NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY CALICUT

Department of Mathematics
MA 2014E: Mathematics IV
Winter Semester 2024-25: Tutorial 2

A Limit of a function (Ref: Anton 1.4, 1.2)

1. (a) Suppose that ϵ is any positive number. Find the largest value of δ such that |5x − 10| < ϵ, if 0 < |x − 2| < δ.
√
(b) Find the smallest positive number N such that for each x > N , the value of f (x) = 1/ x is within 0.01 of 0.

2. A positive number ϵ and the limit L of a function f at a are given. Find a number δ such that |f (x) − L| < ϵ if
0 < |x − a| < δ.
√
(a) lim 2x = 8; ϵ = 0.1 (c) lim x = 2; ϵ = 0.001
x→4 x→4
2
(b) lim 4x −1 = −2; ϵ = 0.05 (d) lim |x| = 0; ϵ = 0.05
x→−1/2 2x+1 x→0

3. Let I := (0, a) where a > 0, and let g(x) := x2 for x ∈ I. For any points x, c ∈ I, show that g(x) − c2 ≤ 2a|x √
− c|. Use
√
this inequality to prove that lim x2 = c2 for any c ∈ I. Similarly show that lim x3 = c3 for any c ∈ R and lim x = c
x→c x→c x→c
for any c > 0.
 2
−9
 xx+3 , x ̸= −3
4. Let f (x) =
k, x = −3.


(a) Find k so that f (−3) = lim f (x).

x→−3

(b) With k assigned the value lim f (x), show that f (x) can be expressed as a polynomial.
x→−3
 
0, if x is rational 0, if x is rational
5. Let f (x) = and g(x) = . Prove that lim f (x) = 0 but lim g(x) does
x, if x is irrational 1, if x is irrational x→0 x→0
not exist.
√ √
6. If 5 − 2x2 ≤ f (x) ≤ 5 − x2 for −1 ≤ x ≤ 1, find lim f (x).
x→0

7. Find the limits that exist.

2x2 + x 1
(a) lim . (b) lim .
x→−∞ 4x2 − 3 x→+∞ 2 + sin x

8. A positive number ϵ and the limit L of a function f at +∞ are given. Find a positive number N such that |f (x)−L| < ϵ
if x > N .

(a) lim x = 1; ϵ = 0.001 (b) lim 4x−1 = 2; ϵ = 0.1

x→+∞ x+1 x→+∞ 2x+5

9. Find the following limits

√ √ 2
(a) lim ( x2 + x − x2 − x) x 3 + x−1
x→∞ (b) ∗ lim 2
x→∞ x 3 + cos2 x
 
1 2 1 1 1


10. Show that lim x − x2 +2x = 2 and lim x − x2 = −∞.
x→0 x→0+
 
1 a
11. Find all values of a such that lim x−1 − x2 −1 exists and is finite.
x→1

1
 B Continuity, intermediate value property. (Ref: Anton 1.5)
12. Suppose f is a real function defined on R which satisfies
lim [f (x + h) − f (x − h)] = 0
h−→0

for every x ∈ R. Does this imply that f is continuous?

13. Let f : (−1, 1) → R be continuous at x = 0. Suppose that f (x) = f (x2 ) for all x ∈ (−1, 1). Show that f (x) = f (0) for
all x ∈ (−1, 1). (Hint: if |a| < 1, then a2n → 0 as n → ∞.)

14. Suppose that a function f is continuous everywhere and that f (−2) = 3, f (−1) = −1, f (0) = −4, f (1) = 1, and
f (2) = 5. Does the Intermediate-Value Theorem guarantee that f has a root on the following intervals?

(a) [−2, −1] (c) [−1, 1]

(b) [−1, 0] (d) [0, 2]

15. Find a value of the constant k, if possible, that will make the function continuous everywhere.
 
7x − 2, x ≤ 1 9 − x 2 , x ≥ 0
(a) f (x) = (b) f (x) =
 2
kx , x > 1. k/x2 , x < 0.


