/*! This file is auto-generated */ .wp-block-button__link{color:#fff;background-color:#32373c;border-radius:9999px;box-shadow:none;text-decoration:none;padding:calc(.667em + 2px) calc(1.333em + 2px);font-size:1.125em}.wp-block-file__button{background:#32373c;color:#fff;text-decoration:none} Problem 58 Find the values of \(a\) such th... [FREE SOLUTION] | 91Ó°ÊÓ

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Find the values of \(a\) such that \(f(x)=\cos x-a x+b\) is decreasing everywhere.

Short Answer

Expert verified
For the function \(f(x) = \cos x - ax + b\) to be decreasing everywhere, the value of \(a\) must be greater than or equal to \(1\).

Step by step solution

01

Find the derivative of the function

First, we need to take the derivative of the function \(f(x) = \cos x - ax + b\) with respect to \(x\). We treat \(a\) and \(b\) as constants in this case. The derivative of the cosine function is \(-\sin x\), the derivative of a constant times \(x\) is the constant itself, and the derivative of a constant is zero. Therefore, the derivative of \(f(x)\) is given by: \(f'(x) = -\sin x - a\)
02

Determine when the derivative is less than or equal to zero

We want the function to be decreasing everywhere, so the derivative should be less than or equal to zero for all values of \(x\). In other words, we want to find when the following inequality holds: \(-\sin x - a \leq 0\) Now, let's solve for \(a\).
03

Manipulate inequality to isolate \(a\)

To isolate \(a\), we add \(\sin x\) to both sides of the inequality: \(-a \leq \sin x\) Now, multiply both sides by \(-1\) to eliminate the negative sign on \(a\). Keep in mind that when multiplying an inequality by a negative value, the inequality sign must be flipped: \(a \geq -\sin x\)
04

Find the maximum value of \(-\sin x\)

We know that the sine function has a range of \([-1, 1]\), meaning that its minimum value is \(-1\) and its maximum value is \(1\). Therefore, the maximum value of \(-\sin x\) is \(1\).
05

Determine the condition for \(a\)

Since we want \(a \geq -\sin x\) and the maximum value of \(-\sin x\) is \(1\), we can conclude that \(a \geq 1\). So for the function \(f(x) = \cos x - ax + b\) to be decreasing everywhere, the value of \(a\) must be greater than or equal to \(1\).

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Key Concepts

These are the key concepts you need to understand to accurately answer the question.

Derivative of a Function
Understanding the concept of the derivative is crucial in calculus. It measures how a function's value changes as its input changes—essentially, it gives the rate of change or the slope of the function at any point. For the given function, \( f(x) = \cos x - ax + b \), we identify each component of the function—\(\cos x\), \(ax\), and \(b\)—and find their derivatives separately.

The derivative of \(\cos x\) is \(-\sin x\) due to the trigonometric differentiation rule. For \(ax\), which is a linear term, the derivative is just the coefficient \(a\) because the derivative of \(x\) is 1. And since the derivative of a constant like \(b\) is 0, it disappears in the derivative. As a result, we combine these to find the overall derivative: \(f'(x) = -\sin x - a\), which we use for further analysis on the function's behavior.
First Derivative Test
The First Derivative Test is a powerful tool in calculus to determine whether a function is increasing or decreasing on certain intervals. A function is deduced to be decreasing where its first derivative is less than zero. For our function \(f(x)\), the derivative \(f'(x) = -\sin x - a\) tells us how the function behaves as \(x\) changes.

By setting the derivative less than or equal to zero, \( -\sin x - a \leq 0 \) , we can find the conditions on \(a\) that make the function decrease everywhere. This provides a precise method to assess how the parameter \(a\) affects the slope of the tangent line at any point on the graph of \(f(x)\), thereby offering insight into the overall trend of the function.
Solving Inequalities in Calculus
In calculus, solving inequalities often entails finding the range of values for a variable that satisfies a certain condition. In our exercise, we want to ensure that \(f'(x) \), the rate of change of \(f(x)\), remains negative or zero to guarantee that \(f(x)\) is decreasing everywhere. The inequality \( -\sin x - a \leq 0 \) leads us to isolate \(a\) by performing valid algebraic manipulations that maintain the inequality's direction.

We implement a critical step when we multiply by \(-1\), flipping the inequality to get \(a \geq -\sin x\). Since the sine function oscillates between \(-1\) and \(1\), the largest value \(-\sin x\) can attain is \(1\), which sets the condition for \(a\): it must be at least \(1\). This process not only provides the value of \(a\) for a decreasing function but also exemplifies how to maneuver through inequalities—a fundamental skill in calculus.

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Most popular questions from this chapter

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