Math 106, Spring 2022

Quiz 3 Learning Objectives

1 Lesson Objectives

8. Limits, continuity and di↵erentiability

• You should understand graphically what’s happening when we “factor and cancel” to calculate
x2 4
limits like lim , and you should recognize when it is appropriate to use this technique to
x!2 x 2
calculate limits.

• You should understand precisely what we mean when we write lim f (x) = 1 or lim f (x) = 1.
x!a x!a
In particular, you should understand that, in both of these cases, lim f (x) does not exist, but that
x!a
saying lim f (x) = 1 or lim f (x) = 1 is giving more specific information about the function’s
x!a x!a
behavior near x = a.

• You should be comfortable with algebraic methods for determining whether a limit is ±1.

9. Limits to Infinity

• You should understand the meaning of lim f (x) and lim f (x), be comfortable evaluating such
x!1 x! 1
limits, and be able to interpret such limits graphically.

10. and 11. What does f 0 say about f ? Graphing, Some Derivative Rules and the Intermediate Value
Theorem

• You should understand what relationships there are between whether a function is continuous at
a and whether it’s di↵erentiable at a.

• You should understand what f 0 and f 00 tell us about the graph of f . (For example, if f 0 is positive,
what does that say about f ? If f 0 is increasing, what does that say about f ?)

In particular, if you’re given a graph of f 0 , you should be able to sketch possible graphs of f .

• You should be comfortable using the Power Rule, Constant Multiple Rule, and Sum Rule, and
you should recognize when they do and do not apply.

• You should be able to use the first derivative to determine where a function is increasing or
decreasing.

• You should be able to use the second derivative to determine where a function is concave up or
concave down.

• You should be able to put the above information together, along with information about limits,
to give a good sketch of a graph.

1
 • You should understand the statement of the Intermediate Value Theorem (IVT), understand
when it applies and be able to apply it when appropriate. You should be able to use the bisection
method to approximate the zeros of a function when the IVT applies.

12. Linear Approximation, Derivatives of Exponential Functions

• You should punderstand the process of linear approximation and be able to use it to approximate
values like 26. In addition, you should be able to use concavity to determine whether your
approximation is an over- or under-estimate (without knowing the actual value that you’re trying
to approximate!).

• You should understand why the derivative of an exponential function is proportional to the func-
tion itself.

• You should be able to explain how the number e is defined in terms of derivatives.

? Project 3

• You should understand the statement of Rolle’s Theorem and be able to apply Rolle’s Theorem.

• You should understand the relationships between the number of zeros of f 0 (x) and f (x).

2
Name: JHED:

Practice Quiz 1 (For Quiz 3), Math 106, Spring 2022

d ⇣ x2 2x 15 ⌘
1. Compute (hint: factor the top and bottom first, and look for cancellations! Then
dx x2 3x
take the derivative.)

x2 2x 15
2. Find and classify all discontinuities of h(x) = .
x2 3x
 p
3. Use a linear approximation to estimate 101.5.
Name: JHED:

Practice Quiz 2 (For Quiz 3), Math 106, Spring 2022

1. In this problem we want you to produce a graph of the function g(x) = x5 x3 .

(a) Where is g(x) increasing and decreasing?

(b) Find and classify all local extrema for g(x).

(c) Where is g(x) concave up and concave down?

q
3
(d) What are the inflection points of g(x)? You may use the approximation 10 ⇡ 0.5 and also
⇣q ⌘
3
g 10 ⇡ 0.1. Notice that g is odd.

(e) What are the limits lim g(x) and lim g(x)?
x!1 x! 1

(f) Give a sketch of g(x).

2. True or false : If true, give a graph and use it to explain your reasoning. If false, give a counterexample.

(a) Odd degree polynomials have at least one root.

(b) Even degree polynomials have at least one root.

(c) For odd degree polynomials, there exists a point x, such that f 0 (x) = 0.

(d) For even degree polynomials, there exists a point x, such that f 0 (x) = 0.

(constant functions can also be considered even degree polynomial)

Name: JHED:

Practice Quiz 3 (For Quiz 3), Math 106, Spring 2022

1. Compute the following derivatives:

d ⇣ 16 e z⌘
(a) (hint: simplify the fraction a bit before you take the derivative!)
dz e z

d⇣ 1 ⌘
(b) ⇡ey + 3y ⇡ + e2
dy y
2. True or false : If true, come up with a function that satisfies it, give a graph and explain your reasoning,
if false, give a counterexample.

(a) If a continuous function f has lim f (x) = +1, lim f (x) = +1, then by Rolle’s theorem,
x!+1 x! 1
0
there exists x such that f (x) = 0.

