DIFFERENTIABILITY

1. (HCU 2005) Let f (x) = x2 |x| on x ∈ (−1, 1), then

A. f is differentiable everywhere except at x = 0
B. f is not differentiable at x = 0 but continuous
C. f 0 is not continuous at x = 0
D. f 00 is not continuous at x = 0
E. none of the above

2. (HCU 2005) How many zeroes are there for the function x2 − 5|x| + 6?
A. 2 B. 3 C. 4 D. 6 E. none of these

3. (HCU 2006) Find a polynomial function f from R to R with the properties f (0) = 1 = f (2)
and f 0 (0) = 1.
Hint: Seems application of Rolle’s theorem

4. (HCU 2006) Let f (x) = |x|3 then

A. f is continuous at x = 0 but not differentiable at x = 0
B. f is continuous at x = 0 and f 0 is not continuous at x = 0
C. f is differentiable at x = 0 and f 0 is continuous at x = 0
D. f 00 exists at x = 0 but f 00 is not continuous at x = 0
E. none of the above

5. (HCU 2006) Let f (x) = ex + a sin x if x < 0 and f (x) = b(x − 1)2 + x − 2 if x ≥ 0. The function
f is differentiable at x = 0 if
A. a = 6 and b = 3
B. a = −6 and b = 3
C. a = −6 and b = −3
D. a = 6 and b = −3
E. none of the above

6. (HCU 2007) The function f (x) = | sin x| is

A. continuous everywhere but not differentiable anywhere
B. not continuous at nπ; n is an integer
C. continuous everywhere but not differentiable at nπ; n is an integer
D. differentiable everywhere

7. (HCU 2007) The function f (x) = (x − 1)2 for (incomplete)

1
 8. Let f1 (x), f2 (x), g1 (x), g2 (x) be differentiable functions on R. Let F(x) = || . . . .. IITJAM 17,
ques no 7.
9. (IITJAM 17) Let f : R2 → R be a function. Then which of the following statements is/are
true?
√
A. If f is differentiable at (0, 0), then all directional derivatives of f exist at (0, 0) ( )
B. If all directional derivatives of f exist at (0, 0), then f is differentiable at (0, 0)
C. If all directional derivatives of f exist at (0, 0), then f is continuous at (0, 0)
∂f ∂f
D. If the partial derivatives and exist and are continuous in a disc centred at (0, 0),
∂x ∂ y√
then f is differentiable at (0, 0) ( )

10. (IITJAM 16, Q30 )Let f : R → R be defined as

sin x
11. (TIFR, 2016) Let f : R → R be the function defined by f (x) = . Then
|x| + cos x
√
A. f is differentiable at all x ∈ R ( )
B. f is not differentiable at x = 0
0
C. f is differentiable at x = 0 but f is not continuous at x = 0
D. f is not differentiable at x = π2 .

12. (TIFR 2016)Let f : R → R be a continuously differentiable function such that | f (x) − f (y)| ≥
0
|x − y|, ∀x, y ∈ R. Then the equation f (x) = 12
A. has exactly one solution
√
B. has not solution ( )
C. has a countably infinite number of solutions
D. has uncountably many points.

13. (TIFR 2016) Let f : R → (0, ∞) be a twice differentiable function such that f (0) = 1 and
b Z ∞
0
lim f (x)dx = f (x)dx for all a, b ∈ R, with a ≤ b. Which of the following statements is
a 0
false?
A. f is one to one
√
B. The image of f is compact ( )
C. f is unbounded
D. There is only one such function

2

3/2
14. (TIFR 2015) Let f : R → R denote the function defined by f (x) = 1 − x2 if |x| < 1, and
f (x) = 0 if |x| ≥ 1. Which of the following statements is correct?
A. f is not continuous
B. f is continuous but not differentiable
0
C. f is differentiable but f is not continuous
0 √
D. f is differentiable and f is continuous ( )

