UPSC Civil Services Main 1991 - Mathematics

Calculus
Sunder Lal
Retired Professor of Mathematics
Panjab University
Chandigarh

January 14, 2010

Question 1(a) Sketch the curve (x2 a2 )(y 2 b2 ) = a2 b2 .

Solution. We note the following points:

1. The curve is symmetrical about both the coordinate axes. Enough to consider when
x 0, y 0.
2. (0, 0) lies on the curve.
3. The coefficient of the highest power of x is y 2 b2 . Thus y = b are two asymptotes
parallel to the x-axis. The coefficient of the highest power of y is x2 a2 , thus x = a
are two asymptotes parallel to the y-axis. For other asymptotes of the form y =
mx + c, we know that limx xy = m. We divide by x4 and let x to obtain
 a2  y 2 b2  a2 b2
lim 1 2 4 = m2 = 0 so the only asymptotes of the form y = mx+c
x x x2 x2 x
have m = 0, and we have already found those. Thus the curve has only 4 asymptotes.
a2 b 2 a2 b 2 b2 x 2 bx
4. y 2 b2 = 2 2
y 2
= 2 2
+ b 2
= 2 2
y = . Since we need
x a x a x a x 2 a2
bx
to trace only in the first quadrant, we let y = .
x 2 a2
dy b bx2 a2 b
5. = 3 = 3 , showing that the curve has no critical
dx x 2 a2 (x2 a2 ) 2 (x2 a2 ) 2
points.
6. If x2 a2 < 0 , then (x2 a2 )y 2 = b2 x2 x = 0, y = 0. Hence x2 a2 > 0, so the
curve lies beyond the line x = a. Similarly it lies beyond the lines y = b. (0, 0) is
an isolated point.

1
 d2 y 5
7. 2
= 32 a2 b(x2 a2 ) 2 2x > 0 for x > a, so the curve is downwards convex.
dx
A sketch is shown here:

x = a x=a
y=b

y = b

Question 1(b) Find the cubic curve which has the same asymptotes as the curve

x3 6x2 y + 11xy 2 6y 3 + x + y + 1 = 0

and which passes through the points (0, 0), (1, 0) and (0, 1).

Solution. Consider the curve x3 6x2 y + 11xy 2 6y 3 + ax + by + c = 0. Since it has the

same terms of degree 3 and 2 as the given curve, it has the same asymptotes. Now since
it must pass through (0, 0), c = 0. Since it passes through (1, 0), 1 + a = 0 a = 1,
and since it passes through (0, 1), 6 + b = 0 b = 6. Hence the required curve is
x3 6x2 y + 11xy 2 6y 3 x + 6y = 0.

Question 1(c) Show that the function f (x, y) = y 2 + x2 y + x4 has (0, 0) as the only critical
point and f (x, y) has a minimum at that point.

f f
Solution. The critical points are given by = 2xy + 4x3 = 0 x = 0, y = 2x2 , =
x y
x2
2y + x2 = 0 y = .
2 2
When x = 0, y = x2 y = 0.
2
y = 2x2 , y = x2 x = 0, y = 0. Hence (0, 0) is the only critical point.

2
 2f 2 2f 2f
Now = 2y + 12x = 0 at (0, 0). = 2 and = 2x = 0 at (0, 0). Thus
x2 y 2 x y
2 f 2 f  2 f 2
= 0 at (0, 0)
x2 y 2 x y
so we cannot say whether it is maximum or minimum. However f (x, y) = (x2 + y2 )2 + 34 y 2 0
for all (x, y) R2 , so f (x, y) has a minimum at (0, 0).

Question 1(d) Find the percentage error in the volume of a right circular cone when an
error of 1% is made in measuring the height and an error of 0.5% is made in measuring the
base radius.

Solution.
2
V = r h
3

log V = log + 2 log r + log h
3
dV dr dh
= 2 +
V r h
dr dh dV
Now = 0.5% = 0.005, = 1% = 0.01. Thus = 0.02 = 2%. Hence the error in
r h V
measuring the volume is 2%.
ZZ
Question 2(a) Evaluate F (x + y)xm1 y n1 dx dy with F (u) = (1 u)l1 where D is
D
the interior of the triangle formed by x = 0, y = 0, x + y = 1 and l, m, n are all positive.

Solution. (Note: This is Dirichlets integral.)  