(b) If a continuous function f has lim f (x) = DN E, lim f (x) = DN E, then by IVT, f has a
x!+1 x! 1
root.
x
(c) f (x) = + 1 has a root on [0, 4] by the Intermediate Value Theorem.
x 2
(d) According to Rolle’s Theorem if f 0 (x) has three zeros then f must have 3 or 4 zeros.
Name: JHED:

Practice Quiz 1 (For Quiz 3) Solutions, Math 106, Spring 2022

d ⇣ x2 2x 15 ⌘
1. Compute
dx x2 3x
Sample Solution. Here we simplify a bit before we can use some di↵erentiation rules

x2 2x 15 (x 5)(x + 3) x 5 x 5 1
= = = + = 1 + 5x
x2 3x x(x + 3) x x x

Then
d ⇣ 1
⌘
2 5
1 + 5x = 0 + 5( 1x )=
dx x2

x2 2x 15
2. Find and classify all discontinuities of h(x) = .
x2 3x
Sample Solution. This is a rational function, that is, a function obtained by dividing two polynomials.
This is continuous at every value of x except those where the bottom expression x2 + 3x equals zero.
We solve by factoring:

x2 + 3x = 0 ! x(x + 3) = 0 ! x = 0, 3.

The function h(x) is not defined at x = 0, 3, so we know that it has discontinuities there. Let
us calculate limits to figure out the kinds of discontinuities we have. Notice that this function was
simplified in [1], so we will use that. For x ! 0 we have

x2 2x 15 5
lim = lim 1+ = 1,
x!0 x2 3x x!0 x

x2 2x 15 5
lim+ = lim+ 1 + = +1,
x!0 x2 3x x!0 x
so there is a vertical asymptote at x = 0. For x ! 3 we get directly

x2 2x 15 5 5 2
lim = lim 1 + = 1+ = ,
x!3 x2 3x x!3 x 3 3
which means that we have a removable discontinuity because the limit exists.
 p
3. Use a linear approximation to estimate 101.5.
p 1 1
Sample Solution. Let us consider the function f (x) = x = x 2 , for which f 0 (x) = 12 x 2 . We know
p
the exact value f (100) = 100 = 10, so we want to use a linear approximation of f (x) at a = 100 to
estimate what happens at x = 101.5. The formula for the linear approximation is

L(x) = f (100) + f 0 (100)(x 100)

1
and we know that f (100) = 10, while f 0 (100) = 12 100 2 = 1
20 , so

1
L(x) = 10 + (x 100).
20
p
Then we approximate 101.5 by
p 1
101.5 = f (101.5) ⇡ L(101.5) = 10 + (101.5 100) = 10.075
20
Name: JHED:

Practice Quiz 2 (For Quiz 3) Solutions, Math 106, Spring 2022

1. In this problem we want you to produce a graph of the function g(x) = x5 x3 .

(a) Where is g(x) increasing and decreasing?

Sample Solution. To see where g(x) increases or decreases, we want to determine the intervals
where g 0 (x) is positive or negative. Notice that

g 0 (x) = 5x4 3x2 = x2 (5x2 3),

q q
3 3
so g 0 (x) = 0 at x = 0, 5, 5 . We then have 4 intervals where we want to check the sign of
g 0 (x):
⇣ q ⌘
• 1, 3
5 . By plugging a value in this interval such as x = 2 we see that g 0 ( 2) = 68
is positive, so g 0 (x) is positive in this whole interval and then g(x) is increasing there.
⇣ q ⌘
• 3
5 , 0 . Here g 0 ( 0.1) = 0.0295 is negative, so g(x) is decreasing in the interval.
⇣ q ⌘
• 0, 35 . Here g 0 (0.1) = 0.0295 is negative, so g(x) is decreasing in the interval.
⇣q ⌘
• 3
5, 1 . Here g 0 (2) = 68 is positive, so g(x) is increasing in the interval.

(b) Find and classify all local extrema for g(x).

SampleqSolution.
q In the previous part we found that the critical points can be found at
3 3
x = 0, 5, 5 . We may now apply the first derivative test in order to classify them:

q
• At x = 3
5 the derivative goes from positive to negative (so g goes from increasing to
decreasing). This means that we have a local maximum.

• At x = 0 the derivative is negative on both sides (so g is decreasing, gets to the critical point,
then keeps decreasing). This means that there is no local extremum here.
q
• At x = 3
5 the derivative goes from negative to positive (so g goes from decreasing to
increasing). This means that we have a local minimum.

(c) Where is g(x) concave up and concave down?

Sample Solution. To see where g(x) is concave up or down, we are now concerned with where
g 00 (x) is positive or negative. Notice that

g 00 (x) = 20x3 6x = x(20x2 6),

q q
3 3
so g 00 (x) = 0 at x = 0, 10 , 10 . We then have four intervals where we want to check the sign
00
of g (x):
 ⇣ q ⌘
• 1, 3
10 . By plugging a value in this interval such as x = 5 we see that g 00 ( 5) =
00
2470 is negative, so g (x) is negative in the whole interval and thus g(x) is concave down.
⇣ q ⌘
• 3 00
10 , 0 . Here g ( 0.1) = 0.58 is positive, so g(x) is concave up in the interval.

