MH1100/MTH112: Calculus I.

Problem list for Week #7.

Solutions.

Problem 1:
Use the definition of the derivative to determine the derivative function of
f (x) = x3 3x + 5.
State the domain of the function and the domain of the derivative.
Solution
The derivative of f (x) at a point x is given by the following limit, if it exists:
f 0 (x) =
=
=
=
=

f (x + h) f (x)
h0
h


(x + h)3 3(x + h) + 5 (x3 3x + 5)
lim
h0
h
3
2
2
x + 3x h + 3xh + h3 3x 3h + 5 x3 + 3x 5
lim
h0
h
3x2 h + 3xh2 + h3 3h
lim
h0
h


2
lim 3x + 3xh + h2 3
lim

h0

= 3x2 3.
The function f (x) is a polynomial, so its domain is all of R. And we just
saw that the limit which defines the derivative exists at every point x R,
so its domain is all of R as well.


Problem 2 (#2.2.25 from [Stewart]):

Use the definition of the derivative to determine the derivative function of

g(x) = 9 x.
State the domain of the function and the domain of the derivative.
Solution
The domain of f is clearly (, 9].
The domain of the derivative will be some subset of (, 9). (f cant be
differentiable at a = 9 because f needs to be defined on both sides of a point
a to have a derivative at that point.)
So let x (, 9). According to the definition
f (x + h) f (x)
h
p

9 (x + h) 9 x
= lim
h0
h
!
p
p

9 (x + h) 9 x
9 (x + h) + 9 x
= lim
p

h0
h
9 (x + h) + 9 x
p
2

2

9 (x + h)
9x
p

= lim

h0
h
9 (x + h) + 9 x

f 0 (x) =

lim

h0

h
p


h0
h
9 (x + h) + 9 x
lim

1
=
.
2 9x
This limit exists for every x < 9, so the domain of f 0 (x) is all of (, 9).


Problem 3 (#2.2.26 from [Stewart]):

Use the definition of the derivative to determine the derivative function of
f (x) =

x2 1
.
2x 3

State the domain of the function and the domain of the derivative.
Solution
The domain of f (x) is R\
or some subset of it.

Let x R\ 32 . Then:

3
2

. The domain of the derivative will be this set

f 0 (x)
f (x + h) f (x)
= lim
h0
h
=

lim

(x+h)2 1
2(x+h)3

x2 1
2x3

h


(x2 + 2hx + h2 ) 1 (2x 3) (x2 1)(2x + 2h 3)
= lim
h0
h(2(x + h) 3)(2x 3)
2
(x 1)(2x 3) + (2hx + h2 )(2x 3) (x2 1)(2x 3) 2h(x2 1)
= lim
h0
h(2(x + h) 3)(2x 3)
2x(2x 3) + h(2x 3) 2(x2 1)
= lim
h0
(2(x + h) 3)(2x 3)
2x(2x 3) 2(x2 1)
=
(2x 3)2
2x2 6x + 2
=
.
(2x 3)2

This limit exists for every x R\ 32 , so that is the domain of the derivative.
h0

Problem 4 (#2.2.41 from [Stewart]):

Given a certain function f (x), we have plotted f (x), f 0 (x), and f 00 (x). Match
these functions to the different graphs a, b and c. Justify your answer.
Solution
I think the way to do this is to work out which of the displayed graphs can
be the derivative of which. The derivative of Graph a can only be Graph
b, because Graph c is already negative to the left of the y-axis, but Graph
a is not decreasing there. Similarly the derivative of Graph b can only be
Graph c (for example, the maximum of b occurs at exactly the point where
c goes from positive to negative).
Thus: Graph a depicts f , Graph b depicts f 0 , and Graph c depicts f 00 .

Problem 5 (#2.2.42 from [Stewart]):
Given a certain function f (x), we have plotted f (x), f 0 (x), f 00 (x), and f 000 (x).
Match these functions to the different graphs a, b, c and d. Justify your
answer.
Solution
Note that the derivative of the function drawn in Graph d seems to be given
by Graph c. (For example, you can match the turning points of d to the
points where the Graph c passes from positive to negative, and vice versa).
The derivative of c could be given by b (note that c decreases at exactly the
points where b is negative, and vice versa). And finally the derivative of b
could be given by a.
So the following seems to be a consistent match-up: Graph d depicts f ,
Graph c depicts f 0 , Graph b depicts f 00 , and Graph a depicts f 000 .


