Evening Help Session 10——Math 119

Aamer Akhand

March 31st 2020

1 Big O Order
Here are the following rules and other facts you should have memorized for Big-O
algebra.

1.1
kO(xn ) = O(xn ), for any constant k.

1.2
O(xm ) + O(xn ) = O(xq ), where q is the lesser of m and n.

1.3
O(xm ) · O(xn ) = O(xm+n )

1.4
[O(xn )]m = O(xmn )

1.5
O(xm )
xn
= O(xm−n )

1.6 Regarding Taylor’s Inequality

Rn (x) = O((x − x0 )n+1 )
This just means, our error can be represented simply by O(xn+1 )!

Note most of these look very similar to the exponent laws you already know.

2
Use Proper Big-O Notation to solve the following questions:

1
2.1
3
Find P3 , 0(x) of ex sin(x)

Solution: Remember that P(x) = T(x) + R(x), so we need to include our error in
our answer. We could just take the Taylor Polynomial and use the Inequality to
find the error but the derivatives are quite ugly in this question. And the question
also specifically says to use Big-O, so lets do it that way first. Let’s begin with
3
finding T3,0 of ex and sin(x) using Big-O to get the error.
3
ex = 1 + x3 + O(x6 )
1 3
sin(x) = x − x + O(x5 )
6
3 1
ex sin(x) = (1 + x3 + O(x6 ))(x − x3 + O(x5 ))
6
x3 1 3 4 1 6 1
e sin(x) = x− x +O(x )+x − x +x O(x )+xO(x6 )− x3 O(x6 )+O(x6 )O(x5 )
5 3 5
6 6 3
x3 1 3 1 6
e sin(x) = x − x + x − x + O(x ) + O(x ) + O(x7 ) + O(x9 ) + O(x11 )
4 5 8
6 6
Note, anything of Order greater than 5, is also Order 5!
3 1 3 1
ex sin(x) = x − x + x4 − x6 + O(x5 )
6 6
So how to go about this question: Take your Taylor Polynomials of each seperate
function with Big-O error. Then do your corresponding operation (in this case we
multiplied our functions together). Then use our Big-O algebra to reduce the error
into a simple term.

2.2
1−cos(x5 )
Evaluate the limit: limx→0 x3 sin(x7 )

Solution: First things first, lets actually plug in 0 in case. I get 00 which means this
is indeterminant. We could use L’ Hopitals but again, these are ugly derivatives
and again the question said used Big-O. So let’s rewrite those ugly trig functions
as Big-O Taylor Polynomials.
10
1 − (1 − x2 + O(x20 ))
lim
x→0 x3 (x7 + O(x21 ))
But how could I have possibly known to use exactly these two polynomials, why
didn’t I extend my bottom polynomial, and why was the top one going to x20 ?
The trick here is to actually the O(x) portion. We know as x approaches 0, the
O(x) goes to 0. So we actually just want the polynomials to clean up nicely. I
know the bottom polynomial will at minimum have x7 and the x3 is staying there
too, meaning it’s essentially x10 . So my goal was to extend my top polynomial
until I see an x10 . Let’s see how clean this makes it.
x10
2
+ O(x20 )
lim
x→0 x10 + O(x24 )

2
Let’s divide everything by x1 0.
1
2
+ O(x10 )
lim
x→0 1 + O(x14 )
1
2