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MAT Calculus Practice

1. By considering graphs (and without using calculus), determine whether the following
definite integrals are positive or negative or 0.
3 π /2
a. ∫ sin x dx
0
1
b. ∫ x 3 dx
−1.5
a
2
2. Find the value of a , where a> 0, such that ∫ ( x −1 ) dx =0
0
3. Calculus oddities:
1
1 1
a. Sketch y= 2 , and then determine ∫ 2 dx.
x −1 x
4
b. Sketch y=x and consider the stationary point using calculus. We find the second
derivative is 0 at the stationary point. But in the sketch the gradient seems to be
increasing, i.e. is positive. What’s going on here?
c. [Only if you’ve done C3 and C4]: Determine which of the following functions have
areas which are convergent given a suitable finite lower bound, and given the upper
bound is infinity:
1
i. f (x)=
x
1
ii. f (x)= 2
x
iii. Any polynomial.
iv. f (x)=a x when a> 1.
v. f ( x )=ax when 0< a<1
a
dA
4. If A=∫ f ( x ) dx, determine to value of a for which =0, i.e. where the total area
0
da
between x=0 and x=a has reached a maximum or minimum.

a. f ( x )=log x + ( 12 )
b. f ( x )=( x−2 ) (x+1)
5. Determine:
2
a. ∫|x2−x|dx
0
2
b. ∫|x|+| x−1|dx
0
1 5
6. How many stationary points does x −x have?
5

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7. Given that f ( x )=| x+1|, determine ∫ f ( √ x−3 ¿ )dx ¿ .
0

(Hint: It may be worth sketching f (x) first, and working out using the bounds of the integral
what region of values the function in the integral actually uses)

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 ANSWERS

1. -
a. Positive. We get a negative area from x=π onwards, but the area of the positive
region in the region 0< x < π will be greater.
b. The positive region where x >0 will have smaller area than the negative region
where x <0. So the overall area is negative.
a
2. ∫ ( x 2−1 ) dx =a ( 13 a2−1 )=0. Thus a=√ 3.
0
3. The first of these questions was asked in an Oxbridge interview.
1
1
a. This is a trick question. Although if we were to calculate ∫ 2
dx via the usual
−1 x
approach, we’d obtain −2, alarm bells should ring given that we have a negative
value despite the curve always being above the x -axis. The integral is invalid
because the bounds of the integral cross an x -value for which the function is not
defined (i.e. x=0 ).
b. The sketch resembles y=x 2, except it’s shallower in the region −1< x <1 and
d 4
steeper elsewhere. Differentiating to find the turning point: ( x ) =4 x 3=0.
dx
Interestingly, this is a triple repeated turning point since x is a repeated factor. On
an infinitesimal level we have three turning points (a minimum followed by a
maximum followed by a minimum) ‘fused’ together; this is similar to how we have
an inflection point in cubics when two stationary points are fused together.
d2 y ( 4) 2
Finding the second derivative, 2
x =12 x , which is 0 at the turning point.
dx

Infinitesimally zoomed in!

dy d2 y
As per A Level textbooks, in general when =0 and =0 , we might have an
dx d x2
inflexion point, but it could still be a minimum or maximum. We could find the
gradient either side of the turning point to establish whether it’s a minimum or
maximum point.
c. Determine which of the following functions have areas which are convergent given a
suitable finite lower bound, and given the upper bound is infinity:

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 1
i. f (x)=
x
1
∫ x dx=ln x +c . But if the upper bound is infinity, we’ll have ln ∞ =∞, so
the area is not convergent.
1
ii. f (x)=
x2
1
+ c. If say the lower bound was 1, we’ll have −1 + 1 =1, so
−1
∫ x 2 dx= x ∞ 1
the area is convergent.
iii. Any polynomial.
The powers in a polynomial are at least 0, so when integrating the powers
are not at least 1. Infinity to the power of any number at least 1 will be
infinity, so the area is not convergent.
iv. f (x)=a x when a> 1.
The function itself is not convergent, so clearly the area won’t be either.
v. f ( x )=ax when 0< a<1
1 1 x −x
Let b> 1 and a= , so that 0< a<1. Then
b ()
b
=b . Integrating we get

−1 − x
b . When we substitute in x=∞ for the upper bound, the whole
ln b
expression gives 0, so the area will be convergent. e.g.
∞ ∞ ∞
1 x 1
∫(
0 2 )
dx=∫ 2− x dx =
0
−1 − x
ln 2
2
0
= [
ln 2 ]
4. For all of these, the area is neither decreasing or decreasing when f ( x )=0. Thus we’re just
trying to find the roots of each f (x).
1
a. x=
2
b. x=2
5. –
a. Sketching the graph, we can see that in the range 0< x <1 the modulus function will
have reflected what would have originally been below the x -axis. We thus turn the
negative area into a positive area:
2 2 1

(
∫|x2−x|dx= ∫ x 2−x dx − ∫ x 2−x dx =1
0 1
)( 0
)
b. If we sketch y=¿ x∨¿ and y=¿ x−1∨¿, we can see that in adding them together,
we get y=1 in the region 0< x ≤1 and y=2 x−1 in the region x >1. Calculus is not
really required here: by just finding the area of the square and trapezium we get an
area of 1+2=3 .
6. We differentiate and set to 0 to find the turning point:
x 4 −1=0( x 2 +1 )( x2 −1 )=0( x 2 +1 ) ( x +1 ) ( x−1 )=0 We have two stationary points when
x=−1 and x=1. The x 2+ 1 term won’t produce any extra stationary points, because if
x 2+ 1=0, there’s no real solution.

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 4
7. In ∫ f ( √ x−3 ¿ )dx ¿ , we have 0< x < 4. Thus −3< √ x−3←1. By sketching f ( x )=| x+1|, we
0

can see that that when the domain is -3 to -1, we actually have f ( x )=−x −1 (because it’s
been reflected).
4 4 4 1
2 8
This gives us ∫ f ( √ x−3 ¿ )dx=∫ −( √ x−3 ) −1 dx=∫ −x +2 dx ¿¿
0 0 0
3

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