Chapter 4.

- 1 -

Chapter 4. Applications of differentiation.

§ 4.1. Maximum and minimum values.

1. Find the critical numbers of the function           .

Sol. Note that a critical number of a function  is  in the domain of  such that either  ′    
or  ′   does not exist.
  
     
Since ′                     ⇔   , critical numbers of  is  .
  

2. (a) If  and  are positive numbers, find the maximum value of          ,  ≤  ≤ .
   
Sol.  ′                 
  
 
 ′     in     ⇒    ∈   , and    
    
      
 .

  
Note that         .

The maximum value of    is    
   
     
.


(b) Find the absolute maximum and absolute minimum value of      on      .
    
  
Sol.  ′      ⇒    ∈      ∉    , critical number of  :  
     



                     ⇒ absolute maximum value of  :     

absolute minimum value of  :      

3. Prove that the function              has neither a local maximum nor a local
minimum.
Sol. Note that  ′             . Hence  ′     has no solution.
Hence    has neither a local maximum nor a local minimum.

4. Let  be a non-constant, continuous function defined on a closed interval    . Then by the

Extreme Value Theorem, there exist an absolute minimum  and an absolute maximum  .
Show that the range of ,      ≤  ≤  , is the interval    .
Sol. Clearly, the range          ≤  ≤   of  holds   ⊆   .
We must show that    ⊆   .
By the Extreme Value Theorem,  attains its maximum  at  ∈    and minimum  at
 ∈   , that is,          . Hence   ∈   . --------------------------(1)
Since  be a non-constant.  ≠  .
Without loss of generality, we may assume that    .
Since  is continuous on    , by the Intermediate Value Theorem,
for all  ∈   , that is,          , there exists  ∈     such that     ,
and so ∈   . Thus    ⊆   . _______________________(2)
By (1) and (2),    ⊆   .
Therefore              ≤  ≤  .
Chapter 4. - 2 -

§ 4.2. The mean value theorem.

1. Let         . Show that         but there is no number  in      such that

 ′    . Why does this not contradict Rolle’s Theorem?

 
Sol.           , and  ′        ,

So  ′     has no solution and there is no number  in     such that  ′    .
Since  ′   does not exist, the assumption of Rolle’s Theorem is not satisfied.
Thus this does not contradict Rolle’s Theorem,

2. (a) Show that the equation         has at most two real roots.
Sol. Let           .
Suppose that      has  distinct roots, say              (      ⋯    ).
Note that           is continuous on        and differentiable on        ,
and              .
By Rolle’s Theorem, there exists ∈        ,           such that  ′    .
But  ′          has only one real root,   .
This is contradiction.(Note that     .)
Therefore the equation         has at most two real roots.

(b) Show that the equation   cos    has exactly one real root.
Sol. Let       cos.
Note that       ,           and    is continuous on      .
By the Intermediate Value Theorem, there exist  ∈     such that    .
Hence      has at least one root.

Suppose that   and   are two distinct roots of the equation     ,

Without loss of generality, we may assume that     
Since    is continuous on       and differentiable on      , and           ,
by Rolle’s Theorem, there exist  ∈       such that  ′    .
But  ′      sin   , for all . This is contradiction.
Therefore the equation   cos    has exactly one real root.

3. (a) Prove the inequality sin   sin  ≤    for all  and .

Sol. Since the inequality holds if   ,
we may assume that   . Let     sin .
Then    is continuous on    and differentiable on   .
By the Mean Value Theorem, there exists  ∈    such that
sin   sin 
  ′    cos .


Since  cos   ≤ , 
sin   sin 
  ≤ .
Therefore, the inequality sin   sin  ≤     holds for all  and .
Chapter 4. - 3 -

     

(b) Prove that   
 

 sin           .
 
    

  
Sol. Let     sin   .
Clearly   is continuous on   and differentiable on   .
  
Fix ∈      . Then    is obviously continuous on      and differentiable on     
  

       
 
By the Mean Value Theorem, there exists ∈      such that    ′   ,
 
 


sin     
     
that is,    , or sin        .
 
   
 
      

   
Note that      for     .
 
    
    
     
Hence the inequality

 
  

 sin          
 
   

  holds.

(c) Prove the inequality   tan      if   .

Sol. Let    tan   .
Clearly   is continuous on  ∞  ∞  and differentiable on  ∞  ∞ .
Fix      . Then    is continuous on     and differentiable on    .
      
