MATH1013 Tutorial 5

The Intermediate Value Theorem

Suppose f is continuous on [a, b] and f (a) 6= f (b). If L is any number between f (a) and f (b), then there exists
c ∈ (a, b) such that f (c) = L.

Example 1. Show that the polynomial p(x) = x4 + 7x3 − 9 has at least two real roots.
Notice that
lim p(x) = lim p(x) = ∞
x→∞ x→−∞

because p(x) has an even degree and the coefficient of x4 is positive, so it is easy to obtain positive output from p(x).

Since p(x) is a polynomial, hence is continuous, and

p(0) = −9 < 0
p(10) = 10000 + 7000 − 9 = 16991 > 0

by the intermediate value theorem, there exists c1 ∈ (0, 10) such that p(c1 ) = 0.

Also,

p(−10) = 10000 − 7000 − 9 = 2991 > 0

p(0) = −9 < 0

by the intermediate value theorem, there exists c2 ∈ (−10, 0) such that p(c2 ) = 0.

This shows p(x) has at least two roots.

Example 2. Show that there exists a value c such that c3 + esin c = π.

Let f (x) = x3 + esin x − π, so the statement is equivalent to show that f (x) has a root c.
It is clear that f is a continuous funtion.
Note that
1
0 < ≤ esin x ≤ e
e
so

f (10) = 1000 + esin 10 − π

> 1000 + 0 − 4
>0

and

f (−10) = −1000 + esin(−10) − π

< −1000 + e + 0
<0

by the intermediate value theorem, there exists c ∈ (−10, 10) such that f (c) = 0, so

c3 + esin c − π = 0
c3 + esin c = π

1
Derivatives
A function f is differentiable at x = a if the following limit exists:
f (x) − f (a) f (a + h) − f (a)
lim or equivalently lim
x→a x−a h→0 h
the limit if exists, is called the derivative of f at a.
If we consider the derivative as a function,
f (y) − f (x) f (x + h) − f (x)
f 0 (x) = lim = lim
y→x y−x h→0 h

1
Example 3. Find f 0 (x) by the definition if f (x) = √ .
2x + 3

√ 1 √ 1
−
0 f (x + h) − f (x) 2(x+h)+3 2x+3
f (x) = lim = lim
h→0 h h→0 h
√ √
2x+3− 2(x+h)+3
√ √
2(x+h)+3 2x+3
= lim
h→0 h
√ p √ p
2x + 3 − 2(x + h) + 3 2x + 3 + 2(x + h) + 3
= lim p √ ·√ p
h→0 h 2(x + h) + 3 2x + 3 2x + 3 + 2(x + h) + 3
−2h
= lim p √ √ p 
h→0
h 2(x + h) + 3 2x + 3 2x + 3 + 2(x + h) + 3
−2
=√ √√ √

2x + 3 2x + 3 2x + 3 + 2x + 3
−1
=
(2x + 3)3/2
(
x3 , if x ≤ 1
Example 4. Let f (x) = . Find values of a and b such that f is differentiable at x = 1.
ax + b, if x > 1

Recall the differentiablity implies the continuity, so the statement implies f must be continuous at x = 1.

lim f (x) = lim+ (ax + b) = a + b

x→1+ x→1
lim f (x) = lim− x3 = 1
x→1− x→1
f (1) = 1

so that a + b = 1.
f (x) − f (1)
Next, f is differentiable at x = 1 if lim exists.
x→1 x−1
f (x) − f (1) ax + b − 1
lim = lim+
x→1+ x−1 x→1 x−1
ax − a
= lim+
x→1 x−1
=a
f (x) − f (1) x3 − 1
lim = lim
x→1− x−1 x→1 − x−1
= lim (x2 + x + 1)
x→1−
=3

so that a = 3.
Substitute a = 3 into a + b = 1 solves b = −2.

2
 f (a + 3h) − f (a − 4h)
Example 5. If f is differentiable at a and f 0 (a) = 3. Find lim .
h→0 h
f (a + 3h) − f (a − 4h) f (a + 3h) − f (a) + f (a) − f (a − 4h)
lim = lim
h→0 h h→0 h
 
f (a + 3h) − f (a) f (a) − f (a − 4h)
= lim +
h→0 h h

For the former part,

f (a + 3h) − f (a) f (a + 3h) − f (a)

lim = lim · 3 = f 0 (a) · 3 = 3f 0 (a)
h→0 h h→0 3h
and for the later part, introducing a change of variable t = −h, so that t → 0 as h → 0,

f (a) − f (a − 4h) f (a) − f (a + 4t) f (a + 4t) − f (a)

lim = lim = lim · 4 = 4f 0 (a)
h→0 h t→0 −t t→0 4t
so
f (a + 3h) − f (a − 4h)
lim = 3f 0 (a) + 4f 0 (a) = 7f 0 (a) = 21
h→0 h
Example 6. A function f satisfies 4x − 3 ≤ f (x) ≤ x2 + 1 for all x. Show that f is differentiable at x = 2.
First note that by putting x = 2,

4(2) − 3 ≤ f (2) ≤ 22 + 1
5 ≤ f (2) ≤ 5

meaning that f (2) = 5.

f (x) − f (2) f (x) − 5

Next we need to investigate the limit lim = lim .
x→2 x−2 x→2 x − 2
If x > 2, then

5 < 4x − 3 ≤ f (x) ≤ x2 + 1
0 < 4x − 8 ≤ f (x) − 5 ≤ x2 − 4
4x − 8 f (x) − 5 x2 − 4
≤ ≤
x−2 x−2 x−2
f (x) − 5
4≤ ≤x+2
x−2
f (x) − 5
and lim+ (x + 2) = 4, by Squeeze theorem, lim+ = 4.
x→2 x→2 x−2
If x < 2, then

4x − 3 ≤ f (x) ≤ x2 + 1 < 5
4x − 8 ≤ f (x) − 5 ≤ x2 − 4 < 0
x2 − 4 f (x) − 5 4x − 8
≤ ≤
x−2 x−2 x−2
f (x) − 5
x+2≤ ≤4
x−2
f (x) − 5
and lim (x + 2) = 4, by Squeeze theorem, lim = 4.
x→2− x→2− x−2
f (x) − f (2)
Therefore lim exists and is equal to 4, so f is differentiable at x = 2.
x→2 x−2