Assignment 4 : Mean Value Theorem, Taylor’s Theorem,

Curve Sketching
1. (T) Using Mean Value Theorem show that
x−1
(i) x
< log x < x − 1 for x > 1.
x
(ii) e ≥ 1 + x for x ∈ R.

2. (D) Let a > 0 and f : [−a, a] → R be continuous. Suppose f 0 (x) exists and
f 0 (x) ≤ 1 for all x ∈ (−a, a). If f (a) = a and f (−a) = −a, then show that
f (x) = x for every x ∈ (−a, a).

3. (T) Let f : [a, b] → R be continuous on [a, b] and differentiable on (a, b).

Suppose that f (a) = a and f (b) = b. Show that there is c ∈ (a, b) such
that f 0 (c) = 1. Further, show that there are distinct c1 , c2 ∈ (a, b) such that
f 0 (c1 ) + f 0 (c2 ) = 2.

4. Using Cauchy Mean Value Theorem, show that

x2
(a) (D) 1 − 2!
< cos x for x 6= 0.
x3
(b) (T) x − 3!
< sin x for x > 0.
x2 x4
(c) (T) cos x < 1 − 2!
+ 4!
for x 6= 0.
x3 x5
(d) (T) sin x < x − 3!
+ 5!
for x > 0.

5. (D) Let f be continuous on [a, b], a > 0 and differentiable on (a, b). Prove that
there exists c ∈ (a, b) such that

bf (a) − af (b)
= f (c) − cf 0 (c).
b−a
1
6. (T) Find lim (6 − x) x−5 and lim+ (1 + x1 )x .
x−→5 x−→0

x2
7. (T) Sketch the graphs of f (x) = x3 − 6x2 + 9x + 1 and f (x) = x2 −1
.

8. (T) Suppose f is a three times differentiable function on [−1, 1] such that

f (−1) = 0, f (1) = 1 and f 0 (0) = 0. Using Taylor’s theorem prove that f 000 (c) ≥
3 for some c ∈ (−1, 1).

9. (D) Using Taylor’s theorem, for any k ∈ N and for all x > 0, show that
1 1 1 1
x − x2 + · · · + x2k < log(1 + x) < x − x2 + · · · + x2k+1 .
2 2k 2 2k + 1

MTH1
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MTH101R
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ou, [email protected],

01R c=US
Date: 2011.02.02
12:30:12 +05'30'
 Assignment 4 - Solutions
1. (i) By mean value theorem (MVT) there exist c ∈ (1, x) such that log x − log 1 =
1
c
(x − 1). This implies that x−1
x
< log x < x − 1 for x > 1.
(ii) Let x > 0. By MVT there exist c ∈ (0, x) such that ex − e0 = ec (x − 0). This
implies that ex ≥ 1 + x. The proof is similar for the case x < 0.

2. Let g(x) = f (x)−x on [−a, a]. Note that g 0 (x) ≤ 0 on (-a,a). Therefore, g is decreasing.
Since g(a) = g(−a) = 0, we have g = 0.
This problem can also be solved by applying MVT for g on [−a, x] and [x, a].

3. For the first part apply MVT for f on [a, b]. For the second part, obtain two equations
by applying the MVT for f on [a, a+b
2
] and [ a+b
2
, b], and then add these two equations.
x2 1−cos x sin c
4. (a) Apply CMVT to f (x) = 1 − cos x and g(x) = 2
. We get x2 /2
= c
< 1 for
some c between 0 and x.
x−sin x 1−cos c
(b) By CMVT and (a), x3
= c2
< 1 where c ∈ (0, x) or (x, 0).
3! 2

x2 x4
(c) Apply CMVT to f (x) = cos x − 1 + 2
and g(x) = 4!
.
x3 x5
(d) Apply CMVT to f (x) = sin x − x + 3!
and g(x) = 5!
.
f (x)
5. Apply CMVT to x
and x1 .
1 log(6−x) log(6−x)
6. (i) Let y = (6 − x) x−5 . Then log y = x−5
. By L’Hospital rule, lim x−5
=
x→5
lim −1 = −1. Therefore, lim y = 1
.
x→5 6−x x→5 e

1 log(1+ x1 )
(ii) Note that (1+ x1 )x = ex log(1+ x ) and lim+ x log(1+ x1 ) = lim+ 1 = lim+ 1
1+ x1
=0
x→0 x→0 x x→0
by L’Hospital rule. Therefore, lim+ (1 + x1 )x 0
= e = 1.
x→0

7. (i) Note that f 0 (x) = 3(x − 1)(x − 3). Therefore, f is increasing on (−∞, 1) ∪ (3, ∞)
and f is decreasing on (1, 3). Moreover, f has a local maximum at x = 1 and local
minimum at x = 3. Since f 00 (x) = 6(x − 2), f is convex on (2, ∞) and concave on
(−∞, 2). Moreover, f has a point of inflection at x = 2.
(ii) Note that f (x) = 1 + x21−1 . The asymptotes are x = 1, x = −1 and y = 1. The rest
is similar to the previous problem.

8. By Taylor’s theorem,
f 00 (0) f 000 (c1 )
f (1) = f (0) + f 0 (0) + 2!
+ 3!
for some c1 ∈ (0, 1).
f 00 (0) f 000 (c 2)
f (−1) = f (0) − f 0 (0) + 2!
− 3!
for some c2 ∈ (−1, 0).
f 000 (c )+f 000 (c 2)
Therefore, 1
6
= 1. Hence either f 000 (c1 ) or f 000 (c2 ) ≥ 3.
n−1 n
xn+1
9. By Taylor’s theorem, ∃ c ∈ (0, x) s.t. log(1+x) = x− 21 x2 +...+ (−1)n xn + (−1)
n+1 (1+c)n+1
.
n
xn+1
Note that, for any x > 0, (−1)
n+1 (1+c)n+1
> 0 if n = 2k and < 0 if n = 2k + 1.