Brief Solutions for

Odd Problems from Calculus.

Algebra and Calculus:

Mathematical Modeling
for Business, Economics, and Finance

General Note: Graphs are omitted in these solutions. Please use a computer or
a similar graphing device to check your graphs. The results of graphical analysis and
particular observations regarding the graphs do appear in the solutions.

c 2015 Edoh Y. Amiran

 2 Brief Solutions

8.A.
1. For instance a = 1.25 and b = 1.28 work.
3. Set f (x) = (x2 − 4)/(x − 2). We choose x = 1.92, x = 1.99, and x = 2.03, and calculate
that f (1.92) = 3.92, f (1.99) = 3.99, and f (2.03) = 4.03.
5. Set f (x) = (x2 − 4)/(x + 2). We choose x = −2.001, x = −2.0003, and x = −1.95, and
calculate that f (−2.001) = −4.001, f (−2.0003) = −4.0003, and f (−1.95) = −3.95.
7. Answers may vary. We use 1.96, 2.01, and 1.995 to get 11.7616, 12.0601, and 11.970025.
9. Set f (x) = (x2 − 4)/(x − 2). We choose x = 1.9997, x = 2.00001, and x = 2.000003, and
calculate that f (1.9997) = 3.9997, f (2.00001) = 4.00001, and f (2.000003) = 4.000003.
11. For instance, 1.705 < 51/3 < 1.715.

8.B.
1. There are many choices of points. To calculate values as x → 1 let’s take x = 1.02,
x = 0.9999, x = 1.000001, and x = 1.00000001. These gives f (1.02) = 2.0604, f (0.9999) =
1.99970001, f (1.000001) = 2.000003000001, and f (1.00000001) = 2.0000000300000001.
We conclude that as x → 1, (x3 − x)/(x − 1) appears to approach 2.
3. For x 6= 1, (x3 −x)/(x−1) = x(x2 −1)/(x−1) = x(x−1)(x+1)/(x−1) = x(x+1) = x2 +x.
5. x2 + 2x.
7. As x → 0, x2 /|x| approaches zero. Reasoning: x2 = |x| · |x| for any x.
√ √ √ √ √ √ √
9. ( x − 2)( x + 2) = x x − 2 x + x 2 − 2 · 2 = x − 4. As x → 4, (x − 4)/( x − 2) =
√ √ √
( x + 2) → 2 + 2 = 4 and ( x − 2)/(x − 4) = 1/( x + 2) → 1/(2 + 2) = 1/4.
11. No. 2 × 1 = 2 but 6 − 2 × 1 = 4.
13. No.
15. When x is near 0 the values of f (x) are all positive and large. There is no limit value.

8.C.
1. Continuous, at x = 1, are (b), (c), (d), (e), (f).
Not continuous, at x = 1, is (a).
3. Yes, the tax function is continuous.
5. f (x) = x |x| is continuous everywhere.
 Brief Solutions 3

7. If x is rational but sufficiently close to a fixed irrational value, call it a, then the
denominator of x is very large (how close depends on a). Hence for such an x, f (x) is
close to zero. Near a rational base-point b = m/n, there are always values of x that are
irrational. For such x, f (x) = 0 and |f (x) − f (b)| = 1/n cannot be reduced by restricting
the distance to b.

8.D.
1. y = 5 − x.
3. y = 0.5 x + 0.5.
5. y = (41/42) − (5/21) x.
7. The line is y = 15x − 14.
9. The line is y = 3.940399x − 2.940399.
11. The slope is 6.
13. The derivative of v with respect to t represents the way the value increases or decreases
over time. For most bonds, the value increases as the bond approaches maturity, but this
can change depending on interest rates (if the interest rate on new bonds is higher, then
people expect to receive more returns by purchasing a new bond, and then the value of
older bonds can go down).
15.The derivative of p with respect to t represents the way in which the productivity of
the cow increases or decreases. (The units for this derivative would be gallons per day per
day).
17. The velocity of the car.
19. We do not know the sign of the derivative of i with t, because whether personal income
rises or falls also depends on how the population is changing. (You can check, using the
quotient rule, that di/dt > 0 exactly when P · dI/dt > I · dP/dt. )
21. The rate of change of h with v is positive – as more is poured into the glass, the height
of the liquid rises. The derivative of v with h is constant and also the derivative of h with
v is constant if the horizontal cross section of the glass is constant.
23. The manufacturer is losing money by increasing production.
25. This leaves the marginal cost unchanged and decreases the marginal revenue.