15. (TIFR 2015) Let f : R → R be an infinitely differentiable function that vanishes at 10 distinct
points in R. Suppose f (n) denotes nth derivative of f , for n ≥ 1. Which of the following
statements is always true?
A. f (n) has at least 10 zeroes for 1 ≤ n ≤ 8
√
B. f (n) has at least one zero for 1 ≤ n ≤ 9 ( )
C. f (n) has at least 10 zeroes for n ≥ 10
D. f (n) has at least one zero for n ≥ 9

16. (CMI 2010, TRUE/FALSE) Show that f defined below is continuous and differentiable at
x = 0.
 
2 1
f (x) = x sin 2 for x 6= 0
x
and f (0) = 0.

17. (HCU 2006) Find the maximum and minimum of the function f (x) = x3 − 27x in the interval
[−4, 7]. (incomplete)

18. Does there exist a differentiable function f : [0; 2] → R satisfying f (0) = −1, f (2) = 4 and
f 0 (x) ≤ 2 for all x ∈ [0, 2]?
Sol: No. If so, then by MVT there exists c ∈ (0, 2) such that 5 = f (2) − f (0) = 3 f 0 (c).

19. Let f : [0, 1] → R be differentiable and f (0) = 0. Suppose that | f 0 (x)| ≤ | f (x)| for all x ∈ [0, 1].
Show that f (x) = 0 for all x ∈ [0, 1].
Sol: For x ∈ (0, 1), by MVT, there exists x1 such that 0 < x1 < x and f (x) = f 0 (x1 )x =⇒
| f (x)| ≤ x| f (x1 )|. Similarly there exists x2 such that 0 < x2 < x1 and | f (x1 )| ≤ x1 | f (x2 )|.
Therefore | f (x)| ≤ x2 | f (x2 )|. Hence we obtain a sequence (xn ) in (0, 1) such that | f (x)| ≤
xn | f (xn )|. Since f is bounded on [0, 1], xn | f (xn )| → 0. Hence f (x) = 0.

20. Let f : [0, 1] → R be differentiable such that | f 0 (x)| < 1 for all x ∈ [0, 1]. Show that there exists
at most one c ∈ [0, 1] such that f (c) = c.
Sol: If possible let thee exist two points c1 , c2 ∈ [0, 1] such that f (c1 ) = c1 and f (c2 ) = c2 for
c1 6= c2 . Then by MVT, there exists c0 ∈ (c1 , c2 ) such that f 0 (c0 ) = f (cc22)− f (c1 )
−c1 = cc22 −c1
−c1 = 1,
which is a contradiction as f 0 (x) < 1 for all x ∈ [0, 1].

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 f ((a + h) − f (a − h)
21. If f is differentiable at x = a then f 0 (a) = lim .
h→0 2h

Sol: Since f is differentiable at x = a therefore left hand derivative and right hand derivative
of f exist and are equal.
f (a + h) − f (a) f (a − h) − f (a)
f 0 (a) = lim = lim
h→0 h h→0 −h
therefore
 
0 f (a + h) − f (a) f (a − h) − f (a)
2 f (a) = lim +
h→0 h −h
f (a + h) − f (a − h)
⇒ f 0 (a) = lim .
h→0 2h

Note: The converse is not true. Check the above for f (x) = |x| at x = 0.
 
0 1
22. If f : R → R is differentiable at c ∈ R, show that f (c) = lim n f (c + ) − f (c) . Is the
n→∞ n
converse true?
Sol: Application of above problem.