Problem 6 (#2.2.50 from [Stewart]):

Consider the function g(x) = x2/3 .
(i) Show that g(x) is not differentiable at x = 0.
(ii) Calculate g 0 (a) in the case that a 6= 0.
(iii) Show that the curve y = x2/3 has a vertical tangent line at (0, 0).
(iv) Illustrate by graphing g(x) and g 0 (x).
Solution to (i).
To show that g(x) is not differentiable at x = 0 we have to show that the
limit which defines the derivative at that point, namely
g(0 + h) g(0)
,
h0
h
lim

does not exist.

The calculation is:
g(0 + h) g(0)
h2/3 0
= lim
= lim h1/3
h0
h0
h0
h
h
lim

which obviously does not exist. (It approaches + as h approaches 0 from

the right and as h approaches 0 from the left.)

Solution to (ii).
Let a 6= 0. Then:
g(a + h) g(a)
h0
h
(a + h)2/3 a2/3
= lim
h0
h

g 0 (a) =

lim

(a + h)2/3 a2/3 (a + h)4/3 + (a + h)2/3 a2/3 + a4/3

= lim

h0
h
(a + h)4/3 + (a + h)2/3 a2/3 + a4/3

3

3
(a + h)2/3 a2/3


= lim
h0 h (a + h)4/3 + (a + h)2/3 a2/3 + a4/3
=
=
=
=
=

(a + h)2 a2


h0 h (a + h)4/3 + (a + h)2/3 a2/3 + a4/3
(a + h a)(a + h + a)


lim
h0 h (a + h)4/3 + (a + h)2/3 a2/3 + a4/3
(2a + h)
lim
4/3
h0 (a + h)
+ (a + h)2/3 a2/3 + a4/3
2a
3a4/3
2 1/3
a
.
3
lim

Solution to (iii).
According to the textbook, to check that a graph has a vertical tangent line
at a point, we have to check that it is
(a) continuous at that point, and that
(b) limxa |g 0 (x)| = .
The given g(x) satisfies:
lim g(x) = lim x2/3 = 0 = g(0)

x0

x0

so it is continuous at the point 0. Also, using the answer to (ii) we calculate



 2 
0

lim |g (x)| = lim  1/3  = +.
x0
x0 3x
So this graph has a vertical tangent at x = 0.
6

Solution to (iv).
The graphs of g(x) and g 0 (x) are:

Problem 7 (#2.2.51 from [Stewart]):

Using the definition of derivative, determine the derivative function of the
function
f (x) = |x 6|.
Sketch the graph of f (x) and of f 0 (x).
Solution
This function is defined by different rules, depending on whether x < 6,
x = 6 or x > 6. The rules are:

x < 6,
(x 6)
0
x = 6,
f (x) =

x6
x > 6.
To calculate the derivative function, we are going to have to split this into
3 cases.
Case 1: a > 6.
In this case, f (x) is given by the rule x 6 at every point close to a, so the
calculation becomes:
lim

h0

f (a + h) f (a)
h

(a + h 6) (a 6)
h
h
= lim
h0 h
= 1.
=

lim

h0

Case 2: a < 6.
In this case, f (x) is given by the rule (x 6) at every point close to a, so
the calculation becomes:
lim

h0

f (a + h) f (a)
h

(a + h 6) ((a 6))
h
h
= lim
h0 h
= 1.
=

lim

h0

Case 3: a = 6. The limit which determines the derivative at a = 6 is:

f (6 + h) f (6)
.
h0
h
lim

The function inside the limit is defined by two different rules, depending on
whether h > 0 or h < 0, so to understand this limit well need to consider
the corresponding 1-sided limits. The limit from the right is:
lim

h0+

f (6 + h) f (6)
((6 + h) 6) 0
h
= lim
= lim
= 1.
h
h
h0+
h0+ h

The limit from the left is:

lim

h0

((6 + h) + 6) 0
h
f (6 + h) f (6)
= lim
= lim
= 1.
h
h
h0
h0+ h

The 1-sided limits are different, so the derivative is not defined at the point
x = 6.
In summary:

