CALCULUS CHALLENGE!

By Deep Ghoshal
Calculus has acquired the major portion of my heart since when I have had an
acquaintance with her. Probably the best part of mathematics for me in this two
years of mathematical journey, she has proved her extraordinariness by the
way she needs to be tackled. Knowledge, tricks and ingenuity are the part and
parcel of calculus problems, alongside which you require the Art of Problem
Solving (the name sake of AoPS, hah!). Today I dream calculus, rise with
calculus, sleep with calculus, and she keeps lingering in my mind throughout
my day. While knowing her, I have come across some interesting problems
which I would like to share with my fellow Mathlinkers, so that they too can
grasp the mundanity of calculus. Hope you will enjoy them!
1. For x 2 , prove that

( x 1) cos
x cos 1
x 1
x
2. Let f be a function, differentiable on (0, ) and f(0)=1. Further given that

f ( x) e xx 0 . Prove that,

c 0 such that f ' (c) e c

3. Let n>1 be a positive integer. f : [a, b] R , f being continuous in [a,b]

and n times differentiable in (a,b). If graph of y = f(x) has (n+1) collinear
n
points, then show that f (c) 0 for some c (a, b) .
4. Find all continuous f : R R , f(0)=1 and f (2 x) f ( x) x x R .
5. Let f : [a, b] R , b a 4 is differentiable in the open interval (a,b).
Prove that x0 (a, b) such that
6. Find all real solutions of

f ' ( x0 ) 1 f ( x0 ) .
2

3x 4 x 5 x .

7. ABC is right angled triangle right angled at C and BAC . The point D
is chosen on AB so that AC AD 1 . The point E is so chosen on BC so
that

CDE . The perpendicular to BC at E meets AB at F. Find

lim EF .
0

8. Let f : R (0, ) be a differentiable function. Suppose x R we

have f ' ( x) f ( f ( x)) . Show that no such function exists.
9. Given a>0. Define the sequence

xn n1

as follows. x1=1 and

1
a
xn
n N . Show that xn converges to
2
xn

xn 1

a . Prove the

convergence first.

f : (0,1] R be differentiable such that f ' ( x) 1

10. Let

x (0,1] .

1
Prove that f is convergent.
n n 1

11. Let
T>0,

f : (0,1] R be a continuous function and periodic with period

i.e., f(x+T)=f(x) x R . Prove that x0
such that

f x0 f x0 .
2

12. Prove that there is a unique function f : [0, ) [0, ) such that fof(x) =
6x - f(x) and f(x)>0

x .

13. Let (0,1) . Consider the sequence given by xn 1 xn (1 ) xn 1

n 1 . Find the limit of the sequence in terms of , x0 and x1.
14. Let f : [a, b] R be a differentiable function such that 0 f ' ( x) 1
3

b 2
b 8
and f(a)=0. Show that 3 f ( x)dx f ( x) dx
a
a

15. Find

(a)

xn , x0 0, xn
lim xn n ?
n

lim 2 2 2 ...... 3
n

n 2 xn 1

being

{n

radicals}.

non-negative.

(b)
Then

xf ( x )
16. f is a real valued function such that f(1)=1 and f ' ( x) e
. Prove that
1
lim f ( x) 1
x
e

17. For any real number >1, denote by f() the real solution to the equation
x(1 ln x) . Prove that
lim

f ( )

ln

18. Let f : [1,13] R is a convex and integrable function. Prove that:

3

13

11

f ( x)dx f ( x)dx f ( x)dx .

19. Prove that the polynomial f ( x) ax bx cx d has three distinct
real zero points iff it has two extremal values with opposite sign.
3

20. P(x) be a polynomial with real coefficients. deg(P) 2 . Prove that it is

not possible that whenever P(x) is an integer , x is also an integer i.e., there
exists
such that
.
Special thanks to Abhinandan Dalal for helping me out in LaTeX.