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MAT Calculus Practice

1. By considering graphs (and without using calculus), determine whether the following definite
integrals are positive or negative or 0.
3𝜋/2
a. ∫0 sin 𝑥 𝑑𝑥
1
b. ∫−1.5 𝑥 3 𝑑𝑥
𝑎
2. Find the value of 𝑎, where 𝑎 > 0, such that ∫0 (𝑥 2 − 1) 𝑑𝑥 = 0
3. Calculus oddities:
1 1 1
a. Sketch 𝑦 = 𝑥 2 , and then determine ∫−1 𝑥 2 𝑑𝑥.
b. Sketch 𝑦 = 𝑥 4 and consider the stationary point using calculus. We find the second
derivative is 0 at the stationary point. But in the sketch the gradient seems to be increasing,
i.e. is positive. What’s going on here?
c. [Only if you’ve done C3 and C4]: Determine which of the following functions have areas
which are convergent given a suitable finite lower bound, and given the upper bound is
infinity:
1
i. 𝑓(𝑥) =
𝑥
1
ii. 𝑓(𝑥) = 𝑥2
iii. Any polynomial.
iv. 𝑓(𝑥) = 𝑎 𝑥 when 𝑎 > 1.
v. 𝑓(𝑥) = 𝑎 𝑥 when 0 < 𝑎 < 1
𝑎 𝑑𝐴
4. If 𝐴 = ∫0 𝑓(𝑥)𝑑𝑥, determine to value of 𝑎 for which = 0, i.e. where the total area between 𝑥 = 0
𝑑𝑎
and 𝑥 = 𝑎 has reached a maximum or minimum.
1
a. 𝑓(𝑥) = log (𝑥 + )
2
b. 𝑓(𝑥) = (𝑥 − 2)(𝑥 + 1)
5. Determine:
2
a. ∫0 |𝑥 2 − 𝑥| 𝑑𝑥
2
b. ∫0 |𝑥| + |𝑥 − 1| 𝑑𝑥
1
6. How many stationary points does 5 𝑥 5 − 𝑥 have?
4
7. Given that 𝑓(𝑥) = |𝑥 + 1|, determine ∫0 𝑓(√𝑥 − 3) 𝑑𝑥.
(Hint: It may be worth sketching 𝑓(𝑥) first, and working out using the bounds of the integral what
region of values the function in the integral actually uses)

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 ANSWERS

1. -
a. Positive. We get a negative area from 𝑥 = 𝜋 onwards, but the area of the positive
region in the region 0 < 𝑥 < 𝜋 will be greater.
b. The positive region where 𝑥 > 0 will have smaller area than the negative region
where 𝑥 < 0. So the overall area is negative.
𝑎 1
2. ∫0 (𝑥 2 − 1) 𝑑𝑥 = 𝑎 ( 𝑎2 − 1) = 0. Thus 𝑎 = √3.
3
3. The first of these questions was asked in an Oxbridge interview.
1 1
a. This is a trick question. Although if we were to calculate ∫−1 𝑥 2 𝑑𝑥 via the usual
approach, we’d obtain −2, alarm bells should ring given that we have a negative
value despite the curve always being above the 𝑥-axis. The integral is invalid because
the bounds of the integral cross an 𝑥-value for which the function is not defined (i.e.
𝑥 = 0).
b. The sketch resembles 𝑦 = 𝑥 2, except it’s shallower in the region −1 < 𝑥 < 1 and
𝑑
steeper elsewhere. Differentiating to find the turning point: (𝑥 4 ) = 4𝑥 3 = 0.
𝑑𝑥
Interestingly, this is a triple repeated turning point since 𝑥 is a repeated factor. On
an infinitesimal level we have three turning points (a minimum followed by a
maximum followed by a minimum) ‘fused’ together; this is similar to how we have
an inflection point in cubics when two stationary points are fused together.
𝑑2 𝑦
Finding the second derivative, 𝑑𝑥 2 (𝑥 4 ) = 12𝑥 2 , which is 0 at the turning point.

𝑦 = 𝑥4

Infinitesimally zoomed in!

