Worked solution
Obtain a tangent-intercept triangle and qualify its endpoint
A curve has , , .
(i) Sketch the curve. marks
(ii) The tangent at meets the x- and y-axes at and respectively. With the origin, show that the area of triangle is . The source repeats the interval using ; the tangent parameter is . marks
[2007/I/11]
CJC · Review problems · Question 9
Answer
Area for , with degenerate limit zero at .
(i) Sketch the restricted first-quadrant curve
for . The curve joins the included endpoints and , decreasing and convex as a graph of . As increases, it runs from to .
(ii) Form the tangent, including the endpoint limits
and . In the interior, , so the tangent is . The one-sided Cartesian derivative gives the same expression at both endpoints, although both parameter derivatives vanish there.
(ii) Locate each intercept
For , putting gives . Putting gives . Write ; the positive intercept lengths are and .
(ii) Multiply the intercept lengths and state the degenerate case
The area is , as required. At , the tangent is the x-axis itself, so its x-axis intersection is not unique and a nondegenerate triangle is not defined. The printed formula has limit zero there; it is interpreted as the degenerate limiting area, not as a unique pair of tangent intercepts.
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At theta zero the tangent coincides with the x-axis, so its x-intercept is not uniquely defined.