Unit #6 - Families of Functions, Taylor Polynomials, l’Hopital’s Rule

Some problems and solutions selected or adapted from Hughes-Hallett Calculus.

Critical Points
1. Consider the function f (x) = 2x3 − 54x + 2. (c) f 00 (x) < 0 if 0 ≤ x < 1.
(d) f 00 (x) > 0 if 1 < x < 4.
(a) Find all intervals where the function is increasing.
(e) f 00 (x) < 0 if x > 4.
(b) Find all intervals where the function is decreasing.
(f) There are two inflection points on f (x). Identify
(c) Finally, find all critical points in the graph of f (x). their approximate x coordinates.
2. Consider the function 5. Consider the function f (x) = 8(x − 2)2/3 .
x3 For this function there are two important intervals:
f (x) = (−∞, A) and (A, ∞) where A is a critical value.
x2−4
(a) Find A.
defined on the interval [−19, 19].

(a) At what x coordinates does the function f (x) have (b) For each of the following intervals, tell whether
vertical asymptotes? f (x) is increasing or decreasing: (−∞, A), and
(b) On what interval(s) is f (x) concave up? (A, ∞)
(c) For each of the following intervals, tell whether
(c) At what x coordinate is there an inflection point
f (x) is concave up or concave down: (−∞, A), and
for this function?
(A, ∞).
3. 6. Consider the function f (x) = x2 e9x . f (x) has two in-
flection points, at x = C and x = D, with C < D.
(a) Find C and D.
Determine whether f (x) is concave up or concave
down on the following intervals.
(b) (−∞, C)
(c) (C, D)
(d) (D, ∞)
For the function f given above, determine whether the
following conditions are true or false. 7.

(a) f 0 (−1) = 0.
(b) f 0 (1) does not exist.
(c) f 0 (x) < 0 if −1 < x < 1.
(d) f 0 (x) > 0 if x < −1 or 1 < x.
(e) f 00 (x) < 0 if x 6= 1.

4.

Identify the graphs A (blue), B(red) and C (green) as

the graphs of a function f (x) and its derivatives f 0 (x)
For the function f given above, determine whether the and f 00 (x).
following conditions are true. Hint: Remember that f 0 (x) is itself a function, and
we can find the derivative of the function f 0 (x), which
(a) f 0 (x) < 0 if 0 < x < 2. is called the second derivative of the function f (x) and
(b) f 0 (x) > 0 if x > 2. denoted by f 00 (x).

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8. Let f (x) = e−3x .

(a) Find the x coordinate(s) where f (x) has a local

minimum (if any).
(b) Find the x coordinate(s) where f (x) has a local
maximum (if any).
(c) Find the x coordinate(s) where f (x) has a point of
inflection.

9. Consider the function f (x) = x1/5 (x − 10). This func-

tion has two critical points x = A and x = B.

(a) Find A and B.

(b) For each of the following intervals, tell whether

f (x) is increasing or decreasing: (−∞, A], [A, B],
and [B, ∞).
Fill in the function analysis table below by indicating
(c) Classify the critical points A and B as relative min, whether the values on each interval are
max or neither.
• positive (+),
10. Consider the function • negative (-), or
• change sign (both).
f (x) = (8 − 5x)ex .
x −10 < x < −6 −6 < x < −2 −2 < x < 4 4 < x < 10
(a) Find the critical points of f (x), the intervals on
which it is increasing and decreasing, and then clas- f
sify the critical points as local maxima or minima.
f0
(b) Find where f is concave up, concave down, and has
inflection points. f 00

(c) Find any horizontal and vertical asymptotes of f .

(x + 1)3
(d) Sketch a graph of the function f , using the infor- 13. Consider the graph of the function f (x) =
(x − 1)2
mation from the previous parts, and by adding the
x and y intercepts. (a) What is the y-intercept of the graph?
(b) What are the x-intercepts of the graph, if any?
11. Consider the function
(c) At what values of x does the graph have a vertical
4x − 4 asymptote, if any?
f (x) = .
x+2 (d) At what values of y does the graph have a horizon-
tal asymptote, if any?
(a) Find the critical points of f (x), the intervals on
which it is increasing and decreasing, and then clas- (e) For what values of x is f decreasing?
sify the critical points as local maxima or minima. (f) For what values of x is f concave up?
(b) Find where f is concave up, concave down, and has 14. Suppose that
inflection points.
f (x) = 8x − 6 ln(x), x > 0.
(c) Find any horizontal and vertical asymptotes of f .
(a) Find all critical values of f .
(d) Sketch a graph of the function f , using the infor-
mation from the previous parts, and by adding the (b) Find the intervals on which f (x) is increasing, and
x and y intercepts. on which it is decreasing.
(c) Identify all the critical points of f (x) as either local
12. The graph of the function f is min, local max, or neither.