𝑑𝑦 𝑑2 𝑦
As per A Level textbooks, in general when 𝑑𝑥 = 0 and 𝑑𝑥 2 = 0, we might have an
inflexion point, but it could still be a minimum or maximum. We could find the
gradient either side of the turning point to establish whether it’s a minimum or
maximum point.
c. Determine which of the following functions have areas which are convergent given a
suitable finite lower bound, and given the upper bound is infinity:
1
i. 𝑓(𝑥) =
𝑥
𝟏
∫ 𝒙 𝒅𝒙 = 𝐥𝐧 𝒙 + 𝒄. But if the upper bound is infinity, we’ll have 𝐥𝐧 ∞ = ∞,
so the area is not convergent.

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 1
ii. 𝑓(𝑥) = 𝑥 2
𝟏 𝟏 𝟏 𝟏
∫ 𝒙𝟐 𝒅𝒙 = − 𝒙 + 𝒄. If say the lower bound was 𝟏, we’ll have − ∞ + 𝟏 = 𝟏,
so the area is convergent.
iii. Any polynomial.
The powers in a polynomial are at least 0, so when integrating the powers
are not at least 1. Infinity to the power of any number at least 1 will be
infinity, so the area is not convergent.
iv. 𝑓(𝑥) = 𝑎 𝑥 when 𝑎 > 1.
The function itself is not convergent, so clearly the area won’t be either.
v. 𝑓(𝑥) = 𝑎 𝑥 when 0 < 𝑎 < 1
𝟏 𝟏 𝒙
Let 𝒃 > 𝟏 and 𝒂 = 𝒃, so that 𝟎 < 𝒂 < 𝟏. Then (𝒃) = 𝒃−𝒙. Integrating we
𝟏
get − 𝐥𝐧 𝒃 𝒃−𝒙 . When we substitute in 𝒙 = ∞ for the upper bound, the
whole expression gives 0, so the area will be convergent. e.g.
∞ 𝟏 𝒙 ∞ 𝟏 ∞ 𝟏
∫𝟎 (𝟐) 𝒅𝒙 = ∫𝟎 𝟐−𝒙 𝒅𝒙 = [− 𝐥𝐧 𝟐 𝟐−𝒙 ] = 𝐥𝐧 𝟐
𝟎

4. For all of these, the area is neither decreasing or decreasing when 𝑓(𝑥) = 0. Thus we’re just
trying to find the roots of each 𝑓(𝑥).
1
a. 𝑥 =
2
b. 𝑥 = 2
5. –
a. Sketching the graph, we can see that in the range 0 < 𝑥 < 1 the modulus function
will have reflected what would have originally been below the 𝑥-axis. We thus turn
the negative area into a positive area:
2 2 1
∫ |𝑥 2 − 𝑥| 𝑑𝑥 = (∫ 𝑥 2 − 𝑥 𝑑𝑥 ) − (∫ 𝑥 2 − 𝑥 𝑑𝑥 ) = 1
0 1 0
b. If we sketch 𝑦 = |𝑥| and 𝑦 = |𝑥 − 1|, we can see that in adding them together, we
get 𝑦 = 1 in the region 0 < 𝑥 ≤ 1 and 𝑦 = 2𝑥 − 1 in the region 𝑥 > 1. Calculus is
not really required here: by just finding the area of the square and trapezium we get
an area of 1 + 2 = 3.
6. We differentiate and set to 0 to find the turning point:
𝑥4 − 1 = 0
(𝑥 2 + 1)(𝑥 2 − 1) = 0
(𝑥 2 + 1)(𝑥 + 1)(𝑥 − 1) = 0
We have two stationary points when 𝑥 = −1 and 𝑥 = 1. The 𝑥 2 + 1 term won’t produce
any extra stationary points, because if 𝑥 2 + 1 = 0, there’s no real solution.
4
7. In ∫0 𝑓(√𝑥 − 3) 𝑑𝑥, we have 0 < 𝑥 < 4. Thus −3 < √𝑥 − 3 < −1. By sketching 𝑓(𝑥) =
|𝑥 + 1|, we can see that that when the domain is -3 to -1, we actually have 𝑓(𝑥) = −𝑥 − 1
(because it’s been reflected).
1
4 4 4
This gives us ∫0 𝑓(√𝑥 − 3) 𝑑𝑥 = ∫0 −(√𝑥 − 3) − 1 𝑑𝑥 = ∫0 −𝑥 2 + 2 𝑑𝑥
8
=
3

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