MATH1.

1 Calculus I

Tutorial #3 - Solutions

• Topic: Continuous Functions

Problem 1.

The greatest integer function bxc is continuous at every non-integer point. It is right-
continuous, but not left-continuous, at every integer point.

- It is discontinuous at every integer because the limit does not exist at any integer n:

lim bxc = n − 1 and lim bxc = n,

x→n− x→n+

so the left-hand and right-hand limits are not equal as x → n.

- Since bnc = n, the greatest integer function is right-continuous at every integer n

(but not left-continuous).

- Also the greatest integer function is continuous at every real number other than the
integers. In general, if n − 1 < c < n with n integer, then

limbxc = n − 1 = bcc.
x→c

Problem 2. Define (
0, if x 6= 2,
f (x) =
1, if x = 2.
Then f is continuous at every point x 6= 2. Moreover, f has a removable discontinuity
at x = 2, because lim f (x) exists which is 0, while f (2) = 1, that is
x→2

lim f (x) = 0 6= 1 = f (2).

x→2

Problem 3. Let f (x) = (1 − x)3 − sin x, where x ∈ [0, 1]. The function f is continuous
on [0, 1], since it is the difference of two continuous functions (1 − x)3 and sin x.

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Note that f (0) > 0 and f (1) < 0. By the Intermediate Value Theorem, there is a real
number c ∈ (0, 1) such that f (c) = 0, i.e., c is a root of the equation (1−x)3 −sin x = 0,
i.e., (1 − x)3 = sin x in the interval (0, 1).

Problem 4. Let f (x) = x3 − 15x + 1 which is continuous on [−4, 4]. Computing the
values of f at some real numbers as follows:

f (−4) = −3 < 0; f (−3) = 19 > 0; f (0) = 1 > 0; f (1) = −13 < 0; f (4) = 5 > 0.

By applying the Intermediate Value Theorem to f on the three intervals [−4, −3],
[0, 1] and [1, 4], we conclude that f (c1 ) = 0 for some c1 ∈ (−4, −3), f (c2 ) = 0 for some
c2 ∈ (0, 1) and f (c3 ) = 0 for some c3 ∈ (1, 4). This proves that the given equation has
at least three solutions in the interval [−4, 4].

Problem 5. First we note that if the two graphs intersect at x = c, then this means
that ec = −c.

Rearranging the terms to left hand side, we have ec + c = 0. This leads us to set
f (x) = ex + x, which is a continuous function on R.

Now consider f (x) = ex + x on [−1, 0]. Note that f is continuous on [−1, 0], since it is
a sum of continuous functions ex and x. Furthermore, we have

f (−1) = e−1 − 1 < 0 < f (0) = 1.

By the Intermediate Value Theorem, we conclude that there is a real number c ∈ (−1, 0)
such that f (c) = 0. This means that the graphs y = ex and y = −x intersect at x = c.

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• Topic: Derivatives

Problem 1.

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 (a) We can see that the function f is defined by the following formula
x

 2
+ 2, on [−4, 0],

−4x + 2, on [0, 1],
f (x) =
−2,
 on [1, 4],

2x − 10,

on [4, 6].

Then, we have

– f 0 is defined at every point in (−4, 0) ∪ (0, 1) ∪ (1, 4) ∪ (4, 6).

– f 0 is not defined at −4 and 6. There are only one-sided derivatives f+0 (−4)
and f−0 (6).
– f 0 is not defined at a ∈ {0, 1, 4} since f+0 (a) 6= f−0 (a).

(b) We have
1
 , on (−4, 0),
2



f 0 (x) = −4, on (0, 1),


 0, on (1, 4),

2, on (4, 6).


The graph of f 0 is: (Do it yourself !)

Problem 2.

We have
f (x) − f (0) x2 x f (x) − f (0)
lim− = lim− = 0 6= 1 = lim+ = lim+ .
x→0 x−0 x→0 x x→0 x x→0 x−0
Hence, y = f (x) is not differentiable at 0.

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Problem 3.

The function has the form y = ax + b. Hence, it is differentiable on D.

Problem 4.

The graph is smooth when x ∈ D \{0}. Hence, the function is differentiable on D \{0}.
At x = 0, it is easy to see that

lim f (x) 6= lim+ f (x) 6= f (0).

x→0− x→0

Thus, f is not continuous at 0 (and then it is not differentiable at 0).

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Problem 5.

(a) By the assumption, we have f (0) = 0 and

f (x)
−|x| ≤ ≤ |x|, for every x 6= 0. (1)
x
Since lim |x| = lim −|x| = 0, from (1) it follows from the Squeeze Theorem that
x→0 x→0

f (x)
lim = 0.
x→0 x

Hence
f (x) − f (0) f (x)
f 0 (0) = lim = lim = 0.
x→0 x−0 x→0 x

(b) For every x 6= 0, we have

f (x) 1
−|x| ≤ = x sin ≤ |x|. (2)
x x
Since lim |x| = lim −|x| = 0, from (2) it follows from the Squeeze Theorem that
x→0 x→0

f (x)
lim = 0.
x→0 x

Hence
f (x) − f (0) f (x)
f 0 (0) = lim = lim = 0.
x→0 x−0 x→0 x

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• Topic: Higher Derivatives

Problem 1.
√ √ √ √
0 ( s − 1)0 ( s + 1) − ( s − 1)( s + 1)0 1
f (s) = √ 2
=√ √ .
( s + 1) s( s + 1)2

Problem 2.
(x2 − 1)0 (x2 + x + 1) + (x2 − 1)(x2 + x + 1)0
y0 = −
(x2 − 1)2 (x2 + x + 1)2
2x(x2 + x + 1) + (x2 − 1)(2x + 1)
= −
(x2 − 1)2 (x2 + x + 1)2
4x3 + 3x2 − 1
= − 2 .
(x − 1)2 (x2 + x + 1)2

Problem 3. We have
1 1
g(t) = t3 + 5t2 + t + t + 5 + = t3 + 5t2 + 2t + .
t t
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Then
1
g 0 = 3t2 + 10t + 2 − .
t2

Problem 4.
2 5 2 5
r0 = − + and r00 = − .
3s3 2s2 s4 s3

3 + 8z − 3z 2 1 8
Problem 5. We have w = = + − z. Then
3z z 3
1 2
w0 = − 2
− 1 and w00 = 3 .
z z

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Additional Problems

Problem 1. It is clear that g(x) is differentiable in the open intervals (−∞, −1) and
(−1, ∞), so we only need to find a and b to make g(x) differentiable at the point x = 1.

Consider the following one-sided limits

ax + b − (−a + b)
lim − = a,
x→−1 x+1

ax3 + x + 2b − (−a + b) b−1

lim + = lim + (ax2 − ax + a + 1 + ).
x→−1 x+1 x→−1 x+1
These limits must exist and be equal. Then
(
a = 3a + 1,
b = 1,

which give (a, b) = (− 12 , 1).

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Problem 2. We can see that the graph is smooth at the point x = −1.