Problem Set 4

Mathematics 1
August 2, 2019

1 Questions and answers

1. In the lectures we proved the product rule
d
(f (x)g(x)) = f 0 (x)g(x) + f (x)g 0 (x).
dx
In this exercise we will prove two of the remaining differentiation rules.

(a) Prove the sum rule

d
(af (x)+bg(x)) = af 0 (x)+bg 0 (x)), if the right hand side exists.
dx
(b) Let’s prove the quotient rule:
i. First prove that
d 1 −g 0 (x)
= ,
dx g(x) (g(x))2
ii. then prove the quotient rule
d f (x) g(x)f 0 (x) − f (x)g 0 (x)
= ,
dx g(x) (g(x))2
in both cases under the assumption that the respective right hand
side exists.
Note: You can (and probably should) use results that we have
already proved. I.e. you can use the product rule if it helps, and
in proving part (b)(ii) you can of course use the result from part
(b)(i).

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2. For each function f : R → R below, evaluate the derivative f 0 (0) or
show that f 0 (0) does not exist.
(a)
for x 6= 0,
(
x2 sin x1
f (x) =
0 for x = 0.
.
(b)
for x ∈ Q,
(
x
f (x) =
0 for x ∈
6 Q.
.
(c)
for x ∈ Q,
(
x2
f (x) =
0 for x ∈
6 Q.
.
The following lemma might come in handy
Lemma 1. For every a ∈ R there exists sequences an → a, an 6= a and
bn → a, bn 6= a such that an ∈ Q and bn 6∈ Q for every n = 1, 2, 3, . . ..

3. This exercise completes some arguments that were made in the lectures.
(a) Suppose we have already shown (as we did in the lectures), that
for n = 0, 1, 2, . . ., we have
d n
x = nxn−1 .
dx
Use this to show that also for p ∈ Z, p < 0, we have
d p
x = pxp−1 .
dx
(b) Suppose we have shown that for p, q ∈ Z q 6= 0, we have
d p d 1/q 1 1q −1
x = pxp−1 , x = x .
dx dx q
Use this to show that
d p/q p pq −1
x = x .
dx q

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4. Prove

(a)
d
cos x = − sin x.
dx
(b)
d 1
tan x = .
dx cos2 x
(c)
d −1
arccos x = √ .
dx 1 − x2
5. If two resistors with resistances R1 and R2 are connected in parallel,
then the total resistance R is given by
1 1 1
= + .
R R1 R2

If R1 and R2 are increasing at rates of 0.3 Ω/s and 0.2 Ω/s respectively,
how fast is R changing when R1 = 80 Ω and R2 = 100 Ω?
Answer: R0 ≈ 0.13Ω/s.

6. A spotlight on the ground shines on a wall 12 m away. A 2 m tall alien

is walking straight towards the building as shown in Figure 1. At the
moment when he is 4m away from the building, his instant speed is 1.6
m/s.
How fast is the length of his shadow on the building decreasing at this
moment?
Answer: It’s decreasing at a rate of 0.6 m/s.

7. A lighthouse is located on a small island 3 km away from the nearest

point P on a straight shoreline and its light makes four revolutions per
minute as shown in Figure 2. How fast is the beam of light moving
along the shoreline when it is 1 km from P ?
Answer: About 5027 km/h.

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 Figure 1: An alien walking towards a building

4 rev / min
b

3 km

x km
P

Figure 2: How fast does x increase when x = 1?

8. A lighthouse is located 5 km from its nearest point P on a straight

shoreline as shown in Figure 3. We want to lay a cable from the light-
house to a point Q on the shoreline situated 10 km from P . The cable
will be laid through the water in a straight line from the lighthouse to
a point X between P and Q and from there to Q along the shore. If
the part of the cable lying in the water costs $5000/km and the part
along the shore costs $3000/km, where should the point X be chosen
to minimize the total cost?
Answer: 3.75 km from P .

9. A man can run twice as fast as he can swim. He is standing at a

point A on the edge of a circular swimming pool 40 m in diameter,
and he wants to get to the diametrically opposite point B as quickly as

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 b

5 km

b b b

P X Q

10 km

Figure 3: Laying a cable from a lighthouse to a point on the shore

possible. He can run around the edge from A to a point C, and then
swim along a straight line from C to B (see Figure 4). Where should
C be chosen to minimize the total time taken to get from A to B?

C
run


 swim



B 
A

Figure 4: Getting to the other side of a circular pool

Answer: C should coincide with B.

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2 Hints
1. (a) Use the definition of derivative together with the limit laws.
(b) i. Use the definition of derivative together with the limit laws.
ii. Use the product rule.
2. Hint: In each part you want to determine whether or not the limit
f (0 + h) − f (0)
lim ,
h→0 h
exists. In some cases the squeeze theorem comes in handy. Sometimes
the stated lemma is useful.
3. (a) For p ∈ Z, p < 0, let n = −p. Then n ∈ Z, n > 0, and we have
1
xp = .
xn
Use the rule we have already established for positive integers to-
gether with the quotient rule, to evaluate dx x.
d p

(b) Write
xp/q = (x1/q )p ,
and use the already established rules together with the chain rule.
4. (a) Hint, alternative 1: You can follow the same procedure as the one
used in the lectures to calculate dx
d
sin x, i.e.

d cos(x + h) − cos x
cos x = lim =
dx h→0 h
cos x cos h − sin x sin h − cos x
lim = ....
h→0 h
Hint, alternative 2: Alternatively, you can use the fact (proved in
the lecture) that
d
sin x = cos x,
dx
together with the identities
π  π 
cos − x = sin x, sin − x = cos x
2 2
and the chain rule.

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 (b) Hint: Write
sin x
tan x = ,
cos x
and use the quotient rule for differentiation.
(c) Hint 1: Note that

y = arccos x ⇔ x = cos y, y ∈ [0, π],

and use implicit differentiation.

Hint 2: Also, note that
p
1 − cos2 y = | sin y|.

Using what you know about y will allow you to take care of the
modulus sign.

5. Hint: Regard R, R1 and R2 as functions of time and differentiate both

sides of the given equation.

6. Hint: Let f (t) be the distance from the alien to the light source as a
function of time t and let s(t) be the shadow’s length. Looking at the
figure you can identify two similar triangles that allow you to write
down a simple equation relating f (t) and s(t). Finally, differentiate
both sides of that equation.

7. Hint: Let ` be a straight line segment from the lighthouse to the point
P , let t be the time measured from some starting point and let θ(t) be
the angle (measured in radians) that the lighthouse beam makes with
` (in the direction of rotation). The given information tells you what
θ0 (t) is.
Further, let x(t) be the distance from P to the beam of light at the
shoreline (measured in km in the direction the beam moves). Draw
a figure and write down an equation relating θ(t) to x(t). Finally,
differentiate and use a bit more trigonometry to solve for x0 at the
time when t = 1. Note that you don’t have to calculate this time, it
will be enough to figure out the value of cos θ at this point of time.

8 Hint: Let x be the distance from the point P to the point X and express
the total cost as a function f (x). Note that the domain of f is the

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 closed interval [0, 10] and that f is continuous. Hence, by the max/min
theorem, f does assume an absolute minimum value somewhere on this
interval and in order to find it you can just compare the function values
at the points where this may occur, i.e. at

• Points where f 0 is zero.

• Points where f 0 does not exist.
• The endpoints 0 and 10

9 Hint: Let θ be the angle AOC where O is the centre of the pool.
Express the time as a continuous function on the closed interval [0, π]
and apply the same strategy as in Exercise 8.