Mathematics 1

Fall 2014
Group M1 - Lecturers: Francesc Pozo and Núria Parés

Second Partial Exam. 12 am. 10/11/2014

[100 points] GENERIC COMPETENCY: Express as a partial fraction

4x2 + 11x + 9
=
(x + 1)2 (x + 2)

Solution. The denominator of this rational function can be decomposed as (x + 1)2 (x + 2).
Therefore, this rational function can be expressed as a partial fraction:

4x2 + 11x + 9 A B C
2
= + 2
+
(x + 1) (x + 2) x + 1 (x + 1) x+2
A(x + 1)(x + 2) + B(x + 2) + C(x + 1)2
=
(x + 1)2 (x + 2)

The numerators 4x2 + 11x + 9 and A(x + 1)(x + 2) + B(x + 2) + C(x + 1)2 must be equal, so the
coefficients A, B, C can be found by evaluating these two polynomials at x = −2, x = −1 and
x = 0. Note that these real numbers are the roots of the polynomial in the denominator (but
x = 0). When x = −2, we have the equation

3 = C ⇒ C = 3.

When x = −1, we have the equation

2 = B ⇒ B = 2.

Finally, when x = 0, the resulting equation is

9 − 2B − C
9 = 2A + 2B + C ⇒ A = = 1.
2
Therefore, the rational fraction can be expressed as a partial fraction as

4x2 + 11x + 9 1 2 3
2
= + 2
+
(x + 1) (x + 2) x + 1 (x + 1) x+2

1. [40 points]
√
1− 5x+1
(a) Evaluate the limit L1 = lim √ . Hint: Use the change of variable x + 1 = t10 .
x→0 1 − x+1
r ! x+1
3
x2 − x
(b) Evaluate the limit L2 = lim .
x→+∞ x2 − 1
r
ln(x) 1
(c) Evaluate the limit L3 = lim . Hint: Express the root as a fractional exponent.
x→+∞ x
 x3 sin(x)
(d) Evaluate the limit L4 = lim . Hint: Express the denominator as
x→0 1 + cos2 (x) − 2 cos(x)
the square of a difference, then use these two locally equivalent functions sin(x) ∼0 x and
1 − cos(x) ∼0 x2 /2.
p p
(e) Compute f 0 (x) and g 0 (x) where f (x) = sin(x)sin(x) and g(x) = ln( tan(x)).

Solution

(a)
√ √5
1− 5x+1 1 − t10
L1 = lim √ = lim √
x→0 1 − x + 1 t→1 1 − t10
1 − t2 (1 + t)(1 − t)
= lim = lim
t→1 1 − t5 t→1 (1 − t)(t4 + t3 + t2 + t + 1)
1+t 2
= lim 4 =
t→1 t + t3 + t2 + t + 1 5

(b)
r ! x+1
3
x2
−x
L2 = lim = “1+∞ ”
x→+∞ x2
−1
 2  x+1  x+1
x2 − x

x −x 6 6
= lim = lim 1 + − 1
x→+∞ x2 − 1 x→+∞ x2 − 1
 x+1  x+1
x2 − x − x2 + 1 6
 
−x + 1 6
= lim 1 + = lim 1 + 2
x→+∞ x2 − 1 x→+∞ x −1
x+1 x 2 −1 −x+1 x+1
! 6 ! −x+1 · 2 · 6
x −1
1 1
= lim 1 + x2 −1 = lim 1 + x2 −1
x→+∞ x→+∞
−x+1 −x+1
−x2 + 1
   
−x + 1 x + 1
= exp lim · = exp lim
x→+∞ x2 − 1 6 x→+∞ 6x2 − 6

= e−1/6

(c)
r 1
  ln(x)
1 1
= “00 ”
ln(x)
L3 = lim = lim
x→+∞ x x→+∞ x
 
1 1 1
ln x−1


ln(L3 ) = lim ln = lim
x→+∞ ln(x) x x→+∞ ln(x)

− ln(x)
= lim = lim −1 = −1
x→+∞ ln(x) x→+∞
−1
L3 = e

(d)

x3 sin(x) x3 sin(x)
L4 = lim = lim
x→+0 1 + cos2 (x) − 2 cos(x) x→+0 (1 − cos(x))2
3
x sin(x) x3 sin(x) x 1 − cos2 (x) 1 − cos2 (x)
= lim = lim · · ·
x→+0 (1 − cos(x))2 x→+0 (1 − cos(x))2 sin(x) x2 /2 x2 /2
4x4
= lim 4 = lim 4 = 4
x→+0 x x→+0
 (e)
q sin(x)
f (x) = sin(x)sin(x) = sin(x) 2
sin(x)
ln(f (x)) = ln(sin(x))
2
f 0 (x) cos(x) sin(x) cos(x)
= ln(sin(x)) +
f (x) 2 2 sin(x)
cos(x) cos(x)
= ln(sin(x)) +
2  2 
0 cos(x) cos(x)
f (x) = f (x) ln(sin(x)) +
2 2
 
sin(x) cos(x) cos(x)
= sin(x) 2 ln(sin(x)) +
2 2

p
g(x) = ln( tan(x))
1 1
g 0 (x) = p · p · (1 + tan2 (x))
tan(x) 2 tan(x)
1 + tan2 (x) 1 1
= = cotan(x) + tan(x)
2 tan(x) 2 2

2. [30 points] Given the function

1
f (x) = 1 .
1 − e 1−x
(a) Find the domain of f (x).