23. Let f : [a, b] → R be such that f 00 (c) exists at a point c ∈ R. Prove that
f (c + h) − 2 f (c) + f (c − h)
lim = f 00 (c).
h→0 h2
Give an example of the function f : R → R and a point c ∈ R for which f 00 (c) does not exist
but the above limit exists.
Sol: Since f 00 (c) exists, there is a δ > 0 such that f 0 (x) exists for each x ∈ (c − δ , c + δ ).
Hence by L’ Hospital rule
f (c + h) − 2 f (c) + f (c − h) f 0 (c + h) − + f 0 (c − h)
lim = lim
h→0 h2 h→0 2h
provided the second limit exists. Now
f 0 (c + h) − + f 0 (c − h) f 0 (c + h) − + f 0 (c) f 0 (c − h) − + f 0 (c)
 
1
lim = lim + lim
h→0 2h 2 h→0 h h→0 h
1 00
f (c) + f 00 (c) = f 00 (c).
 
=
2

24. Let f : [a, b] → R be continuous and differentiable on (a, b). If f (a) = a and f (b) = b then
show that there exist distinct c1 , c2 ∈ (ab) such that f 0 (c1 ) + f 0 (c2 ) = 2.

4
    
a+b a+b
Sol: Applying MVT on a, and , b , we have
2 2
a+b


f −a
f 0 (c1 ) = 2
b−a
2

and
a+b


b− f
f 0 (c2 ) = b−a
2

b−a b−a
for some c1 ∈ (a, ) and c2 ∈ ( , b). Adding both we obtain the desired result.
2 2

1
= 0 for each n ∈ N, then find f 0 (0) and


25. Let f : R → R be twice differentiable at 0. If f n
f 00 (0).

a0 a1 an−1
26. Let + + ... + + an = 0. Show that the function an xn + a1 xn−1 + ... + an vanishes
n+1 n 2
at least in (0, 1).

27. Let y = f (x), x ∈ I ⊆ R such that for all x, y ∈ I and | f (x) − f (y)| ≤ |x − y|1+t ;t > 0 then prove
that f (x) = 0.
f (x) − f (y)
Sol: Note that ≤ (x − y)t < ε. Therefore
x−y

f (x) − f (y)
−0 < ε
x−y

whenever |x − y| < ε 1/t = δ . Hence the result.

28. (IITJAM 2014) Let f (x) = x3 + x and g(x) = x3 − x for all x ∈ R. If f −1 denotes the inverse
function of f , then the derivative of the composite function g ◦ f −1 at the point 2 is

2 1 √ 11 11
A. B. ( ) C. D.
13 2 13 4

Solution: Given f (x) = x3 + x, g(x) = x3 − x, it is easy to observe that g(x) = f (x) − 2x for
all x ∈ R. Therefore, we can write g ≡ f − 2I, where I denotes the identity function.

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Now, taking composition of f −1 both sides of g ≡ f − 2I, we obtain

(g ◦ f −1 ) ≡ ( f − 2I) ◦ f −1 ≡ (I − 2 f −1 )
=⇒ (g ◦ f −1 )(x) = I(x) − 2 f −1 (x) = x − 2 f −1 (x)
d d 
(g ◦ f −1 )(x) = x − 2 f −1 (x)

=⇒
dx dx
d
= 1 − 2 f −1 (x)
dx
Note I(x) = x, as I denotes the identity function.

• By, the above calculation, it is very clear that instead of finding the derivative of (g ◦ f −1 )
d d −1
at 2, we will find the value of 1 − 2 f −1 (x) at point 2. Now, we need to find f (x)
dx dx
at x = 2.
d −1 d −1 3
• Instead of calculating f (x) at x = 2, we can calculate f (x + x) at x = 1.
dx dx

• For convenience, let us write f −1 = h.

Since f (x) = x3 + x =⇒ f −1 (x3 + x) = x i.e. h(x3 + x) = x. Differentiating both sides,

d
h(x3 + x) = 1
dx
=⇒ h0 (x3 + x) × (3x2 + 1) = 1.

Now, at x = 1, we have h0 (2) × 4 = 1 =⇒ h0 (2) = 1/4.

d −1 )(2) = 1 − 2h0 (1) = 1 − 2 × 1 = 12 .

Hence dx (g ◦ f 4