1
x>6

0
undefined
x=6
f (x) =

1
x<6
The graphs of f (x) and f 0 (x) are:

Problem 8:
Using the definition of derivative, determine the derivative function of the
function
f (x) = |x2 9|.
Sketch the graph of f (x) and of f 0 (x).
Solution
To begin, note that x2 9 = (x 3)(x + 3), so:

>0
if x < 3,

0
if x = 3,

<0
if 3 < x < 3,
(x2 9)

0
if x = 3,

>0
if x > 3.
Thus:

f (x) =

x2 9
0
2
(x 9)
0
x2 9

if
if
if
if
if

x < 3,
x = 3,
3 < x < 3,
x = 3,
x > 3.

To determine the derivative function, we should consider these 6 cases separately.

Case 1: x < 3.
In this case the calculation is:
f (x + h) f (x)
h0
h
((x + h)2 9) (x2 9)
= lim
h0
h
2
2hx + h
= lim
h0
h
= 2x.

f 0 (x) =

lim

Case 2: x = 3.
In this case the limit we need to understand is
f (3 + h) f (3)
.
h0
h
lim

10

The function f is defined by different rules on the two sides of 3, so the

(3)
function f (3+h)f
is defined by two different rules on the two sides of
h
h = 0. So to understand this limit, we should investigate the 1-sided limits
at h = 0. The limit from the left is:
lim

h0

f (3 + h) f (3)
(3 + h)2 9 (0)
= lim
= 6.
h
h
h0

The limit from the right is:

lim

h0+

f (3 + h) f (3)
((3 + h)2 9) (0)
= lim
= 6.
h
h
h0+

(3)
Thus, because the 1-sided limits are different, the limit limh0 f (3+h)f
h
does not exist, and so the function f is not differentiable at x = 3.

The other cases are all small modifications of these 2 cases. The final
answer is:

2x
if x < 3,

if x = 3,
undefined
2x
if 3 < x < 3,
f 0 (x) =

undefined
if x = 3,

2x
if x > 3.
The graphs of f (x) and f 0 (x) are:

11

Problem 9 (#2.2.53 from [Stewart]):

Consider the function f (x) = x|x|.
(i) Graph this function.
(ii) For what values of x is f (x) differentiable?
(iii) Find a formula for f 0 (x).
Solution
This function is determined by different rules in different regions according
to:

if x < 0,
x2
0
if x = 0,
f (x) =
2
x
if x > 0.
The graph of f is straightforward to assemble using the standard quadratic
graph. It is:

This graph appears to have a non-vertical tangent line at every point, so

we expect that the function will be differentiable at every point. To answer
with certainty, well apply the definition of derivative to calculate it.

12

There are three cases to consider.

Case 1: x < 0. In this case the calculation is:
(x + h)2 (x2 )
f (x + h) f (x)
= lim
= 2x.
h0
h0
h
h

f 0 (x) = lim

Case 2: x > 0. In this case the calculation is:

f (x + h) f (x)
(x + h)2 (x2 )
= lim
= 2x.
h0
h0
h
h

f 0 (x) = lim

Case 3: x = 0. In this case, to determine the derivative at x = 0 the limit

we have to understand is:
f (0 + h) f (0)
.
h0
h

f 0 (0) = lim

Because f (x) is defined by two different rules on the two sides of x = 0,

(0)
the expression f (0+h)f
is defined by 2 different rules on the two sides of
h
h = 0. This means that we need to consider the 1-sided limits at h = 0.
The limit from the left is:
lim

h0

f (0 + h) f (0)
h2 0
= lim
= 0.
h
h
h0

And the limit from the right is:

lim

h0+

f (0 + h) f (0)
h2 0
= lim
= 0.
h
h
h0+

The two 1-sided limits both exist, and they are equal, which means that
(0)
the limit limh0 f (0+h)f
exists and equals 0. Thus the function f (x) is
h
indeed differentiable at x = 0, with derivative 0.
In summary, the function f (x) is differentiable at every point, with
derivative given by:

if x < 0,
2x
0
0
if x = 0,
f (x) =

2x
if x > 0.
(Note that a short way of writing this result is: f 0 (x) = 2|x|.)