16. Find values of the constants k and m, if possible, that will make the function f continuous everywhere.


 x2 + 5, x>2



f (x) = m(x + 1) + k, −1 < x ≤ 2



2x3 + x + 7,

x ≤ −1

17. Find the values of x (if any) at which f is not continuous, and determine whether the function can be made continuous
by changing the value of the function appropriately.

|x| x−2
(a) f (x) = , x ̸= 0; f (0) = 0. (b) f (x) = , x ̸= ±2; f (2) = f (−2) = 0.
x |x| − 2

18. Determine whether the statement is true or false. Explain your answer

(a) Suppose that M is a positive number and that for all real numbers x, a function f satisfies −M ≤ f (x) ≤ M.
Then lim xf (x) = 0 and lim f (x)
x = 0.
x→0 x→∞
(b) Suppose that for all real numbers x, a function f satisfies |f (x) + 5| ≤ |x + 1|. Then lim f (x) = −5.
x→−1

19. Find a formula (algebraic expression) for the composite

 function h(x) = f [g(x)] where f and g are
x + |x|  x for x < 0,
(a) f (x) = for all x, g(x) =
2  2
x for x ≥ 0.
 
1 if |x| ≤ 1, 2 − x2 if |x| ≤ 2,
(b) f (x) = g(x) =
0 if |x| > 1, 2 if |x| > 2.
 

In (a) and (b), for what values of x is h continuous?

20. Prove: If f and g are continuous on [a, b], and f (a) > g(a), f (b) < g(b), then there is at least one solution of the
equation f (x) = g(x) in (a, b). [Hint: Consider f (x) − g(x)]
21. Prove: If p(x) is a polynomial of odd degree, then the equation p(x) = 0 has at least one real solution.

22. Suppose that f : [0, 1] → [0, 1] is continuous. Show that there is a point x ∈ [0, 1] such that f (x) = x. Is the result true
if f : (0, 1) → (0, 1) is continuous.

2
 C Differentiability, chain rule (Ref: Anton 2.1, 2.2, 2.6)
23.∗ Prove that if f : R → R is an even function and has a derivative at every point, then the derivative f ′ is an odd
function. Also prove that if g : R → R is a differentiable odd function, then g ′ is an even function.
(
x2 + x + 1, x ≤ 1
24. Show that f (x) = is continuous at x = 1. Determine whether f is differentiable at x = 1. If so,
3x, x>1
find the value of the derivative there. Sketch the graph of f .

d  d d
25. (a) Find f ′ (x2 ) if f (x2 ) = x2 .

(b) Find [f (x)], if [f (3x)] = 6x.
dx dx dx
(
x2 − 1, x≤1
26. Suppose that f (x) = For what values of k is f continuous? For what values of k is f differentiable?
k(x − 1), x > 1.
f (1+h)
27. Suppose that a function f is differentiable at x = 1 and lim h = 5. Find f (1) and f ′ (1).
h→0

x3 f (x)−24
28. Suppose that a function f is differentiable at x = 2 and lim x−2 = 28. Find f (2) and f ′ (2).
x→2
(
x2/3 , x ≥ 0
29. Determine if the piecewise defined function g(x) = is differentiable at the origin.
x1/3 , x < 0
′
30.∗ Let f (x) be a function satisfying |f (x)| ≤ x2 for −1 ≤ x ≤ 1. Show that f is differentiable at x = 0 and find f (0).
31. Show that the following functions are differentiable at x = 0.

(a) |x| sin x x2 sin(1/x), x ̸= 0
(b) x2/3 sin x (d) h(x) =
√ 
0, x=0
(c) 3 x(1 − cos x)

32. A function f is defined as follows:

(
x2 if x ≤ c,
f (x) = (a, b, c constants).
ax + b if x > c,

Find values of a and b (in terms of c) such that f ′ (c) exists.

33. Given that the derivative f ′ (a) exists. State which of the following statements are true.

f (h) − f (a) f (a + 2t) − f (a)

(a) f ′ (a) = lim . (c) f ′ (a) = lim .
h→a h−a t→0 t
f (a) − f (a − h) f (a + 2t) − f (a + t)
(b) f ′ (a) = lim . (d) f ′ (a) = lim .
h→0 h t→0 2t

D Points of extrema (Ref:Anton 3.1, 3.2, 3.4)

34.∗∗ Find the relative extrema of the function f .

