THE UNIVERSITY OF HONG KONG

DEPARTMENT OF MATHEMATICS

MATH1013 University Mathematics II

Assignment 3 Solutions

1. We have
f (x) − f (0) tan (x2 )
lim = lim
x→0 x−0 x→0 x
sin (x2 ) x
= lim ( ⋅ )
x→0 x2 cos (x2 )
0
=1⋅
1
=0
sin t
since → 1 when t → 0.
t

Remark. 1 point for using the first principle correctly, and 2 points for computing the limit.

One cannot use L’Hôpital’s rule to compute the limit because this requires the derivative of
tan (x2 ) again.

2. (a) Since f is differentiable at 0, it must be continuous at 0. This implies

lim f (x) = lim+ f (x) = f (0),
x→0− x→0

which means ℓ = 1. Next, we have

f (x) − f (0)
f ′ (0) = lim .
x→0 x−0
The one-sided limits are
f (x) − f (0) (x2 + kx + 1) − 1
lim− = lim− = lim− (x + k) = k
x→0 x x→0 x x→0

and
f (x) − f (0) (2x + 1) − 1
lim = lim+ = lim+ 2 = 2
x→0+ x x→0 x x→0
respectively. As f (0) exists, we must have k = 2. This shows k = 2 and ℓ = 1. In that
′

case, the above limit is 2, and hence f is differentiable at 0.

Remark. 1 point for finding the value of ℓ, and 1 point for finding the value of k.

(b) When x > 0, we have f (x) = 2x + 1. Therefore, f ′ (x) = 2. We have shown that f ′ (0) = 2.
As
lim+ f ′ (x) = lim+ (2x + 1) = 1 ≠ f ′ (0),
x→0 x→0
the function f ′ is discontinuous at 0. Therefore, it is non-differentiable at 0. This means
f ′′ (0) does not exist.

1
3. Differentiate both sides of xy 3 = 2x3 + 3y − 2 with respect to x. This gives

y 3 + 3xy 2 y ′ = 6x2 + 3y ′ . (1)

Putting x = 1 and y = 0 in (1), we obtain y ′ = −2. Next, differentiate both sides of (1) with
respect to x. This gives

3y 2 y ′ + 3y 2 y ′ + 6xy(y ′ )2 + 3xy 2 y ′′ = 12x + 3y ′′ . (2)

Putting x = 1, y = 0 and y ′ = −2 in (2), we obtain y ′′ = −4. Thus, the second-order Taylor

polynomial of y at x = 1 is

y ′′ (1)
y(1) + y ′ (1)(x − 1) + (x − 1)2 = −2(x − 1) − 2(x − 1)2 .
2

Remark. 1 point for obtaining (1), 1 point for obtaining (2), 1 point for a correct second-order
Taylor polynomial, and 1 point for the correct answer.

4. (a) Since f is continuous on its domain, vertical asymptotes can only occur at those points
with 4 − x2 = 0, i.e. x = ±2. Clearly, we have

x3 x3
lim− = ∞ and lim − = ∞.
x→2 4 − x2 x→−2 4 − x2
Therefore, both x = 2 and x = −2 are vertical asymptotes of the graph of f .

For horizontal or oblique asymptotes, we use proposition 4.5. We have

f (x) x2 x2
m = lim = lim = lim = −1
x→±∞ x x→±∞ 4 − x2 x→±∞ −x2

and
4x 4x 4
c = lim (f (x) + x) = lim = lim = lim = 0.
x→±∞ 4 − x2 x→±∞ −x2 x→±∞ −x
x→±∞

Therefore, y = −x is the only oblique asymptote, and there is no horizontal asymptote.

Remark. 1 point for finding all vertical asymptotes, 1 point for finding all horizontal
asymptotes and 1 point for finding all oblique asymptotes.

(b) We have
(4 − x2 )(3x2 ) − (x3 )(−2x) (12 − x2 )x2
f ′ (x) = = .
(4 − x2 )2 (4 − x2 )2
√
Note that f ′ (x) = 0 when x = 0, ±2 3, and is undefined when x = ±2. This gives the
following.

√ √ √ √
x < −2 3 −2 3 < x < −2 −2 < x < 0 0<x<2 2<x<2 3 x>2 3
f ′ (x) − + + + + −
f (x) ↓ ↑ ↑ ↑ ↑ ↓

2
 Remark. One may include the boundary points of the intervals. In particular, f is
monotonic
√ √ increasing on (−2, 2) (including 0). However, it is not monotonic increasing on
(−2 3, 2 3) because it is undefined at ±2.

√ √
(c) Since f is decreasing
√ on (−∞, −2 3) and is increasing
√ on (−2 3, −2), it has
√ a local
minimum at −2 3. Since √ f is increasing on (2, 2 3) and is decreasing on (2 3, ∞), it
has a local maximum at 2 3. There are no other local extremum points in view of the
table in part (b).

(d) We have

(4 − x2 )2 (24x − 4x3 ) − (12 − x2 )x2 (−4x(4 − x2 )) 8x(x2 + 12)

f ′′ (x) = = .
(4 − x2 )4 (4 − x2 )3

Note that f ′′ (x) = 0 when x = 0, and is undefined when x = ±2. This gives the following.

x < −2 −2 < x < 0 0<x<2 x>2

f (x)
′′
+ − + −
f (x) convex concave convex concave

Remark. 1 point for considering the sign of f ′′ (x), and 1 point for the answer.

(e) Since f changes from concave to convex at x = 0 and f is continuous at 0, 0 is an inflexion

point of f .

Remark. Note that x = ±2 are not inflexion points because they are not in the domain
of f .