13

Problem 10? (The rational case of the power rule.):

(i) Let q N, and consider f (x) = x1/q . Assume that a > 0. Use the
definition of derivative to determine f 0 (a).
(ii) Let p, q N, and consider f (x) = xp/q . Assume that a > 0. Use the
result of part (i) and the product rule to determine f 0 (a).
Solution to (i).
The trick here is to use an appropriate version of the really useful
identity to get rid of the q-th roots on the top line. The version we will use
below is:

1
q1 
q1 
q2 

1/q
1/q
1/q
1/q
1/q
1/q
s
+ ... + s
= t s.
(t s )
t
+ t
When we use this below, we will use summation notation to make this
expression more compact:
1/q

(t

1/q

q1 
X

t1/q

i 

s1/q

q1i

= t s.

i=0

The computation is:

f 0 (a) =

(a + h)1/q a1/q
h0
h
lim

!




Pq1
1/q i a1/q q1i
(a
+
h)
(a + h)1/q a1/q
i=0
Pq1
= lim




1/q i a1/q q1i
h0
h
i=0 (a + h)

q

q
(a + h)1/q a1/q

= lim P




q1
h0
1/q i a1/q q1i
h
(a
+
h)
i=0
=

lim

h0

P

limh0
Pq1
i=0

(a + h) a

i

q1i 
(a + h)1/q a1/q
1

=
=

q1
i=0

Pq1
i=0

a1/q

1

i

(a + h)1/q
a1/q

i

a1/q

q1i

q1i

1 1q 1
a
.
q

This result is what is required for the power rule to be true for the case x1/q .
14

Solution to (ii).
In this part we have to use the result of (i), and the product rule, to determine the derivative of f (x) = xp/q , where p and q are positive integers.
To do this, we just rewrite f (x) in the following way:
1/q
f (x) = xp/q = x
. . x1/q} .
| .{z
p

According to part (i), the factor x1/q is differentiable at a, so by the

product rule we deduce that f (x) is also differentiable at a, with derivative

f 0 (a) =

d
dx

x1/q . . . x1/q
{z
}
|
p

 1/q  1/q
p1

x
x

d
p dx

p 1q 1
x
qx

p q 1
qx

p1
q

(By the product rule.)

(By part (i).)

This confirms the power rule for this case.



15

Problem 11 (#2.2.54 from [Stewart]):

The left-hand derivative and the right-hand derivative of a function
f (x) at a point a are defined by
f0 (a) = lim

h0

f (a + h) f (a)
h

and f+0 (a) = lim

h0+

f (a + h) f (a)
h

if these limits exist.

(i) Briefly explain why f is differentiable at a if and only if both of these
1-sided derivatives exist and are equal.
(ii) Now consider the function

0
5x
f (x) =
1
5x

if x 0,
if 0 < x < 4,
if x 4.

Determine f0 (4) and f+0 (4).

(iii) Sketch the graph of f (x).
(iv) Where is f discontinuous?
(v) Where does f fail to be differentiable?
Solution to (i).
According to the definition, a function f is differentiable at a point a if
and only if the following limit exists
f (a + h) f (a)
.
h0
h
lim

And according to a standard theorem about limits, this limit exists if and
only if the two corresponding 1-sided limits
lim

h0

f (a + h) f (a)
h

and

lim

h0

f (a + h) f (a)
h

exist and are equal. These 2 limits are the 1-sided derivatives introduced
above.

16

Solution to (ii).
The left-hand derivative of f (x) at the point 4 is given by the limit:
f (4 + h) f (4)
h
1
(5 (4 + h)) 54
h
= lim
= lim
= 1.
h
h0
h0 h

f0 (4) =

lim

h0

And the right-hand derivative of f (x) at the point 4 is given by the limit:
f (4 + h) f (4)
h
h0+
1
1
h
5(4+h) 54
= lim
= lim
= 1.
h
h0+
h0+ h(1 h)

f+0 (4) =

lim

Solution to (iii), (iv), and (v).

