mas100 – homework 5 – fall 2022

Name:
Student #:

Problem 1

(a) Find the equation for the tangent line at the point (1, 1) to the curve given by the equation

y 2 (2 − x) = x3 .

(b) Give an argument that proves the equality

p
cos sin−1 (x) = 1 − x2 .

(c) Assume that y = sin−1 (x) is a differentiable function of x. Use implicit differentiation on the
equation x = sin y to show that
dy 1
=√ .
dx 1 − x2

Solution:

Homework 5 Page 1
Problem 2

(a) Show that

1 x 1
− ≤ 2
≤
2 1+x 2
for every x ∈ R.
(b) Suppose f is a differentiable function such that f ′ (x) = x
1+x2
. Show that

1
|f (b) − f (a)| ≤ |b − a|
2
for any values a and b.

Solution:

Homework 5 Page 2
Problem 3

Consider the cubic polynomial function

p(x) = ax3 + bx2 + cx + d.

(a) Show that p can have 0, 1, or 2 critical points. Give examples and graphs to support your
argument.
(b) How many local extreme values can p have.
(c) Give a generalization of the results above for polynomials of degree n. (You don’t need to give
proof or examples, just formulate precise statements.)

Solution:

Homework 5 Page 3