Differential calculus (exercises with detailed solutions)

1. Using the definition, compute the derivative at x = 0 of the following functions:

x−3 √
a) 2x − 5 b) c) x+1 d) x sin x.
x−4
x
2. Find the tangent line at x = 1 of f (x) = .
x−2
3. Compute the derivatives of the following functions

a(x) = 2x3 − 9x + 7 cos x

h(x) = log cos x + x tan x
b(x) = x sin x + cos x
p
x2 − 4 i(x) = 4x2 − 3
c(x) = 2
x +4 √
l(x) = sin log x
1 − tan x √
d(x) = 5
1 + tan x m(x) = sin 3x

e(x) = x2 log x + 3x n(x) = arctan(1 − x)

log x − 1 p
f (x) = o(x) = x arcsin x + 1 − x2
log x + 1
¡ ¢x
¡ 2
¢5 p(x) = log 3 .
g(x) = x + 1

4. Discuss the differentiability at x = 0 of the following functions

p
f (x) = sin |x|; g(x) = cos |x|.

5. Let ½
(x − β)2 − 2, x ≥ 0
f (x) = .
α sin x, x<0
Find α, β ∈ R such that f is continuous and differentiable on R.
6. Discuss the differentiability of f (x) = |x2 − 1|.
7. Let 2
f (x) = |x|x and g(x) = e−1/x .
Verify that is possible to extend f and g to continuous functions on R. Are the extended functions
differentiable at x = 0?
8. Write the equation of the tangent line to the graph of the function
x+2
f (x) = − log(2x − 3) .
x2 − 1
at x = 2.
9. Study the monotonicity of f (x) = 3x + sin x.
10. Find local maxima and minima of the function f (x) = ex + 3e−x .

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11. Study the sign of the derivative of the following functions in a neighborhood of x0 = 0 and discuss their
behavior at x0 = 0:
f (x) = 3 sin x − 3x g(x) = 4x + 4 cos x.
12. Let f (x) = x7 + x. Verify that f is invertible on R. Verify that f −1 is differentiable on R, find (f −1 )0 ;
compute (f −1 )0 (0) and (f −1 )0 (2).
√
13. Find the asymptotes of the function x2 − 6x + 7.
14. At which point of the graph of f (x) = 5x3 is the tangent line parallel to y = 2x? At which points is it
orthogonal to the line y = x + 5?
15. Prove that the tangent lines to the graphs of the functions f (x) = x3 and g(x) = 1/(3x), at every point
where x 6= 0, are orthogonal.
16. Verify that
x+1
f (x) = log(2 + x) + 2
x+2
has a unique intersection with the x–axis (at x0 = −1).
17. Verify that f (x) = x3 − 2x2 satisfies the assumptions of Lagrange’s Theorem on the interval [0, 1] and find
θ ∈ (0, 1) such that
f 0 (θ) = f (1) − f (0).
(
2x2 + x2 sin x1 , if x 6= 0
18. Let f (x) =
0, if x = 0.
Prove that f is differentiable on [0, +∞) and that f 0 is not continuous at 0.
x4 + 3
19. Find α ∈ R such that f (x) = satisfies the assumptions of Lagrange’s Theorem on [0, 1].
x2 − α
20. For which values of a ∈ R is the function f (x) = x2 + a cos x convex on R?
21. Prove the Bernoulli inequality, that is
(1 + x)α ≥ 1 + αx, ∀α ≥ 1, ∀x > −1.

22. Prove that

x3
sin x ≥ x − , ∀x ≥ 0.
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23. Find the number of real solutions of the following equations:
a) x3 + 3x2 + 5x + 3 = 0; b) x4 + 4x + 12 = 0; c) 3x5 − 5x3 + 1 = 0.

24. Is the following proposition true or false? If true, prove it, otherwise find a counterexample.
∀λ ∈ R the equation x5 + x = λ has exactly one solution.

25. Find the number of solutions of the equation

x log x = λ, λ ∈ R.