8.E.
 4 Brief Solutions

1. (a) h0 (2) = 2, (b) h0 (2) = 11, (c) h0 (2) = 55.

3. f 0 (x) = 4 x3 + 4 x.
5. (a) h0 (2) = 26, (b) h0 (2) = −16, and (c) h0 (2) = 16.5.
7. g 0 (x) = (2x5 + 12x3 + 2x)/(x2 + 3)2 .
√ √
9. x = −1/ 2, x = 0, and x = 1/ 2.
11. The slope is 2.5.
13. (a) The revenue is R = 5, 000x and the profit is f = −100, 000 + 2, 000x − x2 . (b) The
marginal profit is 2000 − 2x. (c) f (1000) = 900, 000. (d) Marginal profit is zero, so the
profit is neither increasing nor decreasing.
15. The revenue is R = 3, 000x. (a) Average cost is C(x)/x = 200, 000 x−1 + 400 − 5 x.
Average revenue is 3, 000. (b) The marginal cost is 400 + 10x. (c) Average cost is 7, 053.85
(rounded to the nearest cent). Average revenue is 3, 000. Marginal cost is 13, 400, and
marginal revenue is 3, 000. (d) The marginal revenue and marginal costs are the basis for
deciding whether to order more bicycles (the store would want to order fewer bicycles).
(e) The averages are reflected directly in the balance sheet (they are losing money).
17. Let p denote the price charged per pizza. (a) Revenue is 250p − 10p2 . (b) Marginal
revenue at p = 14 is −30. (c) At p = 12, MR is 10. (c) Revue is greater with a price of
$12 (calculate directly).
19. No. The shop would set the price that maximizes the (average) return per pizza. If the
cost of making a pizza is too high for profitability, then the shop will stop making pizzas
altogether.
21. Each of the existing stores sells 12 more items per week, so 100 × 12 new items are
sold. Each of the 3 new stores sells the number of items currently being sold, say q. Sales
of the new product are thus rising by 1200 = 3q. (q remains unknown to us.)
23. (a) The marginal production rate is M = 20 + 0.8a − 0.024a2 , and the average
production rate is A = 20 + 0.4a − 0.008a2 . (b) M = A for age a = 50. (c) At a = 50.
This maximizes average production over the whole cycle. (Continuing after 50 years has
the additional year reducing average production while continuing before 50 years has the
additional year increasing the average.)

8.F.
1. (a) Approximately 68, 000 dollars. (b) Approximately 73.5 miles.
3. df (1) = 2.6 dx.
 Brief Solutions 5

5. (a) The consumer is willing to pay 70 dollars for 50 pounds or rice, and is willing to
pay an additional 1.30 dollars for an additional pound of rice (starting from 50 pounds).
(b) Average price is 1.40 dollars per pound. Approximately 73.90 dollars.
7. Revenue was changing by approximately 200 × 40 + 50, 000 × (−2) = −92, 000 (dollars
per month).
9. Production changes by approximately 0.4 percent.
11. Here df /f = 0.5dt/t. So dt/t = 6/437 and tension should be increased by approxi-
mately 600/437 ≈ 1.373 percent.
13. Continuous but not differentiable at x = 0.
15. (a) f (−1) = 0.3. (b) df (−1) = 1 dx so decreasing x by 0.3/1 = 0.3, to x = −1.3, will
change f by approximately −0.3 (so closer to zero). (c) Note that f (−1.3) = −0.207, so we
want to increase f by 0.207. df (−1.3) = 2.47 dx so we should increase x by 0.207/2.47 ≈
0.0838, to x ≈ −1.2162. f (−1.2162) ≈ −0.0198.
 6 Brief Solutions

