MATH 1173/1183 LAB #4

LOCAL LINEARITY OR DIFFERENTIABILITY

OVERVIEW: The purpose of this lab is to use the numerical and graphical capabilities of Desmos
for further study of the slope of functions as introduced in section 2.1. This will also serve as your
introduction to the derivative of a function at a point, and the objectives in the lab should help you
get a geometric sense of when a function is differentiable at a point and of how a function fails to be
differentiable.

TEXT REFERENCES: Sections 2.1& 2.6

OBJECTIVE #1: To study the slope of f(x) = 3x2-5x at x = 2.

INSTRUCTIONS: Plot the function f(x) = 3x2-5x with a viewing rectangle of [0,4] by [-3,28].

From within this viewing rectangle, pick a second point on the graph that is different from (2, f(2)).
(You can do this by tracing the graph, or by calculating f(x) for an appropriate value of x). Compute
the slope of the secant line between your chosen point and (2, f(2)). Include this computation as
part of your lab report.

Now, reset your viewing rectangle so that the point you chose above is at the outer edge of the
viewing rectangle and the point (2,f(2)) is at its centre. For example, if you picked the point
(1.5, -0.75) then set your new viewing rectangle to be [1.5,2.5] by [–1,5]. You can manually change
the x and y-ranges, or use the mouse wheel to zoom in and then click and drag the graph to center it
on (2,f(2)), like in Lab #3. It might help visualize the new viewing rectangle if you plot the point you
picked on the graph as well.

From within this new viewing rectangle pick a second point on the graph that is different from
(2, f(2)) and from the one you chose above. Notice, this second choice will be closer to (2, f(2))
than your first choice was. Compute the slope of the secant line between your newly chosen point
and (2, f(2)). Record the second point you chose and your slope calculation as part of your lab
report.

Repeat this process. So, chose a third viewing rectangle centred around (2, f(2)) and with the last
point you chose at its outer edge. From within this new viewing rectangle pick another point on the
graph that is different from (2, f(2)) but closer to it than either of your choices above. Compute the
slope of the secant line between your chosen point and (2, f(2)). Record the new point you chose
and your slope calculation as part of your report.

Repeat this process two more times, so that from within even smaller viewing rectangles you can
pick a point on the graph that is different from (2, f(2)) and your previous choices, and closer to
(2, f(2)) than your previous choices. Compute the slope of the line between your chosen points and
(2, f(2)). Record the points you chose and your slope calculations as part of your lab report.
 Math 1173/1183 Lab #4 page 2

Also as part of your report, describe what the graph of f(x) = 3x2-5x near x = 2 looks like after
having reduced your viewing rectangle these four times.

Based on the five calculations above, what do you guess the slope of f(x) = 3x2-5x at x = 2 to be?
Verify your guess by computing the appropriate limit (i.e. the limit used to calculate the slope of the
f ( x ) − f ( 2)
tangent line at x =2) : in this case, mtan = lim for the above f(x).
x→2 x−2
Note: For complete work, you need to write down the limit in the above form, you need to replace
f(x) and f(2) by their corresponding formulas/values, and calculate the limit by hand (using the
techniques from section 2.3).

OBJECTIVE #2: To simultaneously view the graph of f(x) = 3x2-5x and its tangent line at x =2.

INSTRUCTIONS: Use the slope you determined above to determine an equation for the line
tangent to f(x) = 3x2-5x at the point where x = 2. Show your work as part of your lab report.

Now plot the function and the tangent line together twice: first in the last (5th), restricted viewing
rectangle you obtained in Objective 1. Then reset your viewing rectangle to be [0,4] by [-3,28], the
window that you started with and plot again the graph together with the tangent line. Describe
what you see in both these situations.

OBJECTIVE #3: To study the slope of f(x) = sin(x) at x = 1.