26. Find the number of solutions of the equation

x · ex = λ, λ ∈ R.

27. Prove that for every a ∈ R the equation

x2 arctan x = a
has exactly one solution.

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 Solutions
√ £ ¡√ ¢¤
1. a) lim [2x − 5 − (−5)]/x = 2; b) −1/16; c) lim [ 1 + x − 1]/x = lim [(1 + x) − 1]/ x 1 + x + 1 = 1/2;
x→0 x→0 x→0
d) 0.
2. The equation of the tangent line is y = f (1) + f 0 (1)(x − 1). Hence we compute the derivative of f at
2
x0 = 1. Since f 0 (x) = − (x−2) 0
2 , f (1) = −2, and the tangent line is y(x) = −1 − 2(x − 1).

16x 2
3. a) 6x2 − 9 − 7 sin x, b) x cos x, c) , d) − , e) 2x log x + x + 3,
(x2 + 4)2 (sin x + cos x)2
2 x 4x 1 √
f) g) 10x(x2 + 1)4 h) i) √ l) cos log x
x(log x + 1)2 cos2 x 2
4x − 3 2x
3 cos 3x 1 ¡ ¢x
m) √ n) − o) arcsin x p) log(log 3) log 3 .
5
5 sin4 3x x2 − 2x + 2
4. At x = 0 f 0 does not exists. Indeed the right an left derivatives of f at x = 0 are
sin x − 0 sin(−x) − 0
lim x → x+ =1 and lim x → x− = −1.
x x
The right derivative of g at 0 is −1/2, the left one is 1/2, hence g is not differentiable at x = 0.
√
5. f is continuous and differentiable if x 6= 0; f is continuous at x = 0, if β = ± 2.
The derivative of f is f 0 (x) = 2(x − β) if x > 0 and f 0 (x) = α cos x if x < 0, We now compute the limit
of f 0 (x) as x → 0: if such limit exists and assumes a value ` ∈ R then f is differentiable at x =√0 and
f 0 (0) = `. We have lim+ f 0 (x) = −2β and lim− f 0 (x) = α, hence f is differentiable if α = −2 2 and
√ √ x→0 √ x→0
β = 2 or α = 2 2 and β = − 2.
6. f is differentiable on R \ {−1, 1}. At x = −1, f f is not differentiable (the right derivative is 2, the left
one −2); at x = 1, f is not differentiable (the right derivative is 2, the left one −2).
If x 6= ±1, f is x2 − 1 or 1 − x2 , hence it is differentiable and its derivative is respectively 2x and −2x.
7. We can extend f to a continuous function at x = 0. Indeed, since |x|x := ex log |x| , we have

lim |x|x = lim ex log |x| = 1.

x→0 x→0

Let ½
|x|x , if x 6= 0
f˜(x) := ;
1, if x = 0
then µ x log |x| ¶
f˜(x) − f˜(0) |x|x − 1 e −1
lim = lim = lim log |x| = −∞.
x→0 x−0 x→0 x x→0 x log |x|
f˜ is not differentiable at 0.
The function g can be extended to a continuous function at x = 0. Indeed
1
lim e− x2 = 0.
x→0

Let ½ 1

g̃(x) := e− x2 , if x 6= 0 ;
0, if x = 0
Hence
g̃(x) − g̃(0) e− x2 − 0
1
³ 2
´
lim = lim = lim t · e−t = 0.
x→0 x−0 x→0 x t→∞

The extention g̃ is then differentiable at 0, and g̃ 0 (0) = 0 .

