UPSC Civil Services Main 1981 - Mathematics

Calculus
Sunder Lal
Retired Professor of Mathematics
Panjab University
Chandigarh

January 16, 2010

|x|
Question 1(a) Let f (x) = . Discuss the value of limx0 f (x) and f (0). Justify your
x
answer. Discuss the differentiability of f and f 2 at x = 0.

Solution. Clearly (
1, x>0
f (x) =
1, x < 0
Thus limx0+ f (x) = 1, limx0 f (x) = 1, showing that limx0 f (x) does not exist. Thus
no matter what value is given to f (x) at 0, f (x) cannot be continuous at x = 0.
Since f (x) is not continuous at x = 0, the question of its differentiability does not arise., as
f (x0 + h) f (x0 )
differentiability implies continuity note that f (x0 + h) f (x0 ) = h, so if
h
f (x0 + h) f (x0 )
f (x) is differentiable at x0 , then limh0 f (x0 +h)f (x0 ) = limh0 limh0 h =
0
h
f (x0 ) 0 = 0, so limh0 f (x0 + h) = f (x0 ).
Clearly f 2 (x) = 1 for every x 6= 0, therefore f 2 would become differentiable at x = 0 if
we define f (x) = 1 or 1, making f 2 (x) = 1 for all x. In any other case f 2 (x) would not be
differentiable at x = 0, as it would not be continuous at x = 0.

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Question 2(a) Suppose a manufacturer can sell x items at a price P = 200 paisa
100
per item, and it costs y = 50x + 20000 paise to produce the x items. What is the production
level for maximum profits, and the selling price per item?
 x 
Solution. Selling price of x items = 200 x
100
Cost price of x items = 50x + 20000.

1
  x 
Profict P on the sale of x items = 200 x (50x + 20000).
100
For extreme values,
dP x x x
= 200 50 = 150 = 0 = x = 7500
dx 100 100 50
d2 P 1
2
= <0
dx 50
showing that the profit is maximum when 7500 items are sold at 125 paisa per item.
Z Z
2 2
Question 2(b) Evaluate the double integral e(x +y ) dx dy.
0 0

Solution. See 2002 question 1(b).

1
Question 2(c) State the mean value theorem. If f 0 (x) = for all x, and f (0) = 0,
1 + x2
show that 0.4 < f (2) < 2.0.
Solution. If f (x) is a real valued function defined on the closed interval [a, b], such that (i)
f (x) is continuous on the closed interval [a, b], (ii) f (x) is differentiable on the open interval
(a, b), then there exists a point c (a, b) such that f (b) f (a) = (b a)f 0 (c).
We apply the mean value theorem to f (x) on [0, 2] and get f (2) = f (2) f (0) =
(2 0)f 0 (c) = 1+c
2
2 for some c (0, 2).
2 2 2
Now 0 < c < 2 so < 2
< , thus 0.4 < f (2) < 2.
1+4 1+c 1+0

Question 3(a) The region bounded by the curves y = x3 and y = x is revolved about the
x-axis. Find the volume generated.
Solution. The curves intersect each other at (0, 0 and (1, 1). The required volume V =
Volume obtained by rotating the arc from (0, 0) to (1, 1) of y 2 = x about the x-axis - Volume
obtained by rotating the arc from (0, 0) to (1, 1) of y = x3 about the x-axis. Thus
Z 1 Z 1
2
V = y1 dx y22 dx
0 0
Z 1 Z 1
= x dx x6 dx
0 0
5
= =
2 7 14

(p)(q)
Question 3(b) Show that B(p, q) = .
(p + q)
Solution. See 1991 question 2(c).