INSTRUCTIONS: Repeat the instructions from Objective #1 with sin(x) in place of

Based on your five calculations of slopes of secants what do you guess the slope of f(x) = sin(x) at x =1
to be (to three decimal places)? Write out the limit that would give the exact value of the slope of
sin(x) at x = 1. (See the Note at the end of Objective #1.) A Computer Algebra System evaluates this
limit as cos(1). Use Desmos to approximate cos(1) to 3 decimal points. Does it agree with your
estimate for the slope of the tangent line?

Use the value you found above to find an equation for the line tangent to f(x) = sin(x) at x = 1. Use
three decimal places in your computations and show your work as part of your lab report.

Plot the graph of the tangent line equation you determined above with that of sin(x), first in your last,
restricted viewing rectangle, and then in the viewing rectangle of [0,2] by [0,1]. Describe what you
observe.

OBJECTIVE #4: To study the slope of f ( x ) = e x at x = 0 .

INSTRUCTIONS: Here e = 2.71828... is Euler’s number, the base of the natural exponential and
logarithm functions. In Desmos, in order to enter the natural exponential function, ex , you can either
use e^x, or type in exp(x).
 Math 1173/1183 Lab #4 page 3

Enter e^x as explained above, and then plot this curve in the viewing rectangle [-1,1] by [0,2].
Then change the viewing rectangle to [-0.5,0.5] by [0.5,1.5], and then to [-0.1,0.1] by [0.9,1.1].
What do you notice about the curve as you zoom in toward the point (0,1)?

These first four objectives provide three examples of functions that are differentiable, or
locally linear, at the point on which you are zooming in. When we look at a very small
part of the graph of such a function, it appears to be a non-vertical straight line, that is a
linear function. The slope of this linear function is what we call the derivative of the
given function at the given point.

OBJECTIVE #5: To study the slope of f ( x ) = x 2 / 3 at x = 0.

INSTRUCTIONS: Plot x 2/3 on the viewing rectangle [-1,1] by [-1,1] . Repeatedly zoom in to
(0, f(0)) and try to make the graph appear to be a line as in the situations above. You will need to
keep zooming in for quite a long time.

As part of your lab report, describe what happens. Write down the appropriate limit for studying
this slope (see the Note at the end of Objective #1). Based on your zooming explorations what do
you conclude about this limit?

Calculate the limit analytically, by hand. Include your work in the lab report.

OBJECTIVE #6: To study the slope of f(x) = |x| at x = 0.

INSTRUCTIONS: Repeat the instructions from Objective #5 as they apply to this situation
(including calculating the slope via the limit of the difference quotient). To type in the absolute
value, you can use the input panel at the bottom, or write abs(x), or just type |x|.

 1
x sin( ) if x ≠ 0
OBJECTIVE #7: To study the slope at x = 0 of f ( x) = x

0 if x = 0

INSTRUCTIONS: We need to enter f(x) as a piecewise function; however, Desmos does not have
a “not equal” sign. To get around this, you may enter {x<0: xsin(1/x), x>0: xsin(1/x),0}. Or, enter
xsin(1/x). You will not be able to see a difference in the graphs; however, in the first case, the point
(0,0) is on the graph, while in the second case, Desmos returns “undefined” for the value at 0. This is
because the function x sin(1/x) has a removable discontinuity at 0.

Repeat the instructions in Objective #5 as they apply to this case.

Again, write down the limit for studying the slope at (0,f (0)) in this case (see the Note at the end of
Objective #1). Based on your graphical explorations, what can you say about this limit? Can you
explain why that is the case, perhaps by looking at another graph? (Hint: Lab #3.)

These objectives provide three examples of how varied the behaviour of the slope of
functions near a point can be. Whereas the functions in the first objectives are locally
linear, or differentiable, at the point you studied, these three objectives provide examples of
functions that are not locally linear, or not differentiable, at x=0.

 2 1
x sin( ) if x ≠ 0
OBJECTIVE #8: To study the slope at x=0 of f ( x) = x

0 if x = 0
INSTRUCTIONS: Before you do any work, what do you suspect will happen in this case?
Repeat the instructions in Objective #7 as they apply to this case. For this example, you should
calculate the limit giving the slope, using the Squeeze Theorem.