By the Mean Value Theorem, there exists  ∈    such that    ′ ,

tan    
that is,    .
 
 
Note that      for     .
 
 tan   
Hence      for     , and so
   

the inequality  
 tan      for    holds.

 

4. A number  is called a fixed point of a function  if     .

Prove that if  ′   ≠  for all real number , then  has at most one fixed point.
Sol. Suppose that    has more than one fixed point.
Assume that        ,        (     ).
Because of the existence of  ′   for all ,  is continuous and differentiable on  ∞  ∞  .
 is continuous and differentiable on  ∞  ∞ .
Then by the Mean Value Theorem, there exists  ∈       such that,
           
 ′        .
     
This is contradiction. Therefore  has at most one fixed point.
Chapter 4. - 4 -

5. Simplify sec     csc   .

Sol. Let    sec     csc   .
 
Note that   sec    ⇔ sec    ∈   ∪       ≥ ,
 
 
and   csc   ⇔ csc    ∈   ∪     ≥ .
 

Then ′    


   


 
   
 
     on    , and so     



 if
if

  
.

ⅰ) The case of   .
  
      sec     csc         
  
ⅱ) The case of    .
  
       sec       csc           
  
 
(iii)     sec     csc          ,
 
 
     sec      csc            .
 
 
Therefore, sec     csc     

  if ≥
.



 if  ≤ 

6. Let  and  be continuous on    and differentiable on    . Prove that there exists a
number  in    such that  ′       ′     .
Sol. Note that if   , the equality trivially holds.
So we assume that   .
ⅰ) The case of       .
By the Rolle’s Theorem, there exists  ∈    such that, ′   .
So that the equality holds.
ⅱ) The case of   ≠   .
      
Let                     , where    .
      
Then    is continuous on    and differentiable on   , and also         .
By the Rolle’s Theorem, there exists  ∈    such that,  ′    .
So we have  ′       ′      ′   . Therefore,  ′           ′         .

7. (a) Prove that if  ′     for all ∈   , then  is a constant on   .

Sol. Take     ∈    with      .
From the condition  ′     for all ∈   ,    is continuous on       and differentiable
on       . By the Mean Value Theorem, there exists  ∈       such that,
        
 ′    .
  
Since  ′    ,         . Since     are arbitrary,  is a constant on   .
Chapter 4. - 5 -

 
(b) Using  sinh    cosh  and  tanh    sech  , show that sin   tanh    tan   sinh   .
 
  
Sol. Note that  sin   tanh    
tanh  ′   sech    sech 
   tanh 
 sech 
  
and  tan   sinh     
sinh  ′   
cosh   sech .
   sinh  cosh 
Let    sin   tanh   tan   sinh . Then ′     for all .
By (a),   is constant on  ∞  ∞  , and so      for all .
Therefore sin   tanh    tan   sinh   for all .

8. (a) Using the Mean Value Theorem, prove that ln     ≤  for  ≥ .

Sol. Note that the inequality trivially holds if   .
So we assume that   .
Let     ln    . Fix (  ). Then    is continuous on    and differentiable on   .
      
By the Mean Value Theorem, there exists  ∈     such that    ′   ,
 
       ln     
that is,      .
   
 
   ln    
Since      for     ,     ,
   
and so ln       for all   .


(b) Prove lim ln   sin   

   by using the    definition of a limit.

 → 


(Hint:  sin   ≤   for all .)

Sol. We must to show that for all   , there exist    such that

if        then
 ln   sin      .
Let    be given.
  
Take    . Then for all        or       , by (a)
  

ln   sin   ≤ sin     (by (a))


≤  
  (by Hint)

      


By the    definition of a limit, lim ln   sin   

  .

 → 

Chapter 4. - 6 -

§ 4.4. Indeterminate forms and L'Hospital's rule.

1. Find the limit if the limit exists.

(a) limcsc   cot  
→ 

  cos  sin 
Sol. limcsc   cot    lim 
sin 
 lim   
→  → →  cos 

Here we have used L'Hospital's rule in second equality.


(b) lim   ln    tan    
→∞ 
  
 tan   


 


Sol. Notice that   ln    tan     ln  .
    
 
 tan     

    
lim   lim   lim   lim   lim  ∞
→∞   → ∞    →∞    → ∞  → ∞ 

Here we have used L'Hospital's rule.


