THE CHINESE UNIVERSITY OF HONG KONG

Department of Mathematics
MATH1510 Calculus for Engineers (Fall 2023)
Suggested Solutions of Midterm Examination

Short Questions
Each of question 1-15 is worth 3 points.

1. Find the domain of the function

√
f (x) = x2 + 5x + 4

Answer: (−∞, −4] ∪ [−1, ∞)

2. Let
γ(t) = (x(t), y(t)) = (3 cos t, 3 sin t − 1),
where t ∈ R, be a curve.
Write down an equation of the curve in terms of x and y without t.

Answer: x2 + (y + 1)2 = 9

Evaluate the following limits. Furthermore, if the limit does not exist but diverges
to ±∞, please indicate so and determine the correct sign.
x2 − ax − x + a
3. lim where a > 0
x→1 x−1

Answer: 1−a

ae2x + be−x
4. lim 2x where a, b > 0
x→∞ e + e−x

Answer: a
 x
1
5. lim 1 + where a > 0
x→∞ ax

1
Answer: ea
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cos ax − cos bx
6. lim− where a, b > 0
x→0 2x2

b 2 − a2
Answer:
4

7. Let b be a nonzero real number. Let f (x) be a function defined as follows:


 sin(bx)
if x ̸= 0;
f (x) = x
k if x = 0.

Given that f (x) is continuous at x = 0, determine the value(s) of the constant k

(possibly in terms of b)

Answer: b

8. Which of the following functions have a minimum value on the specified intervals?
If none of them has a minimum, write NONE.

(a) f (x) = 1 − x2 on (−1, 1).

(b) g(x) = ex + x2 on [−1, 1].
x+1
(c) h(x) = on [0, 1].
x−2

Answer: (b), (c)

dy
9. Find if
dx
y = log1510 x + arctan x, where x > 0

1 1
Answer: +
x ln 1510 1 + x2

dy
10. Find if
dx
y = 10x arccos x, where x ∈ (−1, 1)

10x
Answer: (10x ln 10) arccos x − √
1 − x2
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dy
11. Find if
dx
ln x − ex
y= , where x > 0
x

( x1 − ex )x − (ln x − ex ) 1 − xex − ln x + ex
Answer: =
x2 x2

dy
12. Find if
dx p
3
y= 5 + sin(x2 )

1 2
Answer: [5 + sin(x2 )]− 3 [cos(x2 )](2x)
3

13. Suppose
3π
x = sin y, where π < y <
2
dy
Find
dx x=− 54

5
Answer: −
3

14. Let f (x) = (x2 + 1) cos 2x. Find f (100) (x).

100
(x2 + 1)(2100 cos 2x) + 100 (2x)(299 sin 2x) + 100




0 1 2
(2)(−298 cos 2x)
Answer:
=(x2 + 1)(2100 cos 2x) + 100(2x)(299 sin 2x) + 100·99
2
(2)(−298 cos 2x)

1
15. Find the linearization of f (x) = √ at x = 9.
x

1 1
Answer: − (x − 9)
3 54
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Long Questions
16. (7 points) Consider the following function:
(
2 cos x, if − 2π ≤ x ≤ 0
f (x) =
|x − 2|, if 0 < x < 10

(a) Evaluate lim f (x)

x→0

(b) Sketch the graph of f (x).

(c) Write down the range of f (x) (no justification needed). Express your answer
using interval notation.

Solution:

(a) Note that

lim f (x) = lim− 2 cos x = 2 cos 0 = 2

x→0− x→0
lim f (x) = lim+ |x − 2| = |0 − 2| = 2
x→0+ x→0

Since lim− f (x) = lim+ f (x) = 2,

x→0 x→0

lim f (x) = 2.
x→0

(b)

(c) The range of f (x) is [−2, 8).

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17. (8 points) Suppose that

(
ax + b if x < 1;
f (x) =
x2 − 1 if x ≥ 1,

where a and b are real numbers. Given that f is differentiable at x = 1, without

using L’ Hôpital’s rule, find the values of a and b.
Solution:
Note that f (1) = 12 − 1 = 0.
Since f is differentiable at x = 1, f is continuous at x = 1. Hence,

lim f (x) = f (1)

x→1−
lim (ax + b) = 0
x→1−
a+b=0
b = −a

Now,

f (x) − f (1) ax + b − 0 ax − a
Lf ′ (1) = lim− = lim− = lim− = lim− a = a
x→1 x−1 x→1 x−1 x→1 x−1 x→1
2
f (x) − f (1) x −1−0
Rf ′ (1) = lim+ = lim+ = lim+ (x + 1) = 2
x→1 x−1 x→1 x−1 x→1

Since f is differentiable at x = 1, Lf ′ (1) = Rf ′ (1).

