Chapter 11: Problem 71
\(\lim _{x \rightarrow 1 / \alpha} \frac{1-\cos \left(c x^{2}+b x+a\right)}{(1-x \alpha)^{2}}\), where \(\alpha\) is a root of \(a x^{2}+b x+c=0\), is equal to (A) \(\frac{b^{2}-4 a c}{2 \alpha^{2}}\) (B) \(\frac{b^{2}-4 a c}{\alpha^{2}}\) (C) \(\frac{4 a c-b^{2}}{2 \alpha^{2}}\) (D) None of these
Short Answer
Step by step solution
Identify the Root
Substitute \( x = \frac{1}{\alpha} \) into the Expression
Simplify \( 1 - \cos(0) \) near the Root
Evaluate Limit Using L'Hôpital's Rule
Apply Simplified Expressions and Evaluate the Limit
Simplify Further to Match Answer Choices
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Key Concepts
These are the key concepts you need to understand to accurately answer the question.
Quadratic Equation Roots
Understanding how to derive these roots involves a few key ideas:
- Discriminant \( (b^2 - 4ac) \): This part of the formula helps determine the number and nature of the roots. If the discriminant is positive, you have two distinct real roots. If zero, there's one real root (a repeated root), and if negative, you'll end up with complex roots.
- Completing Square: An alternate method to derive the roots by rewriting the quadratic in a squared form. While the quadratic formula is often faster, completing the square provides a deeper understanding of the quadratic expressions.
L'Hôpital's Rule
Here's how to apply the rule correctly:
- Derivatives Needed: Differentiate both the numerator and denominator independently. This means you need to know derivative formulas for functions, like \( \cos(u) \), which derives into \( -\sin(u) \times u' \), and polynomial terms like \( ax \), which simply become \( a \).
- Evaluate New Limit: Once all derivatives are calculated, re-evaluate the limit with these derivatives. Often, it'll simplify out of the indeterminate form, allowing computation of the actual limit value.
Indeterminate Forms in Calculus
- Recognizing Indeterminate Forms: Knowing when an expression takes one of these forms is crucial for applying techniques like L'Hôpital's Rule or algebraic manipulation to find definitive answers.
- Other Techniques: Besides L'Hôpital's Rule, other methods include algebraic simplification, multiplying by conjugates, or using Taylor series expansions to rewrite complex expressions.