- Difficulty
- Standard
- Suggested time
- 4 min
- Marks
- 2
The definition of the derivative practice question 19
Let . Which statement about at is correct?
Test each claim against the limit that defines . What does the difference quotient at 0 look like for this ?
Compute the difference quotient at 0: . What is left after cancelling?
For , ; for , it is . Does one formula for cover both sides?
Theory UBC Math 100 §3.3CLP-1 §2.2Key results
Worked solution
Strategy
Decide differentiability at 0 from the definition. The difference quotient of x|x| at 0 simplifies to |h|, whose limit is 0 from both sides. Away from 0, write f piece by piece.
Working
f(0) = 0, and one factor of h cancels.
The one-sided limits agree, so f′(0) exists and equals 0.
Unlike |x|, the graph has no corner at 0: both pieces are flat there.
Away from 0, differentiate each piece. The formula 2x is wrong on the left.
Answer
The answer is f is differentiable at 0, and f prime of 0 is 0.
Check
The chords from the origin to x = 0.01 and x = −0.01 both have slope 0.01, shrinking to 0 with the step, so there is no corner.
Where this goes wrong
Calling x|x| non-differentiable at 0 because |x| has a corner there. The extra factor x flattens the corner: the difference quotient is |h|, which tends to 0 from both sides.
Leans on
One-sided limits, from Limits
Try a similar question
Let . Which statement about at is correct?Saved in this browser only.