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 (d) Find the intervals on which f (x) is concave up, and (c) Find any local maxima of f. Provide the x and y
on which it is concave down. coordinate of the points.
(e) Find all inflection points of f . (d) Find any local minima of f. Provide the x and y
(f) Find the y location of the critical point(s), then use coordinate of the points.
all of the preceding information to sketch a graph (e) Find the interval(s) on which f is concave upward.
of f (x). (f) Find the interval(s) on which f is concave down-
ward.
15. Consider the function
ex 17. The function f (x) = 9x + 2x−1 has one local minimum
f (x) = and one local maximum. Find their (x, y) locations.
4 + ex
(a) Compute f 0 (x). 18. The following shows graphs of three functions, A (in
black), B (in blue), and C (in green). If these are the
(b) Find the intervals on which f (x) is increasing, and graphs of three functions f , f 0 , and f 00 , identify which
on which it is decreasing. is which.
(c) Identify the x location of any local maxima or min-
ima.
(d) Compute f 00 (x).
(e) Find the intervals on which f (x) is concave up, and
on which it is concave down.
(f) Identify the x location of any inflection points of
f (x).
√
16. Let f (x) = 2 x e−x .

(a) Find the interval(s) on which f is increasing.

(b) Find the interval(s) on which f is decreasing.

Families of Functions
19. Consider the function f (x) = ax + sin(4x), where a is (b) Find the value of k for which this y-coordinate is
a positive constant. largest.
For what range of a values is this function always in- (c) How do you know that this value of k maximizes
creasing? the y-coordinate? Find d2 y/dk 2 to use the second-
2 derivative test. Note: this is not the traditional
20. A function of the form y = be−(x−a) has a local max-
use of the second derivative test! The derivative
imum at (3, 4).
you get should be negative for all positive values of
What are the values of a and b? k, and confirm that you agree that this means that
21. For what values of2 the numbers a and b does the func- your value of k maximizes the y-coordinate of the
tion f (x) = axebx have the maximum value f (3) = 6? minimum.

22. Find the formula for a function of the form y = 25. Consider f (x) = a(1 − e−bx ) for a > 0 and b > 0.
A sin(Bx) + C with a maximum at (1.5, 7), a minimum (a) Find f 0 (x).
at (4.5, −1), and no critical points between these two
points. (b) Based on your expression for f 0 (x), is f (x) increas-
2
ing or decreasing for all values of x?
23. Find a formula for a curve of the form y = e−(x−a) /b (c) Find f 00 (x).
for b > 0 with a local maximum at x = −5 and points
of inflection at x = −7 and x = −3. (d) Based on your expression for f 00 (x), is f (x) concave
up or concave down for all x?
24. Let f (x) = e3x − kx, for k > 0.
26. Find constants a and b in the function
(a) f (x) has a local minimum. Find the x and y coor-
dinates of this minimum. f (x) = axebx

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 such that f ( 71 ) = 1 and the function has a local maxi- (a) What dosage maximizes the temperature change?
mum at x = 17 .
27. For some positive constant C, a patient’s temperature (b) The sensitivity of the body to the drug is defined
change, T , due

2to a dose, D, of a drug is given by as dT /dD. What dosage maximizes sensitivity?
T = C2 − D 3 D .

Taylor Polynomials
For reference, the general formula for the Taylor polynomial centered at x = a is:

f 0 (a) f 00 (a) f n (a)

P (x) = f (a) + (x − a) + (x − a)2 + ... + (x − a)n
1! 2! n!
where n! means “n factorial”, or n × (n − 1) × (n − 2) × ...2 × 1. E.g. 4! = 4 · 3 · 2 · 1 = 24.

28. Suppose g is a function which has continuous deriva- 37. Find the second-degree Taylor polynomial for f (x) =
tives, and that g(5) = −3, g 0 (5) = −2, g 00 (5) = 1, 2x2 − 3x + 8 about x = 0. What do you notice about
g 000 (5) = −5. your polynomial?