Hence, a = 2 and b = −2.
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18. (8 points) Without using L’Hôpital’s rule, evaluate the following limits. Further-
more, if the limit does not exist but diverges to ±∞, please indicate so and determine
the correct sign.
cos 7x − cos 3x
(a) lim
x→0 x(sin 6x − sin 3x)

2x6 − 2x5 + 3x2 − 13x + 10

(b) lim
x→1 x−1
Solution:

(a)
cos 7x − cos 3x −2 sin 5x sin 2x
lim = lim  
x→0 x(sin 6x − sin 3x) x→0 9x 3x
x 2 cos sin
2 2
 3x 
sin 5x sin 2x 2 1 2
= − lim · · · ·5·2·
x→0 5x 2x sin 3x
2
cos 9x
2
3
2 20
= −5 · 2 · = −
3 3

(b)

2x6 − 2x5 + 3x2 − 13x + 10 (x − 1)(2x5 + 3x − 10)

lim = lim
x→1 x−1 x→1 x−1
= lim (2x5 + 3x − 10)
x→1
= 2 + 3 − 10 = −5
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19. (4 points) By definition (first principle), find the derivative of the function
1
f (x) = √ , where x > 1
x−1

Solution:
f (x + h) − f (x)
f ′ (x) = lim
h→0 h
1 1
√ −√
x+h−1 x−1
= lim
h→0 h
1 1 1 1
√ −√ √ +√
x+h−1 x−1 x+h−1 x−1
= lim ×
h→0 h 1 1
√ +√
x+h−1 x−1
1 1
−
= lim  x + h − 1 x − 1 
h→0 1 1
h √ +√
x+h−1 x−1
(x − 1) − (x + h − 1)
(x + h − 1)(x − 1)
= lim  
h→0 1 1
h √ +√
x+h−1 x−1
1
= − lim  
h→0 1 1
(x + h − 1)(x − 1) √ +√
x+h−1 x−1
1
=−  
2
(x − 1)2 √
x−1
1 3
= − (x − 1)− 2
2
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20. (8 points) Let C be the curve defined by the equation

xy = sin(x + y)

Given that A = (0, 0) is a point on C,

dy
(a) find
dx A
2
dy
(b) find
dx2 A

Solution:

(a) By implicit differentiation,

d d
(xy) = sin(x + y)
dx dx  
dy dy
y+x = cos(x + y) 1 +
dx dx
dy
[x − cos(x + y)] = cos(x + y) − y (∗)
dx
dy cos(x + y) − y
=
dx x − cos(x + y)
dy cos 0 − 0
= = −1
dx A 0 − cos 0

(b) By implicit differentiation of (∗),

 
d dy d
[x − cos(x + y)] = (cos(x + y) − y)
dx dx dx
d2 y
    
dy dy dy dy
1 + sin(x + y) 1 + + [x − cos(x + y)] 2 = − sin(x + y) 1 + −
dx dx dx dx dx
2
    
dy dy dy dy dy
1 + (sin 0) 1 + + [0 − cos 0] 2 = −(sin 0) 1 + −
dx A dx A dx A dx A dx A
dy d2 y dy
− 2 =−
dx A dx A dx A
2
dy dy
2
=2 = −2
dx A dx A
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21. (12 points)

(a) Let f (x) : R → R be a function satisfying
|f (x)| ≤ x2 for any x ∈ [−1, 1]
Show that f is differentiable at x = 0.
(b) Let f (x) : R → R be a function satisfying
|f (x)| ≤ x2 for any x ∈ [0, 2]
Show that f is differentiable at x = 1 or provide a counterexample.
Solution:

(a) By putting x = 0,
|f (0)| ≤ 02 = 0 =⇒ f (0) = 0.
For any x ∈ [−1, 1],
f (x) f (x)
|f (x)| ≤ x2 =⇒ |f (x)| ≤ |x|2 =⇒ ≤ |x| =⇒ −|x| ≤ ≤ |x|
x x
Since lim −|x| = 0 and lim |x| = 0, by sandwich theorem,
x→0 x→0

f (x)
lim = 0.
x→0 x
Now,
f (0 + h) − f (0) f (h)
lim = lim = 0.
h→0 h h→0 h

Hence, f is differentiable at x = 0 with f ′ (0) = 0.

(b) Consider (
x2 if x < 1;
f (x) =
1 if x ≥ 1,
Then |f (x)| ≤ x2 for any x ∈ [0, 2].
f (x) − f (1) x2 − 1
Lf ′ (1) = lim− = lim− = lim− (x + 1) = 2
x→1 x−1 x→1 x − 1 x→1
f (x) − f (1) 1−1
Rf ′ (1) = lim+ = lim+ = lim+ 0 = 0
x→1 x−1 x→1 x − 1 x→1

Since Lf ′ (1) ̸= Rf ′ (1), f is not differentiable at x = 1.

Alternatively:
Let:
(
0 if x < 1;
f (x) =
1 if x ≥ 1,
Then, |f (x)| ≤ x2 and:
lim f (x) = 0 ̸= 1 = lim+ f (x)
x→1− x→1

So, f (x) is not continuous at x = 1. Hence, it is not differentiable at x = 1.

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22. (8 points) Let f (x) : [0, ∞) → R be a function which is differentiable over its domain
and f (1000) > f (2000).
Prove that
f ′ (c) > 2f ′ (2c) for some c ∈ (0, ∞)

Solution:
Let: g(x) = f (x) − f (2x).
Then, g(x) is continuous on [0, 1000] and differentiable on (0, 1000).
By the Mean Value Theorem, there exists c ∈ (0, 1000) such that:

g(1000) − g(0) f (1000) − f (2000)

f ′ (c) − 2f ′ (2c) = g ′ (c) = =
1000 − 0 1000
Since by assumption f (1000) − f (2000) > 0, we conclude that f ′ (c) > 2f ′ (2c).