Worksheet 2 - Derivatives Solutions

September 28, 2009

1. Recall that a function f is called even if f (−x) = f (x) for all x in its domain and odd
if f (−x) = −f (x) for all such x. Prove each of the following using the definition of the
derivative

(a) The derivative of an even function is an odd function.

(b) The derivative of an odd function is an even function.

Solution. Calculate
f (−x + h) − f (−x)
f 0 (−x) = lim
h→0 h
f (−(x − h)) − f (−x)
= lim
h→0 h
f (x − h) − f (x)
= lim
h→0 h
where in the last step we have used that f is even, so f (y) = f (−y) for all y. The key
now is to substitute h0 = −h. Then h0 → 0 if and only if h → 0 and so

f (x + h0 ) − f (x) f (x + h0 ) − f (x)
f 0 (−x) = lim 0
= − lim 0
= −f 0 (x)
0
h →0 −h 0
h →0 h
. The proof of the second part is similar.

2. Sketch the graph of the function f (x) = x|x|.

(a) For what values of x is f differentiable?

(b) Find a formula for f 0 .

Solution. f is differentiable everywhere. For x 6= 0, we can use the product rule and
recall that (|x|)0 = x/|x|. Then

x2
f 0 (x) = |x| + x(|x|)0 = |x| +
|x|

but at x = 0, we can’t apply this since |x| isn’t differentiable there. Instead, we
calculate directly

(0 + h)|(0 + h)| − 0
f 0 (0) = lim = lim |h| = 0
h→0 h h→0

and so the function is differentiable at x = 0, too.

3. Differentiate

(a) y = ex+1 + 1

1
 (b) H(x) = (x + x−1 )3
(c) F (x) = ( 12 x)5

Soltuion. y 0 = ex+1 . H 0 (x) = 3(x + x−1 )2 [1 − x−2 ], F 0 (x) = (1/2)5 (5x4 ).

4. Find an equation of the tangent line to y = x4 + 2x2 − x at (1, 2).

Solution. The line must have slope


dy 
m= = 4(1)3 + 4(1) − 1 = 7
dx x=1

and passes through the point (1,2). The equation is then

y = 7(x − 1) + 2 = 7x − 5
√
5. Find the value of c such that the line y = 32 x + 6 is tangent to the curve y = c x.

Solution. If the the line is tangent to the curve at x, the functions and their derivatives
are equal at x. So
3 √
x+6=y =c x
2
and
3 c
= y0 = √
2 2 x
The second equation tells us that √
c=3 x
and we can solve for x, allowing us to eliminate it, by squaring both sides. We then
get
c2 = 9x.
Finally, we substitute this into the first equation and get

3 c2
  c
+6=c
2 9 3

Simplifying this gives us

c2 c2
+6=
6 3
and then
c2 = 36
so
c = ±6
√ √
But since c = 3 x originally, and x is always positive, c = 6.

2
6. Evaluate
x1000 − 1
lim
x→1 x − 1

Solution. This is just the derivative of f (x) = x1000 at x = 1. So f 0 (x) = 1000x999

and f 0 (1) = 1000.
7. The equation y 00 + y 0 − 2y = x2 is called a differential equation because it involves an
unknown function y and its derivatives y 0 and y 00 . Find constants A, B, and C such
that the function y = Ax2 + Bx + C satisfies this equation.

Solution. y = Ax2 + Bx + C, y 0 = 2Ax + B, y 00 = 2A. Substituting these in tells us

that
(2A) + (2Ax + B) − 2(Ax2 + Bx + C) = x2
and this has to be true for all real x. Simplifying, we have

(−2A − 1)x2 + (2A − 2B)x + (2A + B − 2C) = 0

and since this is true for all x, each coefficient of the polynomial has to be zero. Then

−2A − 1 = 0, 2A − 2B = 0, 2A + B − 2C = 0

and solving these tells us that

1 1 3
A=− , B=− , C=−
2 2 4
8. Let 
x2 if x ≤ 2
f (x) =
mx + b if x > 2
Find the values of m and b that make f differentiable everywhere.

Solution. The value of the functions and their derivatives must agree x = 2. So
4 = (2)2 = 2m + b. And then 4 = 2(2) = m. Then b = −4, so the line is y = 4x − 4.
9. Find equations of the tangent lines to the curve
x−1
y=
x+1
that are parallel to the line x − 2y = 2. (Hint: Draw a picture.)

Solution. Calculate
(x + 1) − (x − 1) 2
y0 = 2
=
(x + 1) (x + 1)2
and we want to know which tangent lines are parallel to the given line, which can be
rewritten as y = 12 x − 1. For the tangent lines to be parallel to the given line, we must
have y 0 = 1/2 at some x. Setting this equal,
1 2
= y0 =
2 (x + 1)2

3
 so we need (x + 1)2 = 4, and so x = 1, −3. The tangent lines to these are
1 1
y = (x − 1), y = (x + 3) + 2
2 2

10. If f (x) = x2 /(1 + x), find f 00 (1).

Solution. Quotient rule.

0 2x(1 + x) − x2 x2 + 2x
f (x) = =
(1 + x)2 (x + 1)2

(2x + 2)(1 + x)2 − 2(x + 1)(x2 + 2x)

f 00 (x) =
(x + 1)4
(4)(2)2 − 2(2)(3) 1
f 00 (1) = 4
=
2 4