Maclaurin Series: Timed Practice Exam Questions’ Solutions

f ' ' (0) 2 f 3 (0) 3 f 4 (0) 4 f n (0) n

f ( x) = f (0) + f ' (0) x + x + x + x + ... + x + ...
2 3! 4! n!

Question 1
y = tan −1 x
dy 1
=
dx 1 + x 2
= 1+ x2 ( ) −1

d2 y − 2x
= − 1+ x2( ) −2
. 2x =
dx 2
(1 + x ) 2 2

d3 y − 2 1 + x 2
=
( ) − 2 (1 + x ). 2 x . (−2 x) =
2 2
(
−2 1+ x2 ) 2
(
+ 8x 2 1 + x 2 )
dx 3 (1 + x ) 2 4
(1 + x ) 2 4

When x = 0 ,
y = tan −1 0 = 0
dy 1
= =1
dx 1 + 0
d2 y − 2 ( 0)
= =0
dx 2 (1 + 0 ) 2
2
d3 y − 2 ( 1 + 0 ) + 8 ( 0)
= = −2
dx 3 (1 + 0 ) 4

Using Maclaurin’s theorem, the expression of tan −1 x in ascending powers of x is

−2 3
tan −1 x = 0 + 1. x + 0 x 2 + x +K
3!
1 3
tan −1 x = x − x +K
3

Question 2: N99/I/13

(i) y = cos [ ln ( 1 + x ) ]

Differentiating with respect to x ,

dy 1
= − sin [ln ( 1 + x ) ]⋅
dx 1+ x
( 1 + x ) dy = − sin [ln ( 1 + x ) ]
dx

Differentiating both sides with respect to x ,

dy d2 y 1
1. + ( 1 + x ) 2 = − cos [ln ( 1 + x ) ].
dx dx 1+ x
2
( 1 + x ) dy + ( 1 + x )2 d y
=−y
dx dx 2
 Differentiating both sides with respect to x ,

2 d3 y d2 y d2 y dy dy
(1 + x ) 3
+ 2 . ( 1 + x ).1. 2 + ( 1 + x ) 2 + 1. = −
dx dx dx dx dx
3 2
d y d y dy
( 1 + x )2 3
+ 3 (1 + x ) 2 + 2 =0
dx dx dx

(ii) When x = 0 , y = cos [ ln ( 1 + 0 ) ] = 1

( 1 + 0) dy = − sin [ 0 ] ⇒ dy = 0
dx dx
2 2
( 1 ). 0 + 1. d 2y = − 1 ⇒ d y2 = − 1
dx dx
3
d y d3 y
+ 3 (− 1 ) + 2 ( 0 ) = 0 ⇒ 3 = 3
dx 3 dx

Thus, cos [ ln ( 1 + x ) ] = 1 + 0.x +

(− 1) x 2 +
3 3
x +K
2 3!
1 1
= 1 − x2 + x3 + K
2 2

(iii) If the standard series expansions for ln ( 1 + x ) and cos x are used,

cos [ ln ( 1 + x ) ]
 1 1 
= cos  x − x 2 + x 3 + K
 2 3 
2 4
 1 2 1 3   1 2 1 3 
 x − x + x + K  x − x + x + K
 2 3   2 3 
=1− + +K
2 4!
1 1 2 1 3  1 2 1 3 
=1−  x − x + x + K x − x + x + K + K
2 2 3  2 3 
1  2 1 3 1 3
=1− x − x − x  + K
2 2 2 
1 2 1 3
=1− x + x +K
2 2

Question 3: DHS/2012/Promo/10

 1 
 = ln ( 1 + 2 x )− 2 = − 1 ln ( 1 + 2 x )
1
(i) y = ln 
 1 + 2x  2
 

Differentiating with respect to x ,

dy 1 2  1
= −   = −
dx 2  1 + 2x  1 + 2x

( 1 + 2 x ) dy = −1
dx
 Differentiating both sides with respect to x ,

d2 y
( 1 + 2 x ) 2 + 2 dy = 0
dx dx

Differentiating both sides with respect to x ,

3
d2 y d2 y
(1 + 2x ) d y
+2 + 2 =0
dx 3 dx 2 dx 2
3 2
( 1 + 2 x ) d y3 + 4 d y2 = 0
dx dx

1
When x = 0 , y = − ln 1 = 0
2
dy
= −1
dx
d2 y d2 y
( 1 ) 2 + 2 ( − 1) = 0 ⇒ 2 = 2
dx dx
3 3
( 1 ) d y3 + 4 ( 2 ) = 0 ⇒ d y3 = − 8
dx dx

The Maclaurin’s series for y up to and including the term in x3 is

 
y = ln 
1  = 0 + ( − 1) x + 2 x 2 + ( − 8 ) x 3 + K
 1 + 2x  2 3!
 
4 3
= − x + x2 − x +K
3

(ii) If the standard series expansions for ln ( 1 + 2x ) is used,

 1 
y = ln  
 1 + 2x 
 
1
= − ln ( 1 + 2 x )
2
1 
2 3
= −  2x −
( 2x )
+
( 2x )
+ K
2 2 3 
1 8 
= −  2x − 2x 2 + x3 + K 
2 3 
4
= − x + x2 − x3 + K
3

The standard series expansion of ln (1 + 2 x ) is valid for − 1 < 2 x ≤ 1 .

 1 
Thus, the range of values of x for y = ln   = − x + x 2 − 4 x 3 + K to be valid
 1 + 2x  3
 
1 1
is − < x ≤ .
2 2
 3
(iii) From (i) , when x = − ,
8
 
ln 
1  = − x + x2 − 4 x3 + K
 1 + 2x  3
 
 
 
 
2 3
1  3  3 4  3
ln   = −−  + −  − −  + K
 1 + 2  − 3    8  8 3  8
  8  

 
 
ln  1  3
≈ +
9
+
9
 1  8 64 128
 
 4 
75
ln 2 ≈ or 0.586
128

1
(iv) From (i) , when x = ,
2
 
ln 
1  = − x + x2 − 4 x3 + K
 1 + 2x  3
 
 
 
 
2 3
1 1 1 4 1
ln   = −  +   −   + K
 1 + 2  1   2 2 3 2
  2  

 1 
ln   ≈ −1 + 1 − 1
 2  2 4 6
 
1 5
− ln 2 ≈ −
2 12
5
ln 2 ≈ or 0.834
6

1
Though it is possible to approximate ln2 by substituting x = in the series expansion in (i),
2
3
x=− will give a better approximation as the magnitude of x is smaller. The smaller the
8
value, the better the approximation of ln2 from a series of ascending powers of x .