Here is the graph:

The function is discontinuous at 0 (where it has a jump discontinuity)

and at 5 (where it has an infinite discontinuity).
The function fails to be differentiable at 0 and 5 (because it fails to even
be continuous there) and also fails to be differentiable at x = 4, where it has
a corner. (To be precise, at x = 4 the left and right derivatives exist but are
unequal.)

17

Problem 12? (#2.2.55 from [Stewart]):

Use the definition of derivative to prove that:
(i) The derivative of an even function is an odd function.
(ii) The derivative of an odd function is an even function.
Also, try and understand these facts using your geometric intuition and by
considering a few concrete examples.
Solution to (i).
In this solution well use the fact that for any function F (x):
lim F (h) = lim F (h)

h0

h0

(?).

This statement should be clear to the intuition (draw a picture), and is also
fairly straightforward to prove using the - definition of limit.
Let f (x) be an even function, and assume that it has a derivative at some
point a. Well show that it also has a derivative at a, and f 0 (a) = f 0 (a).
f 0 (a) = limh0
= limh0

f (a+h)f (a)
h

(By defn. of derivative.)

f (ah)f (a)
h

(Because f is even.)

f (ah)f (a)
h
f (a+h)f (a)
limh0
h

= limh0
=

= f 0 (a).

(Using (?).)
(Because f is differentiable at a.)

18

Solution to (ii).
Let f (x) be an odd function, and assume that it has a derivative at some
point a. Well show that it also has a derivative at a, and also that
f 0 (a) = f 0 (a).
f (a+h)f (a)
h
(a)
limh0 f (ah)+f
h

(Because f is odd.)

f (ah)f (a)
h
f (ah)f (a)
+ limh0
h
f (a+h)f (a)
+ limh0
h

(Using (?).)

f 0 (a) = limh0
=

= limh0
=
=

= +f 0 (a).

(Because f is differentiable at a.)



19

Problem 13? (related to #5.9 from [Spivak]):

Let F (x) be a function and let a R. Use the - definition of limit to
carefully prove that
lim F (x) = lim F (a + h).
xa

h0

Solution
For precision well split this into two parts.
Part A: In this part well assume that the limit limxa F (x) exists, and
equals some number K, and well use that information to show that the
other limit limh0 F (a + h) exists as well, and is also equal to K.
The assumption in Part A is: there exists a rule 1 () satisfying the
property that for every  > 0, whenever x satisfies 0 < |x a| < 1 () then
|F (x) K| <  (?).
Using this information well now prove that limh0 F (a + h) = K.
Proof:
Let  be an arbitrary positive real.
Set = 1 ().
Let h be an arbitrary real such that 0 < |h 0| < .
For this h, |(a + h) a| = |h| < .
It follows from (?) that for this h, |F (a + h) K| < .
Part B: This part will be the same thing but going backwards. Well
assume that limh0 F (a + h) exists, and equals some L, and then well use
that information to prove that limxa F (x) also exists, and also equals L.
The assumption in Part B is: there exists a rule 2 (), such that whenever
h satisfies 0 < |h| < 2 (), then |F (a + h) L| <  (??).
Now well prove limxa F (x) = L.
Proof:
Let  be an arbitrary positive real.
Set = 2 ().
Let x be an arbitrary real such that 0 < |x a| < .
By (??), for this x, |F (x) L| = |F (a + (x a)) L| < .


20

Problem 14? (#9.14 from [Spivak]):

Consider the function

f (x) =

x2
0

if x is rational,
if x is irrational.

Prove that f (x) is differentiable at the point x = 0.

Solution
Our task is to show that the following limit exists:
lim

h0

f (0 + h) f (0)
.
h

(0)
Let F (h) be the function inside this limit: F (h) = f (0+h)f
. We need
h
to show that limh0 F (h) exists. Note that F (h) is given by the formula:

h
if h is rational,
F (h) =
0
if h is irrational.

It is clear that limh0 F (h) exists and equals 0 because we can squeeze
it between |h| and +|h|. Thus: f 0 (0) = 0.


21