9.A.
1. f 0 (x) = 0.31 x−0.69 + 4.2 x3.2 , and f 00 (x) = 0.2139 x−1.69 + 13.44 x2.2 . Both of these
functions are defined for x 6= 0. Note that f is defined for all x.
3. f 0 (x) = 5 x4 , and f 00 (x) = 20 x3 . The graphs are omitted.
5. f 0 (x) = 2 |x|, and is defined for all x. For x < 0, f 00 (x) = −2, and for x > 0, f 00 (x) = 2.
f 00 is not defined at x = 0.
7. Since these derivatives agree at x = 0, they are defined everywhere:
 
0 3.4 x2.4 , x ≥ 0 00 8.16 x1.4 , x ≥ 0
f (x) = 3 , f (x) = .
4x , x<0 12 x2 , x<0

9.B.
1. dy/dx = −0.3.
3. −7/8.
5. dy/dx = −2.
7. Monetary investment can be reduced at a rate of 40/9 dollars per hour of increase in
labor.
9. The tangent line is y = −1.25x + 2.25.
11. y = (76/13) − (24/13) x.

9.C.
1. dy/dt = 15.
3. The volume of the cube increases at 75 cubic feet per minute.
5. Profit is changing at 3280 dollars per week.
7. Sales would need to increase by about 5000/668.8 ≈ 7.476 items per week.
9. The water is rising at 9/16 feet per second.

9.D.
1. This function is always increasing.
p p
3. f is increasing on x < −2 − 13/3 and on x > 13/3 − 2.
 Brief Solutions 7

√ √
5. x = 3 − 41, x = 0, x = 3 + 41.
7. Use the quotient rule. The critical points satisfy (2x + 3)(1 + x2 ) − (x2 + 3x) · 2x = 0.
√
Get x = (1 ± 10)/3.
9. The critical numbers are x = −2/3 and x = 0. The minimum value on [−2, 0] is
f (−2) = −4 and the maximum value is f (−2/3) = 4/27.
√ √ √ √
11. f is increasing for x < − 0.6 and for x > 0.6. It is decreasing on (− 0.6, 0.6). f
√ √ √
is concave up on (− 0.3, 0) and for x > 0.3. f is concave down for x < − 0.3 and on
√ √ √
(0, 0.3). The inflection points are x = − 0.3, x = 0, and x = 0.3.
√ √ √
13. The critical points are x = − 0.4 and x = 0.4. Concave down at x = − 0.4.
√
Concave up at 0.4.
15. f (x) is increasing for x < 0 and for x > 4. It is concave up for x > 2, concave down
for x < 2, and its inflection point is x = 2.
17. Many graphs share these features. One graph with these features that is easy to pro-
duce using a plotting package is y = x · e−x/2 (we have not yet learned how to differentiate
this function).
19. If x = −1 is the only inflection point, then f cannot be bounded. If f is allowed to
have an additional inflection point below −1, then f can be bounded.

10.A.
1. Profit is 25 q − q 3 + 2, 000 q 2 − 100, 000 q = −q 3 + 2, 000 q 2 − 99, 975 q. Calculate the
critical points. The larger critical point gives the maximum.
3. (This problem could be done here, but should probably be done after exponentials,
chapter 11) (a) 0.998n n. (b) 35 + 0.3 n. (c) (35 + 0.3 n)/(0.998n n).
5. (This problem should be done after exponentials, chapter 11) The cost for each LED
that has passed the test with a batch size of n is A = (T + c n)/((1 − p)n n). It is not
obvious, but A is minimized for n = T (1 + ln(1 − p))/c.
7. Energy used is E = f + g. Minimum has h = (643 × 108 )1/3 − 4, 000.
9. c = 120 and l = 10.
11. Use c = 240 − 12l to write m(c, l) = m(l). Multiply dm/dl = 0 to cancel the factors
with negative exponents. c = 144 and l = 8.
13. c = 120 and l = 12.
√ √
15. Critical points at x1,2 = (10 ± 28)/12. Find that f 00 (x1,2 ) = ± 28 to decide
concavity.
 8 Brief Solutions