Hence lim   ln    tan     ∞ .
→ ∞ 

(c) lim ln   sin    cot ln     

→

  ln   sin  
Sol. lim ln   sin    cot ln       lim  
→  →  tan ln    
 sin  cos  
 lim     
.
→    sin  sec ln      ln    
sin      cos 
 lim  
→  ln       sin  sec ln    
  

Here we have used L'Hospital's rule in second equality.

sin  cos 
Using L'Hospital's rule, we have lim 
ln    
 lim   .

→  → 


    cos 
Since lim 
  
 , we have
→    sin   sec ln    
lim ln   sin    cot ln      .
→ 


    
(d) lim  
→  

    ln       ln 
Sol. Put       , then ln    .
 

    ln   ln
  ln  ln
Using L'Hospital's rule, limln   lim   
   ln 
,
→  → 
 

    
and so lim     
.
→  
Chapter 4. - 7 -


(e) lim   

tan 

→   



 
  
Sol. lim    tan   lim 
cot
 lim   

→    
 
 →   
  csc 
 →   
  

Here we have used L'Hospital's rule in second equality.

(f) lim    tan   

→

 ln    
Sol. Put      tan   , then ln   tan   ln       .
 
cot   

Using L'Hospital's rule,

ln     
  
lim   
 lim    .
   
→ 
cot   →    csc   
  


Hence lim    tan      .
→ 

(g) lim   sin  cot

 → 

cot ln   sin  
Sol. Put     sin   , then ln    .
tan 
Using L'Hospital's rule,
  cos
lim ln   lim  
.
→ 
→     sin  sec 
cot
Hence lim   sin     .

→

sin     
(h) lim 

 →  tan 

 
sin         
Sol. lim  
 lim  (by L'Hospital's rule)
 →  tan    → 
 
  
          
 lim 
→        
     
 lim 
 
→                 

   
 lim   
  
→             
 
Chapter 4. - 8 -

 
   tan     
 
(i) lim 
→∞ 


Sol. Put    . Using L'Hospital's rule,

  
 
  tan       
  
     tan   
 
lim  
 lim   lim   .
 
→ ∞ →   →  


2. Evaluate the limit and justify your answer.

tanh   
(a) lim 
tan   
→ 

tanh    sech    
Sol. lim   lim  (by L'Hospital's rule)
tan   
→

→  sec   
 tanh  
 lim 
→  tan  
tanh  sech  
Using L'Hospital's rule, we have lim 
tan 
 lim 
 .
→  →  sec 
tanh   
Hence lim   .
 →  tan   

(b) lim 
→    

ln 
 

ln  
Sol. lim  
→    
    
  
   lim   lim  (by L'Hospital's rule)
ln  →     ln 

 →  ln       
ln   

 ln  ln   
 lim   lim  (by L'Hospital's rule)
→  ln      →  ln 




(c) lim 
→

  
tan   



 
tan    
Sol. Note that lim   lim   . (by L'Hospital's rule)
 →  →


 
tan        
lim
 → 
 
 
 

tan      lim 
→    tan


 lim 
 →   tan   
 

(by L'Hospital's rule)



 

 lim  

 tan  
→
  
 
Chapter 4. - 9 -

Or putting   tan   ,
 tan  sec 

lim 
 → 

   
tan   

tan 

 
 lim      lim   lim 
 tan 

→  
 
tan    sec  
(by L'Hospital's rule)
→   →  

tan 
   tan 
 tan  
 lim   lim 

 tan    sec   tan 
→  → 
  sec  

tan  sec 
Notice that lim 

 lim    by L'Hospital's rule.

→   →  

tan 
  tan 
  ⋅
Hence lim
→  
 




tan      lim     .
→  
tan



 sec  



3. The figure shows a sector of a circle with central angle  . Let    be the area of the segment
between the chord  and the arc  . Let    be the area of the triangle  .
  
Find the lim 
  

.
→

  
Sol. Let 
  . Then            sin        sin  
  
  
and       sin      cos   sin      sin    cos  .
  
     sin    cos 
lim 
  
 lim   lim 
sin    cos   
(by L'Hospital's rule)
→  
→  
→   cos    cos    sin 
  cos 
 lim 
→  cos    cos     cos  
 
 lim 
 cos   
 .

 → 

              
4. If  ″ is continuous, show that lim 
  ″   .
→  

                ′       ′    
Sol. lim 
 lim  (by L'Hospital's rule)

→   →

 ′′     ′′   
 lim  (by L'Hospital's rule)
→  
  ″ (by the continuity of  ″)