MTH 111-2023

Assignment 1 : Real Numbers, Sequences

m
1. Find the supremum of the set { |m|+n : n ∈ N, m ∈ Z}.
1
2. Let A be a non-empty subset of R and α ∈ R. Show that α = supA if and only if α − n is
not an upper bound of A but α + n1 is an upper bound of A for every n ∈ N.

3. Let y ∈ (1, ∞) and x ∈ (0, 1). Evaluate limn→∞ (2n)y xn .

4. For a ∈ R, let x1 = a and xn+1 = 14 (x2n + 3) for all n ∈ N. Show that (xn ) converges if and
only if |a| ≤ 3. Moreover, find the limit of the sequence when it converges.

5. Show that the sequence (xn ) defined by x1 = 12 and xn+1 = 71 x3n + 2 for n ∈ N satisfies the

Cauchy criterion.

6. Let xn = 1 + 12 + 31 + ... + n1 for n ∈ N. Show that |x2n − xn | ≥ 1

2 for every n ∈ N. Does the
sequence (xn ) satisfy the Cauchy criterion ?

7. Let (xn ) be defined by x1 = 1, x2 = 2 and xn+2 = xn +x

2
n+1
for n ≥ 1. Show that (xn )
xn+1 xn
converges. Further, by observing that xn+2 + 2 = xn+1 + 2 , find the limit of (xn ).

Assignment 2 : Continuity, Existence of minimum, Intermediate Value Property

1. Let [x] denote the integer part of the real number x. Suppose f (x) = g(x)h(x) where g(x) =
[x2 ] √
and h(x) = sin 2πx. Discuss the continuity/discontinuity of f, g and h at x = 2 and
x = 2.

2. Determine the points of continuity for the function f : R → R defined by


2x if x is rational
f (x) =
x + 3 if x is irrational.

3. Let f : R → R be a continuous function and let x0 , c ∈ R. Show that if f (x0 ) > c, then there
exists a δ > 0 such that f (x) > c for all x ∈ (x0 − δ, x0 + δ).

4. Let f : [0, 1] → (0, 1) be an on-to function. Show that f is not continuous on [0, 1].

5. Let f : [a, b] → R and for every x ∈ [a, b] there exists y ∈ [a, b] such that |f (y)| < 12 |f (x)|.
Find inf{|f (x)| : x ∈ [a, b]}. Show that f is not continuous on [a, b].

6. Let f : [0, 2] → R be a continuous function and f (0) = f (2). Prove that there exist real
numbers x1 , x2 ∈ [0, 2] such that x2 − x1 = 1 and f (x2 ) = f (x1 ).

7. Let p be an odd degree polynomial and g : R → R be a bounded continuous function.

Show that there exists x0 ∈ R such that p(x0 ) = g(x0 ). Further show that the equation
1
x13 − 3x10 + 4x + sinx = 1+x 2
2 + cos x has a solution in R.

Assignment 3 : Derivatives, Maxima and Minima, Rolle’s Theorem

1. Show that the function f (x) = x | x | is differentiable at 0. More generally, if f is continuous

at 0, then g(x) = xf (x) is differentiable at 0.
2. Prove that if f : R−→R is an even function (i.e., f (−x) = f (x) for all x ∈ R) and has a
derivative at every point, then the derivative f 0 is an odd function (i.e.,f (−x) = −f (x) for
all x ∈ R).

3. Show that among all triangles with given base and the corresponding vertex angle, the isosceles
triangle has the maximum area.

4. Show that exactly two real values of x satisfy the equation x2 = xsinx + cosx.

5. Suppose f is continuous on [a, b], differentiable on (a, b) and satisfies f 2 (a) − f 2 (b) = a2 − b2 .
Then show that the equation f 0 (x)f (x) = x has at least one root in (a, b).

6. Let f : (−1, 1) → R be twice differentiable. Suppose f ( n1 ) = 0 for all n ∈ N. Show that

f 0 (0) = f 00 (0) = 0.

7. Let f : (−1, 1) → R be a twice differentiable function such that f 00 (0) > 0. Show that there
exists n ∈ N such that f ( n1 ) 6= 1.

Assignment 4 : Mean Value Theorem, Taylor’s Theorem, Curve Sketching

1. Show that ny n−1 (x − y) ≤ xn − y n ≤ nxn−1 (x − y) if 0 < y ≤ x, n ∈ N.

2. Let f : [0, 1] → R be differentiable, f ( 12 ) = 12 and 0 < α < 1. Suppose |f 0 (x)| ≤ α for all
x ∈ [0, 1]. Show that |f (x)| < 1 for all x ∈ [0, 1].

3. Let f : [a, b] → R be continuous on [a, b] and differentiable on (a, b). Suppose that f (a) = a
and f (b) = b. Show that there is c ∈ (a, b) such that f 0 (c) = 1. Further, show that there are
distinct c1 , c2 ∈ (a, b) such that f 0 (c1 ) + f 0 (c2 ) = 2.

4. Using Cauchy Mean Value Theorem, show that

x2
(a) 1 − 2! < cos x for x 6= 0.
x3
(b) x − 3! < sin x for x > 0.
1
5. Find lim (6 − x) x−5 and lim (1 + x1 )x .
x−→5 x−→0+

x2
6. Sketch the graphs of f (x) = x3 − 6x2 + 9x + 1 and f (x) = x2 −1
.