(b) Find the points of discontinuity of f (x) and state whether f (x) is left- or right-continuous
(or neither) at these points.

(c) Find the slope of the slant (or oblique) asymptote of f (x) as x approaches +∞. Hint:The
slope of the slant asymptote can be computed evaluating the limit of f (x)/x as x → +∞.
1
1
Note also that the functions e 1−x − 1 and 1−x are two asymptotically equal functions, that
1
1
is, e 1−x − 1 ∼+∞ 1−x

Solution
1 1
(a) The expression 1−x
is not defined at x = 1. Besides, 1−x
6= 0 for all x ∈ R − {1} and
1
therefore e 1−x 6= 1 for all x ∈ R − {1}. This way, Dom(f ) = R − {1}.

(b) The point x = 1 is clearly a point of discontinuity since the function is not defined at
x = 1. Let us state if the discontinuity is a removable, jump or asymptotic discontinuity:
1 1 1 1 1
lim− 1 =“ 1 ”=“ ” = “ ” = “ ”=0
x→1 1−e 1−x 1−e 0+ 1 − e+∞ 1 − (+∞) −∞
1 1 1 1 1
lim 1 =“ 1 ” = “ ” = “ ” = =1
x→1+ 1 − e 1−x 1 − e 0− 1 − e−∞ 1−0 1
Since the two one-sided limits exist but are different, at x = 1 we have a jump discontinuity.
Since the function is not defined at x = 1, the function is not left-continuous neither
right-continuous.
 (c) The slope of the slant asymptote is computed as:
1
1
f (x) 1−e 1−x 1
lim = lim = lim  1

x→+∞ x x→+∞ x x→+∞
x 1−e 1−x

1
1 e 1−x − 1
= lim  1
· 1
x→+∞
x 1 − e 1−x 1−x

−1 x−1
= lim x = lim =1
x→+∞
1−x
x→+∞ x

3. [20 points] Given the function


2
x ,
 x<0
f (x) = 0, x=0

 2 1


x sin x
, x>0
(a) Find the left derivative of this function at x = 0, that is f−0 (0), using the definition of the
derivative in term of limits.
(b) Find the right derivative of this function at x = 0, that is f+0 (0), using the definition of the
derivative in term of limits.
(c) Find the derivative of f (x) when x > 0. Is lim+ f 0 (x) equal to f+0 (0)? Explain.
x→0

(d) At what points does the tangent line is parallel to the x-axis? Find the equation of the
tangent line in point-slope form.
Solution
(a)
f (0 + h) − f (0) f (h) − f (0)
f−0 (0) = lim− = lim−
h→0 h h→0 h
2
h −0
= lim− = lim− h = 0
h→0 h h→0

(b)
f (0 + h) − f (0) f (h) − f (0)
f+0 (0) = lim+ = lim+
h→0 h h→0 h
2
h sin(1/h) − 0
= lim− = lim+ h sin(1/h)
h→0 h h→0
= “0 × bounded” = 0

(c) When x > 0,

   
0 1 2 1 −1
f (x) = 2x sin + x cos
x x x2
   
1 1
= 2x sin − cos
x x
Since
   
1 1
@ lim+ cos and lim+ 2x sin =0
x→0 x x→0 x
we have that
    
1 1
@ lim+ 2x sin − cos
x→0 x x
 (d) The derivative f 0 (x) of f (x) is


 2x, x<0

0, x=0

f 0 (x) =    
 1 1
2x sin − cos , x>0


x x
We have three different cases:
– When x < 0, f 0 (x) = 2x < 0, so no tangent line is parallel to the x-axis when x < 0.
– When x = 0, f 0 (0) = 0, so the tangent line at x = 0 is parallel to the x-axis. The
equation of this line is y = 0.
– When x > 0, f 0 (x) = 2x sin x1 − cos x1 . We have to find out the points x > 0 such

that f 0 (x) = 0, that is

   
0 1 1
f (x) = 0 ⇔ 2x sin − cos =0
x x
   
1 1
⇔ 2x sin = cos
x x
 
1
⇔ 2x tan =1
x
 
1 1
⇔ tan =
x 2x

4. [10 points] Prove, by means of the derivative of the inverse function and assuming known
1
the derivative of the exponential, that if g(x) = ln |x| then g 0 (x) = .
x
Hint: Consider separately the two cases x > 0 and x < 0.
Solution The function g(x) = ln |x| is a piecewise function defined as
(
ln(−x), x < 0
g(x) = ln |x| =
ln(x), x>0

We consider two different cases: (a) x > 0 and (b) x < 0.

(a) Let us assume that x > 0. Therefore, (exp ◦ ln)(x) = x. Differentiating both sides of the
previous equality, we have

(exp)0 (ln(x)) · (ln)0 (x) = 1 ⇔ exp(ln(x)) · (ln)0 (x) = 1

1 1
⇔ (ln)0 (x) = =
exp(ln(x)) x
1 1
⇔ (ln)0 |x| = =
exp(ln(x)) x

(b) Let us now assume that x < 0. Therefore, (exp ◦ ln)(−x) = −x. Differentiating both sides
of the previous equality, we have

(exp)0 (ln(−x)) · (ln)0 (−x) = −1 ⇔ exp(ln(−x)) · (ln)0 (−x) = −1

−1 −1 1
⇔ (ln)0 (−x) = = =
exp(ln(−x)) −x x
1
⇔ (ln)0 |x| =
x