(a) What is the Taylor polynomial of degree 2 for g 38. Consider the simple function
near 5?
(b) What is the Taylor polynomial of degree 3 for g f (x) = x3
near 5?
(Note: you will need to look up this formula, but it (a) Find the fourth degree Taylor polynomial for f (x),
follows the same pattern as the lower-degree Taylor centered at a = −3.
polynomials.) (b) Does the function f (x) = x3 equal its fourth de-
(c) Use the two polynomials that you found in parts gree Taylor polynomial P4 (x) centered at a = −3?
(a) and (b) to approximate g(5.1). Hint: Graph a few points for each of them. If it
looks like they are equal, then show they are equal
29. Find the Taylor polynomial of degree n = 4 for x near algebraically the algebra.
the point a = π4 for the function cos(4x).
Note: you will need to look up the general formula for 39. (a) Find the degree 2 Taylor polynomial P2 (x) cen-
the higher-order terms, but they follow the same pat- tered at a = 2 of the function
tern as the lower-order terms.
f (x) = (−3x + 262)5/4
30. (a) Find the fifth order Taylor polynomial for sin(x)
near 0. (b) Does the function f (x) = (−3x + 262)5/4 equal its
sin(x) second degree Taylor polynomial P2 (x) centered at
(b) Use this to find the limit lim
x→0 x a = 2? Hint: Graph a few points for each of them.
31. Find the Taylor polynomial of degree 3 around the If it looks like they are equal, then confirm they
√
point x = −4 of f (x) = 5 + x. are equal with algebra.

32. Calculate the Taylor polynomials P2 (x) and P3 (x) cen- 40. (a) Find the Taylor polynomial of degree 4 for cos(x),
tered at x = 1 for f (x) = ln(x + 1). for x near 0.

33. Calculate the Taylor polynomials P2 (x) and P3 (x) cen- (b) Approximate cos(x) with P4 (x) to simplify the ra-
tered at x = π6 for f (x) = sin(x). tio: 1−cos(x)
x
1 − cos(x)
34. Calculate the Taylor polynomials P2 (x) and P3 (x) cen- (c) Using this, evaluate the limit lim .
1
tered at x = 7 for f (x) = 1+x . x→0 x

35. Calculate the Taylor polynomials P2 (x) and P3 (x) cen- 41. Suppose that P2 (x) = a + bx + cx2 is the second de-
tered at x = 2 for f (x) = e−x + e−2x . gree Taylor polynomial for the function f about x = 0.
What can you say about the signs of a, b, c if f has the
36. Calculate the Taylor polynomials P2 (x) and P3 (x) cen- graph given below?
tered at x = π4 for f (x) = tan(x). Note that the central lines are the x and y axes.

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 43. Find the second-degree
√ Taylor polynomial P2 (x) for the
function f (x) = 15 + x2 at the number x = 1.

44. Find the degree 3 Taylor polynomial approximation to

the function f (x) = 3 ln(sec(x)) about the point a = 0.
42. The function f (x) is approximated near x = 0 by the
second degree Taylor polynomial P2 (x) = 3x − 3 + 8x2 . 45. Find P2 (x), the Taylor polynomial of degree 2, for the
Give values the values of f (0), f 0 (0), and f 00 (0). function f (x) = arctan(5x) at a = 0.

l’Hôpital’s Rule
sin 4h Note that the double-angle formula may be helpful:
46. Evaluate the limit lim
h→0 h
1
47. Find the limit. Use l’Hospital’s Rule if appropriate. sin(θ) cos(θ) = sin(2θ)
2
7ex 53. Apply L’Hôpital’s Rule to evaluate the following limit.
lim
x→∞ 2x3
It may be necessary to apply it more than once.
48. Find the following limits, using l’Hôpital’s rule if ap- e−x
lim
propriate x→e ln(x) − 1

arctan(x5 ) 54. Use L’Hôpital’s Rule (possibly more than once) to eval-
(a) lim uate the following limit
x→∞ x8
√8
(b) lim x ln(x)
x→0+
lim (5 sin(6t) ln(6t))
t→0
tan 5x
49. Evaluate the limit lim 55. Find the limit
x→0 4x
 
sin(z/3) 4 4
50. Evaluate the limit lim lim −
z→0 sin z x→0 x sin(x)
51. Compute the following limits using l’Hôpital’s rule if
56. Find the limit. Use l’Hospital’s Rule if appropriate.
appropriate.
1 − cos(4x) lim 6xe1/x − 6x
(a) lim x→∞
x→0 1 − cos(3x)

4x − 3x − 1 57. Find the limit. Use l’Hospital’s Rule if appropriate.

(b) lim
x→1 x2 − 1
lim 7x − 7 ln x
52. Use L’Hôpital’s Rule (possibly more than once) to eval- x→∞

uate the following limit

58. Find the limit. Use l’Hospital’s Rule if appropriate.
 
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lim cot(10x) − lim 7x tan(4/x)
x→0 10x x→∞