Lecture 7 (Part A)—Chapters 3

Dr. Guofeng Zhang

22 October 2018
 Today’s topics

/
(1) One-to-one functions (increasing/decreasing func-
tions)
AMA
(2) Linear approximation

(3) Higher derivatives — Mid-Term Test 2 covers till

here

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 /
One-to-one functions

Theorem: Let f (x) be differentiable on an open

interval J. Then:

• f Õ (x) > 0 on J ∆ f is strictly increasing on J

• f Õ (x) < 0 on J ∆ f is strictly decreasing on J.

Remark: This theorem can also be used to show that

the function is one-to-one.

For example, y = x2 with x > 0 is strictly increasing

(since dx
dy
= 2x > 0 for all x > 0). Therefore, it is
one-to-one and has an inverse function.

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 /
Existence of inverse function

Example: Let f (x) = 2x + sin x. Show that f ≠1

exists, and compute (f ≠1 )Õ (2fi).

Solution:

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 /
Existence of a unique solution: intermediate value
theorem + monotonicity

Example: Show that 2x + sin x = 1 has a unique

solution (exactly one solution) on [0, 1].

Analysis: (1) The equation has at least one solution

(IVT); (2) The equation has at most one solution (notice
that the function f (x) = 2x + sin x ≠ 1 is a one-to-one
function)

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 Linear approximation

Approximate a function y = f (x) by a suitable linear

function near a given point a:

1. The tangent line at (a, f (a)) for the func-

tion f : Let f (x) be differentiable. Then the
tangent line at x = a is

y = f (a) + f Õ (a)(x ≠ a).

2. The approximation formula: Let f (x) be dif-

ferentiable. Then at point (a, f (a)) it can be
approximated by the tangent line

L(x) = f (a) + f Õ (a)(x ≠ a)

Remark: We can use the approximation formula to esti-

mate the value of f (x) for x near a. That is,

f (x) ¥ L(x).

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 x)
y

f(
=
y
a)
−
f (a) (x
a)
f(
′
+
a)
f(
y=
a x

The liner approximation is given by the tangent line:

L(x) = f (a) + f Õ (a)(x ≠ a) at the point (a, f (a)).

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 Example: Consider f (x) = tan + 2. (a) Find the
x ≠1
x2 +1
linear approximation of f (x) at x = 0. (b) Use your
answer in part (a) to estimate f (≠0.01).
'

Lex, = feast f ca > Cx -

a )

Solution:
ca ) A- 0 .

- '
+ an o
0-12=2
t z
f- G)
=
= -

041
'
-
CHI ) - tan x -
2x
r
' to
-
-

f Cx) =
'
(
'

x ti )

"
I -
2x -
tan x
= -

( Htt T

'
f cos =
4- = l

L Cx) =
et l . Cx -
o ) I X t 2 .

I -99
57
fl
[ :
-
o . oh I Ll - d. ol ) = -
o - ol th .

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 Û
2≠x
Example: Approximate the function f (x) = 5

2+x
near a = 0 by a suitable linear function of x. Find
the approximate value of the function at x = 0.15.

Solution: A simple calculation shows that

3 44
≠4 2+x 5
f Õ (x) = 2 2≠x .
5(2 + x)

Therefore, f Õ (0) = ≠ 15 , and the linear approximation is

1
L(x) = f (0) + f Õ (0)(x ≠ 0) = 1 ≠ (x ≠ 0).
5
That is
1
L(x) = 1 ≠ x.
5
Hence
1
f (0.15) ¥ L(0.15) = 1 ≠ (0.15) = 1 ≠ 0.03 = 0.97.
5

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Using a calculator to get
Ú
1.85 ≥
f (0.15) = = 0.9704
5

2.15
This shows that the linear approximation gives a reason-
able approximation to the value of f (0.15).

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Higher Derivatives — Section 3.5

dy
(i) = f Õ (x) is called the first order derivative of
dx -

f (x).

(ii) Differentiating f Õ (x), we get the second order

derivative of f (x), denoted by the symbol f ÕÕ (x)
d2 y
or f (2) (x) or dx 2.

(iii) For any n œ N, the nth order derivative of y =

f (x) (if exists) is defined inductively by
1 2Õ d (n≠1) dn y
f (n) (x) = f (n≠1) (x) = f (x) = n
dx dx

with the convention that f (0) = f .

"
fl
'
=
f
"

! f
"
t
'

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 Example: Find the 4-th derivative of the function
f (x) = sin x and moreover, find f Õ (0), f ÕÕ (0), f ÕÕÕ (0),
f (4) (0).
fast Sihx

Solution: f'ca ' Gsx floor I

"
f
f "cxg=
'
- Sihx co > = o

">
fl Gt
" =
f ( or I
-
.
-

"
f 's >
'"
Six O
f = =
ex, .

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