Answers midterm Introduction to Mathematics 2023-2024

1. Apply polynomial division to

−4x 3 + 8x 2 − 9x + 5
.
3 − 2x

−4x 3 +8x 2 −9x +5 ÷ 3 − 2x = 2x 2 − x + 3

−4x 3 +6x 2 ← 2x (3 − 2x)
2

2x 2 −9x +5
2x 2 −3x ← −x(3 − 2x)
−6x +5
−6x +9 ← 3(3 − 2x)
−4
Therefore,
−4x 3 + 8x 2 − 9x + 5 −4
= 2x 2 − x + 3 + .
3 − 2x 3 − 2x

(a) +1 point Correct first term.

(b) +1 point Correct numerator after first step.

(c) +1 point Correct second term.

(d) +1 point Correct numerator after second step.

(e) +1 point Correct third term.

(f) +1 point Correct numerator after third step.

(g) +1 point Correct conclusion.

2. Determine all values of x such that

X
3
(4 − k)x k = 6x.
k=1

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 Expanding the summation sign yields

X
3
(4 − k)x k = 6x ⇐⇒ (4 − 1)x 1 + (4 − 2)x 2 + (4 − 3)x 3 = 6x
k=1

⇐⇒ x 3 + 2x 2 − 3x = 0
⇐⇒ x(x 2 + 2x − 3) = 0
⇐⇒ x(x + 3)(x − 1) = 0
⇐⇒ [x = 0 ∨ x = −3 ∨ x = 1].

(a) +2 points Summation expanded correctly.

(b) +1 point Candidate solution x = 0 is found.

(c) +1 point One correct solution to a quadratic equation is found.

(d) +1 point The other correct solution to a quadratic equation is found.

(e) +1 point The equation is solved using equivalences only, or all candidate
solutions are checked.

(f) −1 point Minor mistake.

3. Consider the function

|3t − 2| − 1
g(t) = .
ln( 12 − t)
Determine all values of t in the domain of g where g(t) ≥ 0.

Note that the left-hand side of this inequality is the quotient of the two expressions
|3t − 2| − 1 and ln( 12 − t). We first determine where these two expressions are zero
or undefined.

• If 3t − 2 ≥ 0, we have |3t − 2| = 3t − 2. The equation |3t − 2| − 1 = 0 in this

case reduces to 3t − 2 − 1 = 0, which holds if and only if t = 1. (Indeed, our
hypothesis that 3t − 2 ≥ 0 holds here.)
Alternatively, if 3t − 2 < 0, we have |3t − 2| = 2 − 3t. The equation |3t −
2| − 1 = 0 in this case reduces to 2 − 3t − 1 = 0, which holds if and only if
t = 13 . (Indeed, our hypothesis that 3t − 2 < 0 holds here.)
The expression |3t − 2| − 1 is defined for all t.

• Moving on to ln( 12 − t), we have ln( 21 − t) = 0 ⇐⇒ 1

2 − t = e0 = 1 ⇐⇒ t =
− 12 .
Note that ln( 12 − t) is only defined if 1
2 − t > 0, that is, when t < 21 .

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 We can therefore create the following sign diagram:

t − 12 1
3
1
2 1
|3t − 2| − 1 + + + 0 − − − 0 +
ln( 21 − t) + 0 − − − N N N N
g(t) + N − 0 + N N N N

We conclude that g(t) ≥ 0 if and only if t < − 21 or 1

3 ≤ t < 21 .

(a) +1 point Finding one root of the numerator.

(b) +1 point Finding the other root of the numerator.

(c) +1 point Finding the root of the denominator.

(d) +1 point Noting that the logarithm is only defined if its argument is positive.

(e) +1 point Correct signs for the numerator.

(f) +1 point Correct signs for the denominator.

(g) +1 point Correct signs for g(t).

(h) +1 point Correct conclusion.

4. Use the derivative to show that h(x) = e2x + 2e x+1 − e is strictly increasing.

The derivative of h is h′ (x) = 2e2x + 2e x+1 . Both of these terms are positive for all
x, so h′ (x) > 0 for all x, so the function is strictly increasing.

(a) +1 point Correct derivative.

(b) +1 point An argument that the derivative is always positive.

5. Because h(x) = e2x + 2e x+1 − e is strictly increasing, it has an inverse h−1 . Determine a
formula for h−1 .

Let y be some value from the range of h(x), and note that

e2x + 2e x+1 − e = y ⇐⇒ (e x )2 + 2e(e x ) − e − y = 0.

To solve this equation for x, we first solve it for u = e x . Under this substitution,

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 the equation reads
p
−2e ± (2e)2 − 4 · 1 · (−e − y)
u + 2eu − e − y = 0 ⇐⇒ u =
2
2·1
Æ
⇐⇒ u = −e ± e2 − (−e − y)
Æ
⇐⇒ u = −e ± e2 + e + y.

p leaves us with two options for u = e . However, note thatp−e < 0 and
x
This
− e + e + y ≤ 0. It follows that one of the options is e x = u = −e− e2 + e + y <
2

0, but this is not possible, since e x is always positive. To only remaining option is
Æ € Æ Š
e x = −e + e2 + e + y ⇐⇒ x = ln −e + e2 + e + y .
p
We conclude that h−1 ( y) = ln(−e + e2 + e + y).