(a) f (x) = x4 − 4x3 + 4x2 (c) f (x) = |3x − x2 |

x+3 √
(b) f (x) = (d) f (x) = |1 + 3
x|
x−2

35. Find the absolute maximum and minimum values of f , if any, on the given interval, and state where those values occur.

(a) f (x) = x3 − 9x + 1; (−∞, +∞) x−2

(c) f (x) = ; (−1, 5]
x+1
x2 + 1
(b) f (x) = ; (−5, −1) (d) f (x) = x2 − x − 2; (−∞, +∞)
x+1

3
 36. Find the absolute maximum and minimum values attained in 12 , 72 by the function
 

(
4x − 2, x<1
f (x) =
(x − 2)(x − 3), x ≥ 1.

37. (a) Let f (x) = x2 + px + q. Find the values of p and q such that f (1) = 3 is an extreme value of f on [0, 2]. Is this
value a maximum or minimum?
(b) Determine the values of constants a and b so that f (x) = ax2 + bx has an absolute maximum at the point (1,2).
(c) Determine the values of constants a, b, c and d so that f (x) = ax3 + bx2 + cx + d has a local maximum at the
point (0,0) and a local minimum at the point (1,-1).
38. A piece of wire 40 cm long is cut into two pieces. One piece is bent into the shape of a square and the other is bent into
the shape of a circle. How should the wire be cut so that the total area enclosed is a (a) maximum and (b) minimum?

E Rolle’s theorem, Mean value theorem, Taylor’s theorem. (Ref: Anton 3.8)
39. Verify that the hypotheses of Rolle’s Theorem are satisfied on the given interval, and find all values of c in that interval
that satisfy the conclusion of the theorem.

(x2 − 1) (b) f (x) = 2x − 30x + 82; [3, 7]

(a) f (x) = ; [−1, 1]
(x − 2)

40. Verify that the hypotheses of the Mean-Value Theorem are satisfied on the given interval, and find all values of c in
that interval that satisfy the conclusion of the theorem.
1 (b) f (x) = −2x3 + 6x − 2; [−3, 5]
(a) f (x) = x − ; [3, 4]
x
2
41. Let f (x) = x 3 , a = −1, and b = 8.
f (b) − f (a)
(a) Show that there is no point c in (a, b) such that f ′ (c) =
b−a
(b) Explain why the result in part (a) does not contradict the Mean-Value Theorem.
42. An auto-mobile travels 4 miles along a straight road in 5 min. Show that the speedometer reads exactly 48 miles/hour
at least once during the trip.
√ √ y−x
43. Use the Mean-Value Theorem to show that y− x< √ if 0 < x < y.
2 x
44. Let ( (
x2 , x ≤ 0 x2 , x ≤ 0
f (x) = , g(x) =
x2 + 1, x > 0 x3 , x > 0
Show that lim f ′ (x) = lim f ′ (x) but that f ′ (0) does not exist. Show that g ′ (0) exists but g ′′ (0) does not exist.
x→0− x→0+

45. (a) Show that if f is differentiable on an open interval and f ′ (x) ̸= 0 on the interval, the equation f (x) = 0 can have
at most one real root in the interval.
(b) Suppose that f ′′ is continuous on [a, b] and that f has three zeros in the interval. Show that f ′′ has at least one
zero in (a, b). Generalize this result.
(c) Show that if f ′′ > 0 throughout an interval [a, b], then f ′ has at most one zero in [a, b]. What if f ′′ < 0 throughout
[a, b] instead?
1
46. (a) Suppose that 0 < f ′ (x) < for all x-values. Show that f (−1) < f (1) < f (−1) + 1.
2
(b) Show that | cos x − 1| ≤ |x| for all x-values.(Hint: Consider f (t) = cos t on [0, x].)

References
[1] H. Anton, I.C. Bivens, and S. Davis, Calculus, 10th edition, Wiley, 2012.
*****