For each function, determine the set of all points in its domain where it is differentiable.
a) \(f(x)=|0.5x-2|\), with domain \(\mathbb{R}\)
b) \(g(x)=\sqrt{x}\), with domain \([0,\infty)\)
c) \(h(x)=\lfloor x+0.5\rfloor\), with domain \(\mathbb{R}\)
Here, \(\lfloor z\rfloor\) denotes the greatest integer less than or equal to \(z\).
Hints
- Check sharp points, endpoints, and jumps separately.
- For \(\sqrt{x}\) at a positive input, rationalize its difference quotient.
- At the endpoint \(0\), inspect the right-hand quotient directly.
- Away from a jump, a floor function is locally constant.
Solution
1. For \(f(x)=|0.5x-2|\), a corner occurs where \(0.5x-2=0\), at \(x=4\). Away from \(4\), the function is locally linear, so it is differentiable on \(\mathbb{R}\setminus\{4\}\).
2. Let \(x_0>0\). The difference quotient for \(g(x)=\sqrt{x}\) can be rationalized as \(\frac{1}{\sqrt{x_0+h}+\sqrt{x_0}}\), which approaches \(\frac{1}{2\sqrt{x_0}}\). Thus, \(g\) is differentiable at every \(x_0>0\). At \(x=0\), the right-hand quotient is \(\frac{1}{\sqrt{h}}\), which diverges to \(+\infty\), so no finite two-sided derivative exists there.
3. For \(h(x)=\lfloor x+0.5\rfloor\), jumps occur when \(x+0.5\) is an integer, at \(x=k-0.5\) for \(k\in\mathbb{Z}\). At every other point, the function is locally constant, so its difference quotient is \(0\). Thus, \(h\) is differentiable on \(\mathbb{R}\setminus\{k-0.5\mid k\in\mathbb{Z}\}\).
Answer
a) \(\mathbb{R}\setminus\{4\}\)
b) \((0,\infty)\)
c) \(\mathbb{R}\setminus\{k-0.5\mid k\in\mathbb{Z}\}\)