17. This f has no critical points. The function is always strictly increasing.
√
19. The cost per mile is minimized for m = 25, 000, 000.05.
√ √
21. The critical points are −(3 + 65)/14, 0, (−3 + 65)/14, and 1. The corresponding
types are maximum, minimum, maximum, and minimum. All of these are local extrema.
23. Let x be the distance from the town with 300 residents. The weighted total response
time is T = 300 (2 + x) = 100 (2 + (6 − x)) = 1400 + 200 x. Since T is always increasing
with x, the total response time is minimized by placing the ambulance station in the larger
town (x = 0).
25. The ambulance station should be placed in the larger town, A .
27. Use 600 p + 200 n = 9, 100 to write c as a function of one variable. Get a maximum for
p = 6.25 and n = 26.75.

10.B.
1. 390/7 = 55 + 5/7.
3. (a) Revenue is 5000 x − 20 x2 . (b) x = 125.
5. Personal income is increasing in this country.
7. Personal income is not increasing in this country.
9. The graph should start at a moderate level while personal income is very low (high birth
rate, but high death rate too), then should increase with income until income is moderate
(still a high birth rate and with a lower death rate), and then decrease and level off as
income becomes high (as the birth rate declines since people no longer depend on large
families for economic security).

10.C.
√
1. x = 10 10.
3. t = 30.
5. (a) It takes 0.4 hours to earn enough to purchase one unit of the good, and the consumer
devotes 10 hours to a combination of this good and leisure. (b) u = x1/2 (10 − 0.4 x)1/2 .
√
(c) The largest level of utility is u = 5 2.5 at x = 12.5.
7. This function does not have a minimum or a maximum. When x is close to −1 and
x > −1, the values of f (x) are negative and |f (x)| is very large, and when x is close to −1
and x < −1, the values of f (x) are positive and very large.
 Brief Solutions 9

√ √ √
9. The largest level is u = (9 10)/(20 + 11 10) at x = 10.

11.
1. f 0 (x) = 3e3x − 3e−3x .
3. g 0 (x) = 5 e5x + (1/x).
5. f 0 (x) = (4 x3 + x4 ) ex .
2
7. f 0 (x) = 2x ex .
5
9. f 0 (x) = 5 x4 ex .

2
11. f 0 (x) = 3 ex + e−x ex − e−x .

13. x = ln(2) − 3 ln(z). And dx/dz = −3/z.

15. 5 ln (5).
17. ln (9).
19. This function has no maximum value. It has a minimum value of −1/e at u = −1.
21. At time t = 12.5 ln 5.
23. For 0 ≤ x ≤ 3, f (x) = 1/3. Otherwise f (x) = 0. It makes sense to set f (x) = 0 when
x < 0 and when x > 3 because the variable X never assumes values below 0 or above 3.
25. At time t, dK/dt = 16e0.02t . The relative rate of growth rate is 0.02.
27. No. The population’s relative rate of growth 0.03, and the relative rate of growth of
capital is 0.02.
29. v(t) = 600 (1 + 0.07 t2 )e−0.04 t . dv/dt = 600 e−0.04 t (−0.04 + 0.14 t − 0.0028 t2 ). The
√
present value is maximized at t = (−0.14 − 0.019152)/(−0.0056) ≈ 49.7126 years. (The
maximum present value is approximately 1, 269.68. The value has a second critical point
with t < 3.)

12.
1. y(x) = 3 + (1/5) x5 .
3. f (x) = (1/3) e3x + C.
5. y(x) = (1/2) ln(1 + x2 ).
7. y(x) = 10, 000 + (100/7) − (100/7) e−0.07x .
9. y(x) = 11 + 4 ln (5) − 4 ln (5 − x). y is defined for x < 5.
2
11. f (x) = C − (1/18) e−9x .
10 Brief Solutions

13. The total cost is C = 5, 000, 000 + 60 p − 0.5 p2 + (1/300) p3 .

15. It is less expensive to treat 2q patients in two clinics each of which treats q patients.

13.A.
R7
1. 0
f (x) dx = 23.
R8
3. 0
f (x) dx = −8.
R8
5. 0
f (x) dx = 4.
R6
7. 0
f (x) dx = 0.
R 10,000
9. (a) Marginal profit is 30 − p = 20 − 0.002 x. (b) Total profit is 0
(20 − 0.002 x) dx.
(c) Total profit is 100, 000.
11. (a) 3, (b) − 4, (c) 12, (d) − 7 , (e) 2.

