In Class problem sheet number: 4; Wednesday, January 18 2017;

4. 1.From
Fromthethe
graph of tof, state
graph the the
g, state intervals on which
intervals t is g is continuous.
on which
continuous.
y

_4 _2 2 4 6 8 x

58Solution 1: graph of a function f that is continuous except for

Sketch the
the stated discontinuity.
5. gDiscontinuous,
is continuous but
on the following
continuous intervals:
from the right, at 2
6. [ 4, 2), (2, 2at),!1
Discontinuities [2,and
4), 4,(4, , (6, 8). from the left at !1
but6)continuous
and from the right at 4
7. Removable discontinuity at 3, jump discontinuity at 5
8. Neither left nor right continuous at !2, continuous only from
the left at 2

available at stewartcalculus.com
x2 4
 
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2. Use continuity to evaluate the limit lim arctan .
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x 2 3x2 6x
Solution 2:

Inverse trigonometric functions are continuous at every number in their domain (a useful
fact to remember). Therefore,
 arctan is continuous.
  Now if you write
x 2 4 x 2 4
f ( g( x )) = arctan 3x2 6x
i.e., g( x ) = 3x2 6x
and f ( x ) = arctan( x ). As f is continuous
function thus lim f ( g( x )) = f ( lim g( x )).
x 2 x 2
 2
x 4 ( x2) ( x + 2)
  
4 2
lim g( x ) = lim = lim = = .

x 2 2
x 2 3x 6x x 2 3x( x 2)
 
6 3
2
= lim f ( g( x )) = arctan( ) 0.5880
x 2 3

1
3. Find the values of a and b that make f continuous everywhere.
2
x 4
x 2
if x < 2
f ( x ) = ax2 bx + 3 if 2 x < 3

2x a + b if x 3

Solution 3:

x2 4 ( x2) ( x + 2)
   
At x = 2: lim = lim = lim ( x + 2) = 4 and

x 2 x2 x 2 ( x2)
 x 2
2
lim ax bx + 3 = 4a 2b + 3. Thus for f ( x ) to be continuous at x = 2,
x 2+
4a 2b + 3 = 4 = 4a 2b = 1 (1)

At x = 3: lim ( ax2 bx + 3) = 9a 3b + 3 and lim (2x a + b) = 6 a + b. Thus for f ( x )

x 3 x 3+
to be continuous at x = 3 we must have 9a 3b + 3 = 6 a + b = 10a 4b = 3 (2)

Solving (1) and (2)

4a 2b = 1 2 Substituting a = 1/2 to eq. (1)

10a 4b = 3 4(1/2) 2b = 1 = b = 1/2 .

2a = 1 = a = 1/2
Thus a = b = 1/2 for f ( x ) to be continuous on (, ).

4. A Tibetan monk leaves the monastery at 7:00 AM and takes his usual path to the top of
the mountain, arriving at 7:00 PM. The following morning, he starts at 7:00 AM at the top
and takes the same path back, arriving at the monastery at 7:00 PM. Use the Intermediate
Value Theorem to show that there is a point on the path that the monk will cross at exactly
the same time of day on both days.

Solution 4:

Let d be the distance between the monastery and the top of the hill.
Define x1 (t) to be the distance traveled by the monk in t hours on day one and similarly
define x2 (t) to be the distance traveled by the monk in t hours on day two.

In the above setup x1 (0) = 0, x1 (12) = d, x2 (0) = d and x2 (12) = 0.

Next consider the function ( x1 x2 )(t), which is continuous on [d, d]. Also, note that
( x1 x2 )(0) = d and ( x1 x2 )(12) = d.

Therefore, due to the Intermediate Value Theorem there must be a time t0 ; 0 < t0 < 12,
where ( x1 x2 )(t0 ) = 0 = x1 (t0 ) = x2 (t0 ).