Homework #1

Important: Read the course outline on the guideline for submitting your solutions

1. Write the equation of the line passing through the points (−3, 1) and (2, 3).

2. Find the equation of the line that passes through the point (−3, 1) and is

(a) horizontal
(b) vertical

3. Find the equation of the line that passes through the point (−2, −4) and is perpendicular to
the line with equation 2x − 3y − 24 = 0.

4. Simplify the given expressions as much as possible.

 
a a b
(a) −
a−b b a

3
!−2
(x 4 y −2 )4
(b)
(x−1 y 3 )−3

5. Consider the triangle 4ABC with A(−2, 3), B(1, 5), C(7, 3).

(a) Find the area of 4ABC.

(b) Find the perimeter of 4ABC.
(c) Explain why ∠B 6= 90◦ .

6. Solve the quadratic equation 2x4 + x2 = 1 for x by

(a) using the quadratic formula

(b) factoring

7. Sketch the graph of the following functions. State the domain and range of each.

(i) f (x) = x
(ii) a(x) = |x|
(iii) q(x) = x2
(iv) c(x) = x3
√
(v) s(x) = x
1
(vi) r(x) = x

8. Sketch the graph of 2x + 3y + 5 = 0. Clearly label all the intercepts.

 
|x − 1| if x < 2


9. Graph the piecewise function f (x) = x
if 2 ≤ x < 3
2
√
 x−3 if x ≥ 3
√
x+5−8
10. Find the domain g(x) = .
x2 + 11x + 24
x−3
11. If h(x) = , simplify h(x + 1) − h(x).
x+2
12. Find the equation of the horizontal and vertical asymptotes, if any, of the following rational
functions.
5x2 − 20
(a) f (x) =
x2
− 9x − 22
x−2
(b) g(x) =
x−2
2x2 − 5x + 4
(c) h(x) =
x3 − x
√
13. Let f (x) = x + 1 and g(x) = x2 − 1. Find and simplify f ◦ g and g ◦ f .

14. Consider the function f (x) = |x + 5|. Is f a one-to-one function? Explain.

15. You have 3000 m of fencing material with which to enclose a rectangular piece of land along
a river. Fencing is not required along the river. Find a function giving the area of the land
in terms of the width of the rectangle x if you use all the fencing material. Do not simplify.
Find the domain of the area function.

16. If 200 people sign up for a flight, the travel agency charges $300/person. If more than 200
people sign up, then everyone’s fare is reduced by $1 for each additional person. Find a
function giving the revenue (i.e. the earnings) of the company, assuming that at least 200
people sign up. Find the domain of the revenue function.

17. The demand function for a certain brand of DVD is given by p = d(x) = −0.01x2 − 0.2x + 8
and the corresponding supply function is given by p = s(x) = 0.01x2 + 0.1x + 3, where p is
in dollars and x is in units of a thousand. Find the equilibrium quantity and the equilibrium
price.

18. To manufacture a certain product, your company has fixed costs of $900 per month, and
variable costs of $12.50 per unit of product. Your company can sell each unit for $37.95.
Find expressions for cost, revenue and profit functions.

19. Suppose that a small deli makes Gouda Cheese, and that the cost of making x pounds of
cheese is C(x) = 5x + 100 dollars. Also, the price per lb of cheese in their shop is given by
p(x) = 30 − x dollars. Find the break-even point.

20. (a) Suppose consumers will purchase 540 units when the price is $9 per unit. Also, they will
purchase 1080 units when the price is $6. What is the demand equation (assuming it is
linear)?
 (b) Suppose producers will supply 300 units when the price is $9 per unit. Also, they will
supply 600 units when the price is $10. What is the supply equation, assuming it is
linear?
(c) Find the equilibrium quantity.

21. When Power and Money Inc. charges $600 for a seminar on management techniques, it
attracts 1000 people. For each $20 decrease in the fee, an additional 100 people will attend
the seminar.

(a) Express the revenue as a function of the number of people above 1000 that will attend
the seminar.
(b) Find how much to charge for the seminar to maximize their revenue.

22. The price p and the quantity x sold of a certain product obey the demand equation x =
−2p + 500, 0 ≤ p ≤ 25.

(a) Express the revenue R as a function of x.

(b) How many units need to be sold to maximize the revenue?
(c) What price should the company charge per unit to generate the maximum revenue?
(d) What is the maximum revenue?

23. The inventor of a new game believes that the variable cost for producing the game is $0.95
per unit. The fixed cost is $6000.

(a) Express the total cost C as a function of x, the number of games sold.
(b) Find the formula for the average cost per unit C̄ as a function of x.
(c) The selling price for each game is $1.69. How many units must be sold before the average
cost per unit falls below the selling price?

24. A radio manufacturer charges $90 per unit for units that cost $60 to produce. To encourage
large orders from distributors, the manufacturer will reduce the price by $0.01 per unit for
each unit in excess of 100 units. (For example, an order of 101 units would have a price of
$89.99 per unit, and an order of 102 units would have a price of $89.98 per unit.) This price
reduction is discontinued when the price per unit drops to $75.

(a) Express the price per unit p as a function of the order size x.
(b) Express the profit P as a function of the order size x.