⇣ q ⌘
• 3
0, 10 . Here g 00 (0.1) = 0.58 is negative, so g(x) is concave down in the interval.
⇣q ⌘
• 3
10 , 1 . Here g 00 (5) = 2470 is positive, so g(x) is concave up in the interval.

q
3
(d) What are the inflection points of g(x)? You may use the approximation 10 ⇡ 0.5 and also
⇣q ⌘
3
g 10 ⇡ 0.1. Notice that g is odd.
q q
3 3
Sample Solution. We found in the previous part that g 00 (x) vanishes at x = 0, 10 , 10 .
Those values give us candidates at inflection points. In fact, the analysis in the previous part
also shows how g(x) changes concavity at each of these, so there are three inflection points in the
graph of g(x):

(0, g(0)) = (0, 0)

r r !!
3 3
,g ⇡ ( 0.5, 0.1)
10 10
r r !!
3 3
,g ⇡ (0.5, 0.1)
10 10

(e) What are the limits lim g(x) and lim g(x)?
x!1 x! 1

Sample Solution. The leading term is x5 , so it determines what happens in the limits to
infinity: lim g(x) = +1 and lim g(x) = 1.
x!+1 x! 1

Alternatively, one can factor g(x) = x3 (x2 1) and see how

lim g(x) = +1 · +1 = +1
x!+1

lim g(x) = 1 · +1 = 1
x! 1

(f) Give a sketch of g(x).

Sample Solution.
2. True or false : If true, give a graph and use it to explain your reasoning. If false, give a counterexample.

(a) Odd degree polynomials have at least one root.

(b) Even degree polynomials have at least one root.

(c) For odd degree polynomials, there exists a point x, such that f 0 (x) = 0.

(d) For even degree polynomials, there exists a point x, such that f 0 (x) = 0.

(constant functions can also be considered even degree polynomial)

Sample Solution.

(a) True. Since highest exponent dominates other terms, odd degree function has lim f (x) = +1,
x!+1
lim f (x) = 1 (or the other way around if coefficient is negative), so in particular there will be
x! 1
positive and negative values. Since polynomial is continuous, invoking intermediate value theorem
gives the result.

(b) False. f (x) = x2 + 1.

(c) False. f (x) = x.

(d) True. Similar to (a), one has lim f (x) = +1, lim f (x) = +1, so for some large enough
x!+1 x! 1
positive number, it gets reached both when x is negative large and when x is positive large. Now
use Rolle’s theorem.

Alternatively, taking derivative minus degree by 1, so f 0 is odd, now invoke (a). Only other
case is when f is zero degree (constant), in which case f 0 is simply zero, so it also works.
Name: JHED:

Practice Quiz 3 (For Quiz 3) Solutions, Math 106, Spring 2022

1. Compute the following derivatives:

d ⇣ 16 e z⌘
(a)
dz e z
Sample Solution. Simplifying first
z z
16 e 16 e
z
= = 16ez 1
e e z e z

Then
d⇣ z ⌘
16e 1 = 16ez 0 = 16ez
dz

d⇣ 1 ⌘
(b) ⇡ey + 3y ⇡ + e2
dy y
Sample Solution. Notice the di↵erent kinds of functions involved: ey is an exponential, y1
(which is the same as y 1 ) and y ⇡ are power functions, while e2 is simply a constant. With that
in mind,
d⇣ 1 ⌘ 1
⇡ey + 3y ⇡ + e2 = ⇡ey + ( 1y 2
) 3(⇡y ⇡ 1
)+0= ⇡ey 3⇡y ⇡ 1
dy y y2
2. True or false : If true, come up with a function that satisfies it, give a graph and use it to explain your
reasoning. If false, give a counterexample.

(a) If a di↵erentiable function f has lim f (x) = +1, lim f (x) = +1, then by Rolle’s theorem,
x!+1 x! 1
there exists x such that f 0 (x) = 0.

(b) If a continuous function f has lim f (x) = DN E, lim f (x) = DN E, then by IVT, f has a
x!+1 x! 1
root.
x
(c) f (x) = + 1 has a root on [0, 4] by the Intermediate Value Theorem.
x 2
(d) According to Rolle’s Theorem if f 0 (x) has three zeros then f must have 3 or 4 zeros.

Sample Solution.

(a) True. A sample function satisfying the condition is

Taking some large enough positive number (illustrated by the horizontal dotted line) I know it
gets reached both when x is far to the left and again when x is far to the right. Now Rolle’s
theorem tells me that f 0 (x) must have a root between these two values of x.

(b) False. Consider the function f (x) = sin x + 2. None of its limits to infinity exist and it does not
have any root.

(c) False. The function has a discontinuity at x = 2, which is in the interval [0, 4]. Since the function
is not continuous in the whole interval, the Intermediate Value Theorem does not apply to it
there.

(d) False. Rolle’s theorem could be used to conclude that f has at most 3 + 1 = 4 zeros when its
derivative f 0 has 3 zeros. However, f can still have less than 3 zeros. An example where f has
no zeros and f 0 has 3 is provided in the next page