The equation of a curve is .
- (a)
Show that .
- (b)
Find, in terms of , the -coordinate of the stationary point for .
- (c)
Explain why is never decreasing.
- (d)
What does your answer to part (c) imply about the stationary point found in part (b)?
Explain your answer.
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Worked solution
8(a)
1. Differentiate the function using the product rule.
Let .
Using the product rule:
2. Factorise and apply trigonometric identity to show the required result.
Factorising out :
Using the identity :
(Shown)
8(b)
1. Set the derivative to zero to find the stationary point
For a stationary point, .
2. Solve the resulting trigonometric equation for x
Since for all , we must have:
For , the principal value is:
8(c)
1. State the condition for a function to be never decreasing
A function is never decreasing if its derivative for all in its domain.
2. Analyse the sign of the components of the derivative
From part (a), .
For all real , .
For all real where is defined, .
Thus, for all valid .
Since , is never decreasing.
Since and for all , for all . Therefore, is never decreasing.
8(d)
1. Relate the non-decreasing nature of the curve to the gradient around the stationary point
Since is never decreasing, for all in the domain. This means the gradient is positive both immediately before and immediately after the stationary point at .
2. Conclude the nature of the stationary point
Because the gradient does not change sign as it passes through zero, the stationary point is a point of inflexion.
The stationary point is a point of inflexion.
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