(a) +1 point The student (implicitly) attempts to solve the equation e2x +2e x+1 −
e = y for x.

(b) +1 point The student (implicitly) attempts to solve the equation (e x )2 +

2e(e x ) − e − y = 0 for e x .

(c) +2 points The quadratic formula yields two candidates for e x .

p
(d) +1 point An argument that e x = −e − e2 + e + y < 0 is not possible.

(e) +1 point Correct inverse function. If the previous criterion is not awarded,
this criterion can still be awarded by giving both formulas.

(f) −1 point Minor mistake.

6. Recall that h(x) = e2x + 2e x+1 − e is a strictly increasing function. Determine the domain
of the inverse of h(x).

The domain of h(x) consists of all real x. When x → −∞, we see e2x → 0 and
2e x+1 → 0, such that h(x) → −e. Because h is strictly increasing, this value is never
attained. If x → ∞, we see e2x → ∞ and 2e x+1 → ∞, such that h(x) → ∞.
This value can never be attained by any real x. (The argument that this value is
never attained because h(x) is strictly increasing also works here.) The range of h
is therefore (−e, ∞), which equals the domain of the inverse of h.

(a) +1 point The student (implicitly) attempts to find the range of h(x).

(b) +1 point Correct limit as x → −∞.

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 (c) +1 point Correct limit as x → ∞.

(d) +1 point Correct conclusion.

7. Let a be a constant. Determine the tangent to the graph of

a + ln r
s(r) =
r2
at the point (r, s) = (1, a).

The quotient rule shows

1/r · r 2 − (a + ln r) · 2r
s′ (r) =
(r 2 )2
r − 2r(a + ln r)
=
r4
1 − 2a − 2 ln r
= .
r3
It follows that s′ (1) = 1 − 2a, such that the tangent is

s = a + (1 − 2a)(r − 1).

(a) +2 points Correct use of the quotient rule.

(b) +2 points Correct value of the slope. Students can earn one point for this
criterion if they used implicit differentiation and arrived at s′ (1) = 1 − 3a.

(c) +2 points Correct tangent.

(d) −1 point Minor mistake.

(e) −1 point Minor mistake.

(f) −1 point Minor mistake.

8. Consider the function f (x) = x 3x with domain x > 0. Determine the second-order deriva-
tive f ′′ (x).

Observe that the logarithm of f (x) is ln( f (x)) = 3x ln x, such that logarithmic
differentiation yields
 ‹
d(3x ln x) 3x
f ′ (x) = f (x) = x 3x 3 · ln(x) + = 3x 3x (1 + ln x) .
dx x
To find the second-order derivative, we have to use the product rule. We just estab-

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 lished that the derivative of x 3x is 3x 3x (1 + ln x), so it follows that the derivative
of 3x 3x is 9x 3x (1 + ln x). Since we know how to differentiate 1 + ln x, the product
rule yields

1
f ′′ (x) = 9x 3x (1 + ln x) · (1 + ln x) + 3x 3x ·
 ‹ x
1
= 3x 3x 3(1 + ln x)2 + .
x

(a) +1 point Correct simplification of ln( f (x)) to 3x ln x.

(b) +1 point Correct derivative of ln( f (x)).

(c) +1 point Correct first-order derivative f ′ (x).

(d) +1 point Correct use of the product rule.

(e) +1 point Correct derivative of 3x 3x .

(f) +1 point Correct derivative of 1 + ln x.

(g) +1 point Correct combination of the above to f ′′ (x).

9. The function f (p) = 5p + p5 has an inverse g(q). Find the elasticity of g(q) with respect
to q in the point q = f (1) = 6.

This exercise can be solved using the inverse function theorem or implicit differ-
entiation. We show how to use the implicit function theorem first. Note that
f (1) = 6, such that g(6) = 1. Moreover, the inverse function theorem shows
1
g ′ (6) = .
f ′ (1)
Because f ′ (p) = 5 + 5p4 , we have f ′ (1) = 10 and g ′ (6) = 1
10 . It then follows that
6 ′ 6 1
Elq g(6) = g (6) = 1 · 10 = 35 .
g(6)

As an alternative, one can use implicit differentiation. Treat p as a function of q,

and differentiate both sides of
q = 5p + p5
with respect to q to find
1
1 = 5p′ + 5p4 p′ ⇐⇒ p′ = .
5 + 5p4
When p = 1, this also yields g ′ (6) = p′ = 1
10 . The computation of Elq g(6) is then
the same as above.

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(a) +2 points The student uses the implicit function theorem to show g ′ (6) =
1/ f ′ (1), or the student differentiates q = 5p + p5 on both sides with respect
to q, treating p as a function of q.

(b) +1 point Differentiation yields f ′ (p) = 5 + 5p4 , or 1 = 5p′ + 5p4 p′ .

(c) +1 point Substitution of p = 1.

(d) +1 point Correct value of elasticity.

(e) −1 point Minor mistake.

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