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 8. We remark that f is differentiable at x = 2 and that, whenever x > 3/2,
1 2x(x + 2) 2
f 0 (x) = − 2 − .
x2 − 1 (x − 1)2 2x − 3
In particular, f 0 (2) = −31/9. Since f (2) = 4/3, the tangent line is y = −31/9 x + 74/9.
9. We compute f 0 (x) = 3 + cos x and we impose that f 0 (x) ≥ 0. Since this inequality is satisfied for every
x ∈ R, f f increases on R.
10. dom(f ) = R and f is differentiable on R. Since f 0 (x) = ex − 3e−x , we have that f 0 (x) > 0 if e2x > 3,
that is if x > 12 log 3; on the other hand f 0 (x) < 0 if x < 12 log 3. Hence f has minimum at x = 12 log 3.
11. f 0 (x) = 3 cos x − 3, hence f 0 (0) = 0 and f 0 (x) < 0 for every x sufficiently close to 0 (except 0). x0 = 0 is
a point of inflection. For the function g, x0 = 0 is a point of inflection.
12. f is continuous and strictly increasing, hence invertible, on R. Furthermore, since f 0 never vanishes on
R, the inverse function f −1 is differentiable for every x ∈ dom(f −1 ) = R. For every x ∈ R we have
¡ −1 ¢0 1 1
f (x) = 0 −1 = 6 .
f (f (x)) −1
7 (f (x)) + 1
¡ ¢0
Since f (0) = 0, f −1 (0) = 0, hence f −1 (0) = 1.
¡ ¢0
Since f (1) = 2 , f −1 (2) = 1 , hence f −1 (2) = 1/8.
√ √
13. Since dom(f ) = R \ {(3 − 2, 3 + 2)}, we can look for oblique asymptotes at +∞ and at −∞.
We compute r
f (x) |x| 6 7
lim = lim 1− + = ±1.
x→±∞ x x→±∞ x x x2
Furthermore
−6x + 7
lim (f (x) − 1 · x) = lim √ = −3
x→+∞ x→+∞ x2 − 6x + 7 + x
and
−6x + 7
lim (f (x) + 1 · x) = lim √ = 3.
x→−∞ x2 − 6x + 7 − x
x→−∞

Hence f has an oblique asymptote at +∞, y = x − 3, and an oblique asymptote at +∞, y = −x + 3.

p
14. In the first case we impose that x2 = 2/15, we obtain x = ± 2/15.
In the second one we impose 15x2 = −1, which does not admit any solution.
15. The slopes of the tangent lines to the graphs of f and g are respectively m(x) = 3x2 on R and n(x) =
−1/(3x2 ) on R \ {0}. Since for every x 6= 0 we have m(x) · n(x) = −1, the tangent lines to f and g are
orthogonal.
16. dom(f ) = (−2, +∞) and limx→±∞ f (x) = ±∞. Furthermore f is strictly increasing on dom(f ). Hence f
has a unique zero at x0 = −1.
17. f is continuous on [0, 1] and differentiable on (0, 1), the assumptions of the Lagrange’s Theorem are
satisfied. Furthermore we have θ = 1/3.
18. If x 6= 0 the function is differentiable. At x = 0 we compute the limit:

2x2 + x2 sin x1 ¡ 1¢
lim = lim 2x + x sin = 0,
x→0 x x→0 x
hence f is differentiable on R.
f 0 (x) = 4x + 2 sin(1/x) − cos(1/x) when x 6= 0 and f 0 (0) = 0. Since limx→0 f 0 (x) does not exists, f 0 is
not continuous on R.

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19. f must be continuous on [0, 1] and differentiable on (0, 1). f satisfies these assumptions if x2 6= α, for
every x ∈ [0, 1].
If α < 0, such condition is always satisfied.
If α = 0, is not satisfied (at x = 0 the √ denominator vanishes). √
If α > 0, we need to impose
√ x =
6 ± α for every x ∈ [0, 1], that is x 6= α for every x ∈ [0, 1]. This is
equivalent to ask that α ∈ / [0, 1] that is α ∈
/ [0, 1]. We conclude that the assumptions of the Lagrange’s
Theorem are satisfied for every α ∈ / [0, 1].
20. If a = 0 f is trivially convex; more generally, f 00 (x) = 2 − a cos x is positive if a cos x ≤ 2. If a > 0, this
inequality is trivially satisfied for every x such that cos x < 0. If cos x ≥ 0, we obtain 0 ≤ a cos x ≤ a ≤ 2,
hence we need 0 ≤ a ≤ 2. If a < 0, the inequality a cos x ≤ 2 is satisfied for every a if cos x > 0. If
cos x ≤ 0, then the inequality is |a cos x| ≤ 2 and we deduce |a| ≤ 2.
Conclusions: f is convex on R if |a| ≤ 2.
21. Let f (x) := (1 + x)α , x > −1. We have f 0 (x) = α(1 + x)α−1 and f 00 (x) = α(α − 1)(1 + x)α−2 . Since f 00
is positive, f is convex, hence

