query11

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course mth 173

7/26 4

If you are unable to attempt a solution, give a phrase-by-phrase interpretation of the problem along with a statement of what you do or do not understand about it.  This response should be given, based on the work you did in completing the assignment, before you look at the given solution. 

011. `query 11

 

 

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Question: `q problem 1.7.6 (was 1.11.4) continuity of x / (x^2+2) on (-2,2)is the function continuous on the given interval and if so, why?

 

 

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Your solution:

f(x) = x / (x^2+2) on (-2,2)

The numerator is continuous but we must check if there are any 0's on this interval in the denominator.

g(x) = x^2 + 2 on (-2, 2)

x^2 + 2 = 0

x^2 = -2

x^2 cannot = -2 so the denominator is never 0 and the function is continuous.

confidence rating #$&*: 3

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Given Solution:

 ** The denominator would never be 0, since x^2 must always be positive. So you could never have division by zero, and the function is therefore defined for every value of x. The function also has a smooth graph on this interval and is therefore continuous.

 

The same is true of the correct Problem 4, which is 1 / `sqrt(2x-5) on [3,4]. On this interval 2x-5 ranges continuously from 2*3-5=1 to 2*4-5=3, so the denominator ranges continuously from 1 to `sqrt(3) and the function itself ranges continuously from 1 / 1 to 1 / `sqrt(3). **

 

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Self-critique (if necessary):

 

 

 OK

 

 

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Self-critique Rating:

3

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Question: `q query problem 1.7.24 5th; 1.7.20 4th (was 1.11.9) continuity of sin(x) / x, x<>0; 1/2 for x = 0. Where is the function continuous and where is it not continuous?

 

 

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Your solution:

 

 The function is not continuous because as x approaches 0 the equation sin(x)/x approaches 1 and then at 0 the function is defined by g(x) = .5 so the graph contains a skip and is not one smooth line.

 

 

confidence rating #$&*: 3

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Given Solution:

 ** Division by zero is not defined, so sin(x) / x cannot exist at x = 0. The function is, however, not defined at x = 0 by sin(x) / x; the definition says that at x = 0, the function is equal to 1/2.

 

It remains to see what happens to sin(x) / x as x approaches zero. Does the function approach its defined value 1/2, in which case the value of the function at x = 0 would equal its limiting value x = 0 and the function would be continuous; does it approach some other number, in which case the limiting value and the function value at x = 0 would not the equal and the function would not be continuous; or does the limit at x = 0 perhaps not exist, in which case we could not have continuity.

 

Substituting small nonzero values of x into sin(x) / x will yield results close to 1, and the closer x gets to 0 the closer the result gets to 1. So we expect that the limiting value of the function at x = 0 is 1, not 1/2. It follows that the function is not continuous. **

 

 

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Self-critique (if necessary):

 

 OK

 

 

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Self-critique Rating:

OK

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Question: `q Query problem

 

Find lim (cos h - 1 ) / h, h -> 0.

 

What is the limit and how did you get it?

 

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Your solution:

 

cos h -1 will approach 0 as h approaches 0 so the limit is 0.

 

 

confidence rating #$&*: 1

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Given Solution:

 ** For h = .1, .01, .001 the values of (cos(h)-1 ) / h are -0.04995834722, -0.004999958472, -0.0005. The limit is zero. **

 

 

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Self-critique (if necessary):

 

 I don't quite understand this. Both the numerator and the denominator approach very small numbers won't the limit be one very small number divided by another very small number and therefore we don't actually know what the result of the division will be. I'm guess that the numerator approaches 0 at a faster rate than the denominator and there for in the long run your would get a significantly smaller number divided by a significantly larger number and therefore the limit will be 0 but I don't see how you proved this in your given solution.

 

@&

Good question.

The given solution didn't prove the limit. At this point the limit is just made plausible by calculation.

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As it turns out we know how cos(h) - 1 behaves for very small values of h, and it isn't difficult to prove in terms of the circular-model definition of the cosine function that it approaches zero more and more quickly than does the value of h, resulting in a limiting value of zero.

*@

 

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Self-critique Rating: 3

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Question: `q Query Add comments on any surprises or insights you experienced as a result of this assignment.

 

 

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Self-critique (if necessary):

From class notes I really found it interesting that the surface area of the cylinder approached infinity as we made the height approach 0. On a large scale I would have imagined that perhaps the surface area remained constant because as you make the sides smaller you will make the top and bottom wider. On T.V I watched something about how if you add infinitely many sides to a figure (like adding more sides to an octagon…making it no longer an octagon) than the length of the perimeter approaches infinity. At least I think thats how I remember it.

 

 

@&

What you are describing sounds a lot like the Sierpinski curve, which also approaches infinite length between two points which are a finite distance apart.

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Self-critique Rating: 3

&#This looks good. See my notes. Let me know if you have any questions. &#