7. (a) Let f : [a, b] → R be such that f 00 (x) ≥ 0 for all x ∈ [a, b]. Suppose x0 ∈ [a, b]. Show
that for any x ∈ [a, b]
f (x) ≥ f (x0 ) + f 0 (x0 )(x − x0 )
i.e., the graph of f lies above the tangent line to the graph at (x0 , f (x0 )).
(b) Show that cos y − cos x ≥ (x − y) sin x for all x, y ∈ [ π2 , 3π
2 ].

8. Suppose f is a three times differentiable function on [−1, 1] such that f (−1) = 0, f (1) = 1
and f 0 (0) = 0. Using Taylor’s theorem show that f 000 (c) ≥ 3 for some c ∈ (−1, 1).

Assignment 5 : Series, Power Series, Taylor Series

1. Let f : [0, 1] → R and an = f ( n1 ) − f ( n+11

then ∞
P
). Show that if f is continuous n=1 an
0
P∞
converges and if f is differentiable and |f (x)| < 1 for all x ∈ [0, 1] then n=1 |an | converges.

2. In each of the following cases, discuss the convergence/divergence of the series ∞

P
n=1 an where
an equals:
 √ √
n+1− n n 1 n(n+1)
(b) 1 − cos n1 (c) 2−n−(−1)


(a) n (d) 1+ n
logn
(e) n ln n
2n (f) np , (p > 1) (g) e−n (cos n)n2 sin n1
∞ ∞
P P an+1 bn+1
3. Let an and bn be series of positive terms satisfying an ≤ bn for all n ≥ N. Show
n=1 n=1
∞ ∞ ∞
P P P nn−2
that if bn converges then an also converges. Test the series en n! for convergence.
n=1 n=1 n=1
1 1 3 1 5 1 7
4. Show that the series 41
+ 52
+ 43
+ 54
+ 45
+ 56
+ 47
+ · · · converges.
P∞ n 1
5. Show that the series n=1 (−1) sin n converges but not absolutely.
∞
P (x−1)2n
6. Determine the values of x for which the series n2 3n
converges.
n=1
P∞ (−1)n 2n
7. Show that cos x = n=0 (2n)! x , x ∈ R.

Assignment 6: Integration
1
1. Using Riemann’s criterion for the integrability, show that f (x) = x is integrable on [1, 2].

2. If f and g are continuous functions on [a, b] and if g(x) ≥ 0 for a ≤ x ≤ b, then show the mean
Rb Rb
value theorem for integrals : there exists c ∈ [a, b] such that f (x)g(x)dx = f (c) g(x)dx.
a a

R1
(a) Show that there is no continuous function f on [0, 1] such that xn f (x)dx = √1 for all n ∈
n
0
N.
Rb
(b) If f is contiunuous on [a, b] then show that there exists c ∈ [a, b] such that a f (x)dx =
f (c)(b − a).
Rb Rb
(c) If f and g are continuous on [a, b] and a f (x)dx = a g(x)dx then show that there exists
c ∈ [a, b] such that f (c) = g(c).
R2
3. Let f : [0, 2] → R be a continuous function such that 0 f (x)dx = 2. Find the value of
R2 Rx
0 [xf (x) + 0 f (t)dt]dx.

Rx Ru Rx
4. Show that ( f (t)dt)du = f (u)(x − u)du, assuming f to be continuous.
0 0 0
1
5. Let f : [0, 1] → R be a positive continuous function. Show that limn→∞ (f ( n1 )f ( n2 )···f ( nn )) n =
R1
lnf (x)
e 0 .

Assignment 7: Improper Integrals

1. Test the convergence/divergence of the following improper integrals:

R1 R1 R1 log R1
(a) dx √
(b) dx
(c) √x (d) sin(1/x)dx.
log(1+ x) x−log(1+x) x
0 0 0 0

R∞ sin(1/x) R∞ R∞ π/2
2
e−x dx sin x2 dx,
R
(e) x dx (f ) (g) (h) cot xdx.
1 0 0 0
R∞ 1−e−x
2. Determine all those values of p for which the improper integral 0 xp dx converges.
 R∞ sin2 x R∞ sin x R∞ sin2 x
3. Show that the integrals x2
dx and x dx converge. Further, prove that x2
dx =
0 0 0
R∞ sin x
x dx.
0

R∞ x log x
4. Show that (1+x2 )2
dx = 0.
0

5. Prove the following statements.

R1
(a) Let f be an increasing function on (0,1) and the improper integral 0 f (x) exist. Then
R 1− 1 f ( 1 )+f ( n
2
)+···+f ( n−1 ) R1
i. 0 n f (x)dx ≤ n n
n
≤ 1 f (x)dx.
n
1
f( n 2
)+f ( n )+···+f ( n−1 ) R1
ii. limn→∞ n
n
= 0 f (x)dx.
1
ln n 2
+ln n +···+ln n−1
(b) limn→∞ n
n
= −1.
√
n
(c) limn→∞ nn! = 1e .