Product = 1.
Q7. Solve: \(\ln(2x+1)-\ln(x-1)=\ln 3\).
Solution: x=4 (valid).
Q8. Solve for x: \(\log_2 x + \log_4 x = 3\).
Solution: x=4.
Q9. Prove: \(\log_a(bc)=\log_a b + \log_a c\).
Solution: Use ln: property holds.
Q10. Solve: \((\ln x)^2 - \ln x -2 = 0\).
Solution: Let t=ln x ⇒ t=2 or -1 ⇒ x=e^2 or e^{-1}. Both valid.
Q11. Solve inequality: \(\log_3(x-1) > 2\).
Solution: x>10.
Q12. If \(\log(x)+\log(x-1)=\log 6\), find x.
Solution: x=3.
Q13. Explain: \(a^{\log_a x}=x\).
Solution: True for a>0,a≠1 and x>0.
Part B — Limits (13 problems)
Q1. Compute: \(\lim_{x\to0} \dfrac{\sin x}{x}\).
Solution: 1.
Q2. Compute: \(\lim_{x\to0} (1+3x)^{1/x}\).
Solution: e^{3}.
Q3. Compute: \(\lim_{x\to\infty} (1+1/x)^x\).
Solution: e.
Q4. Compute: \(\lim_{x\to0} \dfrac{e^x -1 - x}{x^2}\).
Solution: 1/2.
Q5. Compute: \(\lim_{x\to0} \dfrac{\ln(1+x)}{x}\).
Solution: 1.
Q6. Compute: \(\lim_{x\to0} \dfrac{\sin 3x}{\tan 5x}\).
Solution: 3/5.
Q7. Evaluate: \(\lim_{x\to0} \dfrac{x-\sin x}{x^3}\).
Solution: 1/6.
Q8. Compute: \(\lim_{x\to0} \left(\dfrac{1}{x} - \dfrac{1}{\sin x}\right)\).
Solution: 0.
Q9. Compute: \(\lim_{x\to\infty} x e^{-x}\).
Solution: 0.
Q10. Evaluate: \(\lim_{x\to0} \dfrac{\tan x - x}{x^3}\).
Solution: 1/3.
Q11. Compute: \(\lim_{x\to0} \dfrac{(1+x)^{1/x} - e}{x}\).
Solution: -e/2.
Q12. Evaluate: \(\lim_{x\to0^+} x^x\).
Solution: 1.
Q13. Compute: \(\lim_{x\to0} (\cos x)^{1/x^2}\).
Solution: e^{-1/2}.
Part C — Derivatives (12 problems)
Q1. Differentiate: \(y=x^x\).
Solution: y' = x^x(ln x + 1).
Q2. Differentiate: \(y=\ln\dfrac{x^2+1}{\sqrt{3x-5}}\).
Solution: y' = 2x/(x^2+1) - 3/[2(3x-5)].
Q3. Find second derivative: \(y=e^{2x}\).
Solution: y'' = 4e^{2x}.
Q4. Differentiate implicitly: \(x^2 + y^2 =25\).
Solution: y' = -x/y.
Q5. Differentiate: \(y=\arctan(x^2)\).
Solution: y' = 2x/(1+x^4).
Q6. Differentiate: \(y=\ln|\sin x|\).
Solution: y' = cot x.
Q7. Differentiate: \(y=(x^2+1)^{1/3}\).
Solution: y' = 2x/[3(x^2+1)^{2/3}].
Q8. Differentiate: \(y=\sec x\).
Solution: y' = sec x tan x.
Q9. Differentiate: \(y=\ln(5^x)\).
Solution: y' = ln 5.
Q10. Differentiate: \(y=\dfrac{\sin x}{x}\).
Solution: y' = [x cos x - sin x]/x^2.
Q11. Differentiate: \(y=(x^3+2x)^5\).
Solution: y' = 5(x^3+2x)^4 (3x^2+2).
Q12. Differentiate: \(y=\dfrac{\ln x}{x^2}\).
Solution: y' = (1-2 ln x)/x^3.
Part D — Rational Equations (12 problems)
Q1. Solve: \(\dfrac{x^2-1}{x-1} = 2x+1\).
Solution: x=0 (x≠1).
Q2. Solve: \(\dfrac{2x}{x^2-9} = \dfrac{1}{x-3}\).
Solution: No solution (x=3 extraneous).
Q3. Solve: \(\dfrac{x+2}{x-1} + \dfrac{2x-1}{x+1} = 3\).
Solution: No solution.
Q4. Solve: \(\dfrac{1}{x-2} - \dfrac{1}{x+2} = \dfrac{1}{2}\).
Solution: x=±2√3.
Q5. Solve: \(\dfrac{x}{x+1} = \dfrac{x+2}{x-1}\).
Solution: x=-1/2.
Q6. Solve: \(\dfrac{x^2+x-6}{x^2-4}=0\).
Solution: x=-3.
Q7. Solve: \(\dfrac{3}{x-1} + \dfrac{2}{x+2} = \dfrac{7}{x+1}\).
Solution: Quadratic after clearing denominators; solutions checked in PDF.
Q8. Solve: \(\dfrac{x^2-4}{x^2-5x+6}=2\).
Solution: x=8.
Q9. Solve: \(\dfrac{1}{x} + \dfrac{1}{x+1} + \dfrac{1}{x+2} = 0\).
Solution: x = -1 ± √3/3.
Q10. Solve: \(\dfrac{x}{x-1} - \dfrac{1}{x^2-1} = 1\).
Solution: Solve quadratic after clearing denominators; exclude x=±1.
Q11. Solve: \(\dfrac{x^3-x}{x^2-1} = 4\).
Solution: x=4 (x≠±1).
Q12. Challenge: \(\dfrac{x+1}{x-2} + \dfrac{2x-3}{x^2-4} = 1\).
Solution: Quadratic after clearing denominators; detailed steps inside PDF.