SIT-787 AT1

SIT-787 Team
July 2024

Question 1. [5+10=15 marks]

(a) Find the domain of f (x):

s
x
f (x) =
log 12 (x)

5 marks
Solution: The domain of f (x) can be found by log1/2 (x) which is defined as x > 0.
x
> 0 ⇐⇒ x · log 12 (x) > 0
log 12 (x)
For the logarithm function, we must have x > 0. Therefore, we have x > 0 and log 21 (x) > 0. We know that
log 21 (x) > 0 when 0 < x < 1. Hence, the domain of f is

Df = (0, ∞) ∩ (0, 1) = (0, 1).

(b) Solve the equation f (x) = 0, where

f (x) = ln(x2 − 3x + 2) − ln(x − 1)

10 marks
2
Solution: The function is defined when x − 3x + 2 > 0 and x − 1 > 0. Factoring the quadratic, we have
(x − 1)(x − 2) > 0 and (x − 1) > 0. This leads to the condition x > 2.
We solve the equation as
ln(x2 − 3x + 2x) − ln(x − 1) = 0.
Using the properties of logarithmic functions, we can simplify this to

x2 − 3x + 2
ln( ) = 0.
x−1
On the other hand, ln is a 1-1 function and ln(1) = 0. Therefore,

x2 − 3x + 2 (x − 1)(x − 2)
= = x − 2 = 1 =⇒ x = 3,
x−1 x−1
which is a valid solution since it is in the domain of f .

1
 Question 2. [5+5+5+5+5+10+15+15=65]

Consider the following function:

|x| + 2
f (x) =
x2 + 1
(i) Find the domain of f (x): 5 marks
Solution: The function’s denominator is x2 + 1, which is always positive for all real numbers. Therefore,
the only restriction on the domain comes from the absolute value in the numerator. Since the absolute value of
any real number is defined, the domain of f (x) is (−∞, ∞).

(ii) Find all x and y - intercepts a, if any. 5 marks

Solution: Intercepts:
• x- intercepts: To find the x-intercepts, we set f (x) = 0 and solve for x:

|x| + 2
= 0 =⇒ |x| + 2 = 0.
x2 + 1
Since the absolute value of a number is always non-negative, this equation has no solutions. Therefore,
there are no x-intercepts.
• y- intercepts: To find the y-intercepts, we set x = 0 and evaluate h(x):

|0| + 2
f (0) = = 2.
02 + 1
Therefore, the y-intercept is (0, 2).

(iii) Rewrite the functions as a piecewise-defined function. 5 marks

Solution: We can rewrite f (x) as a piecewise-defined function by considering the cases when x is positive
and negative.
(
x+2
2 +1 x≥0
f (x) = x−x+2
x2 +1 x<0

(iv) Find all the stationary points. 5 marks

Solution: We need to find the points where the derivative of f (x) is equal to zero or undefined.
( 2
−x −4x+1
′ 2 +1)2 x>0
f (x) = x2(x−4x−1
(x2 +1)2 x<0
At x = 0, the function f is not differentiable because

lim f ′ (x) = −1 ̸= 1 = lim+ f ′ (x).

x→0− x→0

Setting each derivative equal to zero, we get:

2
 • −x2 − 4x + 1 = 0 (for x ≥ 0)

• x2 − 4x − 1 = 0 (for x < 0)

Solving these quadratic equations, we find:

√
• x = −2 ± 5 (for x ≥ 0)
√
• x = 2 ± 5 (for x < 0)
√ √
However, only the solution x = −2 + 5 falls within the interval x ≥ 0, and only the solution x = 2 − 5
falls within the interval x < 0. Therefore, the stationary points are:
√
• x = −2 + 5. This is a stationary point within the interval x > 0.
√
• x = 2 − 5. This is a stationary point within the interval x < 0.

• x = 0. The derivative does not exist at this point.

n √ √ o
The set of stationary points of f = 2 − 5, 0, −2 + 5

(v) Classify all the stationary points in (iv) 5 marks

Solution: We use the sign table and the First Derivative test to classify the stationary points.
√ √ √ √ √ √
x (−∞, 2 − 5) 2− 5 (2 − 5, 0) 0 (0, −2 + 5) −2 + 5 (−2 + 5, ∞)
f ′ (x) + 0 - undefined + 0 -
f (x) increasing local max decreasing local min increasing local max decreasing

Table 1: Sign table of f ′

By the First Derivative Test, we have:

√
• At x = 2 − 5, since f ′ changes sign from + to −, it is a local maximum.

• At x = 0, since f ′ changes sign from − to +, it is a local minimum.

√
• At x = −2 + 5, since f ′ changes sign from + to −, it is a local maximum.

(vi) Determine the intervals for which the function is increasing and for which the function is
decreasing. 10 marks

Solution: Based on the information given in Table 1, we have

√ √
• Increasing: x ∈ (−∞, 2 − 5) ∪ (0, −2 + 5).
√ √
• Decreasing: x ∈ (2 − 5, 0) ∪ (−2 + 5, ∞).

(vii) Find the second derivative of the function, and identify all the intervals that the function
is convex and concave. 15 marks

3
 Solution: We have calculated the first derivative as:
( 2
−x −4x+1
(x2 +1)2 x>0
f ′ (x) = x2 −4x−1
(x2 +1)2 x<0

To find the second derivative, f ′′ (x), we need to differentiate f ′ (x).

For x > 0:
(x2 +1)2 (−2x−4)−4x(−x2 −4x+1)(x2 +1)
f ′′ (x) = (x2 +1)4

For x < 0:
(x2 +1)2 (2x−4)−4x(x2 −4x−1)(x2 +1)
f ′′ (x) = (x2 +1)4

After symplifying, the second derivative is

2x3 +12x2 −6x−4

(
′′ (x2 +1)3 x>0
f (x) = −2x3 +12x2 +6x−4
(x2 +1)3 x<0

Therefore, the equation f ′′ (x) = 0 gives us 6 roots, but only 2 of them are acceptable:

• When x > 0, then 2x3 + 12x2 − 6x − 4 = 0 =⇒ x ≃ −0.38677, −6.41883, 0.80560. Only x ≃ 0.80560 is
acceptable.

• When x < 0, then −2x3 + 12x2 + 6x − 4 = 0 =⇒ x ≃ 0.38677, 6.41883, −0.80560. Only x ≃ −0.80560 is
acceptable.

We use the sign table to see in which interval the function is concave or convex.

x (−∞, −0.80560) −0.80560 (−0.80560, 0) 0 (0, 0.80560) 0.80560 (0.80560, ∞)

f ′′ (x) + 0 - undefined - 0 +
f (x) convex 1.70140 concave 2 concave 1.70140 convex

Table 2: Sign table of f ′′

Based on the information given in Table 2, we have

• Convex intervals: x ∈ (−∞, −0.80560) ∪ (0.80560, ∞).

• Concave intervals: x ∈ (−0.80560, 0) ∪ (0, 0.80560).

Moreover, because f ′′ changes sign at x ≃ −0.80560 and x ≃ 0.80560, the function f has 2 inflection
points with approximate coordinates (−0.80560, 1.70140) and (0.80560, 1.70140).

(viii) Sketch the function by hand based on the information you gained through steps (i) to
(vii). Label all the important points on the graph of the function. 15 marks

Solution: The approximate graph of the function f is drawn as follows:

4
Figure 1: Graph of f (rotated 90◦ )
5