Project: Riemann Integrals - The General Case

13. On [0, 1.5] (a) f ≤ 0, (b) −2.25 ≤ f . On [1.5, 3]. (a) f ≤ −2.25, (b) −9 ≤ f . (c) The
bounds given are the best possible, so the gaps are 2.25 and 6.75.
15. U (f, 3) = 310/27 and L(f, 3) = 166/27.
17. U (f, 10) = 9.48 and L(f, 10) = 7.88.
19. U (f, 10) = −126.5625 and L(f, 10) = −189.0625.
R1
21. This f is integrable on [0, 1] and 0 f = 0.
23. U (f, 7) = 11/21 and L(f, 7) = 0.

13.B.
1. 2/3.
3. 20 e0.1 − (52/3).
5. 4083 + 25 e−0.4.
√
7. (a) $200. (b) 150 − 0.02 x − 0.001 x. (c) $5,850,000.
9. (a) The income density is e0.03 t × 3, 000 dt. (b) 100, 000 (e0.6 − 1) ≈ 82, 211.88.
11. 1.6.
13. 1.25.

13.C.
 Brief Solutions 11

1. (a) 8. (b) 6 − ln 2 . (c) 0.5 ln(15) − 0.5 ln(3). (d) 8 + 2 ln 3.

3. (1/2) ln 3.
5. (a) 400 − 1000 e−1.5 . (b) 424 /48 + (325 − 425 )/1200.
7. The total present value is
Z 15
(500 + 40 t + 3 t2 ) e−0.05 t dt = 74, 000 − 135, 500 e−0.75 ≈ 9, 994.33.
0

9. The price resulting (with 100 items) is 150 e−20 .

The consumer surplus is 750 − 15, 750e−20 , and the producer surplus is 5, 000 e−20 .
Logarithms and exponentials.
R2
11. On [1, 2], (1/t) > (1/2) so L(2) > 1 (1/2)dt = 1/2.
R xz Rx R xz
13. L(x · z) = 1 (1/t) dt = 1 (1/t) dt + x (1/t) dt. For u = t/x one has, u = 1
R xz
at t = x, u = z at t = x z, (1/t) = (1/u) (1/x), and dt = x du. Hence x (1/t) dt =
Rz Rz Rx Rz
1
(1/u) (1/x) x du = 1 (1/u) du. Also L(x) + L(z) = 1 (1/t) dt + 1 (1/u) du.
R1
15. We consider three cases. If 0 < a < 1 < b, then L(a) = − a (1/t) dt < 0 < L(b) =
Rb R1 Rb R1
1R
(1/t) dt. If 0 < a < b < 1, then L(a) = − a (1/t) dt = − a (1/t) dt − b (1/t) dt <
1 Ra Ra
− b (1/t) dt = L(b). Finally, if 1 < a < b, then L(a) = 1 (1/t) dt < 1 (1/t) dt +
Rb
a
(1/t) dt = L(b).
17. Differentiating L(G(y)) with respect to y, and using the the fundamental theorem’s
result for the derivative of L (that is dL/dG) and then the chain rule, we get
d 1 dG
L(G(y)) = .
dy G(y) dy
Differentiating the right hand side of L(G(y)) = y with respect to y, gives 1, so
1 dG dG
=1 and = G(y) .
G(y) dy dy

13.D.
1. (a) converges, (b) does not converge, (c) converges, (d) converges, (e) converges.
3. µ.
5. No. the integral of x/(1 + x2 ) over x ≥ 0 does not converge.
7. 107 (1 − e3 )/3 ≈ 3, 167, 376.44 dollars.
9. 2, 000, 000(1 − e−0.7 ) ≈ 1, 006, 829.39 dollars.
11. 2, 000, 000 dollars.