f (x) ≥ f (0) + f 0 (0)(x − 0) = 1 + αx.

We can also argue in a different way defining g(x) := (1 + x)α − 1 − αx, as x > −1. We remark that
g(0) = 0, g 0 (x) > 0 when x > 0 and g 0 (x) < 0 when −1 < x < 0. Then g(x) ≥ 0 for every x > −1.
3 2
22. Let f (x) := sin x − x + x6 , x ≥ 0. We have f 0 (x) = cos x − 1 + x2 and f 00 (x) = − sin x + x. We know that
sin x ≤ x for every x ≥ 0, hence f 00 (x) ≥ 0 for every x ≥ 0 and f is convex. We then have the estimate
f (x) ≥ f (0) + f 0 (0)(x − 0) = 0 for every x ≥ 0.
23. a) Let f (x) = x3 + 3x2 + 5x + 3; f → ±∞ as x → ±∞ and f is strictly increasing: the equation has
exactly one real solution.
b) Let g(x) = x4 + 4x + 12; g → +∞ as x → ±∞; g has a minimum at x = −1, g(−1) = 9. Hence the
equation g(x) = 0 has no real solutions.
c) Let h(x) = 3x5 −5x3 +1; h → ±∞ as x → ±∞. h0 (x) = 15x2 (x2 −1), hence h is strictly increasing when
x < −1 or x > 1, decreasing in (−1, 1); x = 0 is a point of inflection. Since h(−1) = 3 and h(1) = −1,
h(x) = 0 has 3 real solutions (one smaller then −1, one between −1 and 1, one greater then 1).

24. True; indeed if f (x) = x5 + x we have limx→+∞ = +∞ and limx→−∞ = −∞. Hence the equation has at
least one solution. The solution is unique since f is strictly increasing
25. We study f (x) = x log x, defined when x > 0. We have limx→0+ f = 0 and limx→+∞ f = +∞. Further-
more f 0 (x) = log x + 1, hence f increases when x > 1/e. f has a minimum at 1/e, and f (1/e) = −1/e.
We then obtain: if λ < −1/e we have no solutions; if λ = −1/e we have one solution; if −1/e < λ < 0 we
have two solutions; if λ ≥ 0 we have one solution.

26. We study the function f (x) = xex , defined for every x ∈ R. We have limx→−∞ = 0 and limx→+∞ =
+∞. Furthermore, f 0 (x) = ex (x + 1), hence f increases if x > −1. f has a minimum if x = −1 and
f (−1) = −1/e. We then obtain: if λ < −1/e we have no solutions; if λ = −1/e we have one solution; if
−1/e < λ < 0 we have two solutions; if λ ≥ 0 we have one solution.
27. We study f (x) = x2 arctan x, defined for every x ∈ R. We have limx→−∞ = −∞ and limx→+∞ = +∞.
Furthermore, f (0) = 0 and f 0 (x) = 2x arctan x + x2 /(1 + x2 ). Since x arctan x ≥ 0 (and vanishes if and
only if x = 0) and 1/(x2 + 1) ≤ 1 (the equality holds if and only if x = 0), we conclude that f 0 (x) > 0 for
every x ∈ R, x 6= 0. Hence f is strictly increasing. The equation admits a unique solution for every value
of a.