009A Sample Final 1, Problem 2

Consider the following piecewise defined function:

$f(x)=\left\{{\begin{array}{lr}x+5&{\text{if }}x<3\\4{\sqrt {x+1}}&{\text{if }}x\geq 3\end{array}}\right.$

a) Show that $f(x)$ is continuous at $x=3.$

b) Using the limit definition of the derivative, and computing the limits from both sides, show that $f(x)$ is differentiable at $x=3.$

Foundations:
Recall:
1. $f(x)$  is continuous at $x=a$  if $\lim _{x\rightarrow a^{+}}f(x)=\lim _{x\rightarrow a^{-}}f(x)=f(a).$
2. The definition of derivative for $f(x)$  is  Failed to parse (Conversion error. Server ("https://wikimedia.org/api/rest_") reported: "Cannot get mml. Server problem."): {\displaystyle f'(x)=\lim _{h\rightarrow 0}{\frac {f(x+h)-f(x)}{h}}.}

Solution:

(a)

Step 1:
We first calculate $\lim _{x\rightarrow 3^{+}}f(x).$ We have
${\begin{array}{rcl}\displaystyle {\lim _{x\rightarrow 3^{+}}f(x)}&=&\displaystyle {\lim _{x\rightarrow 3^{+}}4{\sqrt {x+1}}}\\&&\\&=&\displaystyle {4{\sqrt {3+1}}}\\&&\\&=&\displaystyle {8.}\end{array}}$

Step 2:
Now, we calculate $\lim _{x\rightarrow 3^{-}}f(x).$ We have
${\begin{array}{rcl}\displaystyle {\lim _{x\rightarrow 3^{-}}f(x)}&=&\displaystyle {\lim _{x\rightarrow 3^{-}}x+5}\\&&\\&=&\displaystyle {3+5}\\&&\\&=&\displaystyle {8.}\end{array}}$

Step 3:
Now, we calculate $f(3).$ We have
$f(3)=4{\sqrt {3+1}}\,=\,8.$
Since $\lim _{x\rightarrow 3^{+}}f(x)=\lim _{x\rightarrow 3^{-}}f(x)=f(3),~f(x)$  is continuous.

(b)

Step 1:
We need to use the limit definition of derivative and calculate the limit from both sides.
So, we have
Failed to parse (MathML with SVG or PNG fallback (recommended for modern browsers and accessibility tools): Invalid response ("Math extension cannot connect to Restbase.") from server "https://wikimedia.org/api/rest_v1/":): {\displaystyle \begin{array}{rcl} \displaystyle{\lim_{h\rightarrow 0^-}\frac{f(3+h)-f(3)}{h}} & = & \displaystyle{\lim_{h\rightarrow 0^-}\frac{(3+h)+5-8}{h}}\\ &&\\ & = & \displaystyle{\lim_{h\rightarrow 0^-}\frac{h}{h}}\\ &&\\ & = & \displaystyle{\lim_{h\rightarrow 0^-}1}\\ &&\\ & = & \displaystyle{1.} \end{array}}

Step 2:
Now, we have
${\begin{array}{rcl}\displaystyle {\lim _{h\rightarrow 0^{+}}{\frac {f(3+h)-f(3)}{h}}}&=&\displaystyle {\lim _{h\rightarrow 0^{+}}{\frac {4{\sqrt {3+h+1}}-8}{h}}}\\&&\\&=&\displaystyle {\lim _{h\rightarrow 0^{+}}{\frac {4({\sqrt {4+h}}-{\sqrt {4}})}{h}}}\\&&\\&=&\displaystyle {\lim _{h\rightarrow 0^{+}}{\frac {4({\sqrt {4+h}}-{\sqrt {4}})({\sqrt {4+h}}+{\sqrt {4}})}{h({\sqrt {4+h}}+{\sqrt {4}})}}}\\&&\\&=&\displaystyle {\lim _{h\rightarrow 0^{+}}{\frac {4(4+h-4)}{h({\sqrt {4+h}}+{\sqrt {4}})}}}\\&&\\&=&\displaystyle {\lim _{h\rightarrow 0^{+}}{\frac {4h}{h({\sqrt {4+h}}+{\sqrt {4}})}}}\\&&\\&=&\displaystyle {\lim _{h\rightarrow 0^{+}}{\frac {4}{({\sqrt {4+h}}+{\sqrt {4}})}}}\\&&\\&=&\displaystyle {\frac {4}{2{\sqrt {4}}}}\\&&\\&=&\displaystyle {1.}\\\end{array}}$

Step 3:
Since Failed to parse (MathML with SVG or PNG fallback (recommended for modern browsers and accessibility tools): Invalid response ("Math extension cannot connect to Restbase.") from server "https://wikimedia.org/api/rest_v1/":): {\displaystyle \lim_{h\rightarrow 0^-}\frac{f(3+h)-f(3)}{h}=\lim_{h\rightarrow 0^+}\frac{f(3+h)-f(3)}{h},}
Failed to parse (MathML with SVG or PNG fallback (recommended for modern browsers and accessibility tools): Invalid response ("Math extension cannot connect to Restbase.") from server "https://wikimedia.org/api/rest_v1/":): {\displaystyle f(x)}   is differentiable at Failed to parse (MathML with SVG or PNG fallback (recommended for modern browsers and accessibility tools): Invalid response ("Math extension cannot connect to Restbase.") from server "https://wikimedia.org/api/rest_v1/":): {\displaystyle x=3.}

Final Answer:
(a) Since Failed to parse (MathML with SVG or PNG fallback (recommended for modern browsers and accessibility tools): Invalid response ("Math extension cannot connect to Restbase.") from server "https://wikimedia.org/api/rest_v1/":): {\displaystyle \lim_{x\rightarrow 3^+}f(x)=\lim_{x\rightarrow 3^-}f(x)=f(3),~f(x)}   is continuous.
(b) Since Failed to parse (MathML with SVG or PNG fallback (recommended for modern browsers and accessibility tools): Invalid response ("Math extension cannot connect to Restbase.") from server "https://wikimedia.org/api/rest_v1/":): {\displaystyle \lim_{h\rightarrow 0^-}\frac{f(3+h)-f(3)}{h}=\lim_{h\rightarrow 0^+}\frac{f(3+h)-f(3)}{h},}
Failed to parse (MathML with SVG or PNG fallback (recommended for modern browsers and accessibility tools): Invalid response ("Math extension cannot connect to Restbase.") from server "https://wikimedia.org/api/rest_v1/":): {\displaystyle f(x)}   is differentiable at Failed to parse (MathML with SVG or PNG fallback (recommended for modern browsers and accessibility tools): Invalid response ("Math extension cannot connect to Restbase.") from server "https://wikimedia.org/api/rest_v1/":): {\displaystyle x=3.}

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