(x, y)  v u 
Put u = x + y, uv = x y = u uv, so that = = u.
(u, v) 1 v u
Z 1Z 1
I = F (u)(uv)m1 un1 (1 v)n1 u du dv
Z0 1 Z0 1
= F (u)um+n1 v m1 (1 v)n1 du dv
0 0
(m)(n) 1
Z
= F (u)um+n1 du
(m + n) 0
(m)(n) 1
Z
= (1 u)l1 um+n1 du
(m + n) 0
(m)(n) (l)(m + n) (m)(n)(l)
= =
(m + n) (m + n + l) (m + n + l)

3
 x2 y 2 z 2
Question 2(b) Find the center of gravity of the solid bounded by the ellipsoid 2 + 2 + 2 =
a b c
1 and lying in the positive octant.
ZZZ
Solution. Let S be the positive octant of the ellipsoid. Let M = dx dy dz.
ZZZ ZZZ Z Z ZS
1 1 1
Then x = x dx dy dz, y = y dx dy dz, z = z dx dy dz.
M S M S M S
Now put x = aX, y = bY, z = cZ so that
ZZZ

M = abc dX dY dZ = abc
X0,Y 0,Z0,
2 2 2
6
X +Y +Z 1

because the volume of a sphere of radius 1 is 4

3
.

6a2 bc
ZZZ
x= X dX dY dZ
abc X0,Y 0,Z0,
2 2 2
X +Y +Z 1

Put X 2 = u, Y 2 = v, Z 2 = w. Then

ZZZ
6a 1 1
1 1 1 1 1
x = u0,v0,w0, u 2 u 2 v 2 w 2 du dv dw
D: 2 2 2
u+v+w1
ZZZ ZZZ
3a 1 1 3a 1 1
= u0 v 2 w 2 du dv dw = u11 v 2 1 w 2 1 du dv dw
4 D 4 D
1 1
3a (1)( 2
)( 2
) 3a
= =
4 (2) 4
RRR 11 1 1 1 1
as (2) = (1) = 1, ( 12 ) = . Note that in evaluating D
u v 2 w 2 du dv dw we
have used Dirichlets integral discussed above.
 3a 3b 3c 
3b 3c
Similarly y = 4 , z = 4 , so the center of gravity is , , .
4 4 4
Question 2(c) Prove, by considering the integral
ZZ
2 2
x2m1 y 2n1 ex y dx dy
E

(m)(n)
where E is the square [0, R, 0, R], or otherwise, that B(m, n) = .
(m + n)

Solution. Let C1 be the part of the circle x2 + y 2 R2 lying in the first quadrant, and C2
be the part of the circle x2 + y 2 2R2 lying in the first quadrant. Then
ZZ ZZ ZZ
2m1 2n1 x2 y 2 2m1 2n1 x2 y 2 2 2
x y e dx dy x y e dx dy x2m1 y 2n1 ex y dx dy
C1 E C2

4
Put x = r cos , y = r sin , so that dx dy = r dr d. Then

ZZ Z
2
Z R
2m1 2n1 x2 y 2 2
x y e dx dy = cos 2m1
sin 2n1
d r2m+2n1 er dr
C1 0 0


ZZ Z
2
Z 2R
x2 y 2 2
x2m1 y 2n1 e dx dy = cos2m1 sin2n1 d r2m+2n1 er dr
C2 0 0

R1
Consider B(m, n) = 0
xm1 (1 x)n1 dx. Put x = cos2 , dx = 2 cos sin d, so

Z 0 Z
2
2m2 2n2
B(m, n) = cos sin (2 cos sin ) d = 2 cos2m1 sin2n1 d

2
0

R
Consider (m) = tm1 et dt. Put t = r2 , so that
0
Z Z
2m2 r2 2
(m) = r e 2r dr = 2 r2m1 er dr
0 0

Thus ZZ
2 y 2 B(m, n) (m + n)
lim x2m1 y 2n1 ex dx dy =
R C1 2 2
and ZZ
2 y 2 B(m, n) (m + n)
lim x2m1 y 2n1 ex dx dy =
R C2 2 2
Thus ZZ
2 y 2 B(m, n) (m + n)
lim x2m1 y 2n1 ex dx dy =
R E 2 2
However
ZZ Z R Z R
2m1 2n1 x2 y 2 2m1 x2 2 (m)(n)
lim x y e dx dy = x e dx y 2n1 ey dy =
R E 0 0 4

(m)(n)
Hence B(m, n) = as required.
(m + n)

Paper II

log(1 + a2 x2 )
Z
Question 3(a) Evaluate dx.
0 1 + b2 x 2

Solution. Let I be the given integral, then regarding I as a function of a, we get

Z
dI 2ax2
= dx
da 0 (1 + a2 x2 )(1 + b2 x2 )

5
as the conditions for differentiating under the integral are satisfied.


2ax2
Z Z 
dI 2a 1 1
= dx = dx
da 0 (1 + a2 x2 )(1 + b2 x2 ) b2 a2 0 1 + a2 x 2 1 + b 2 x 2
 1 1

2a tan ax tan bx
= 2 2

b a a b 0
 
2a 1 1
= 2 =
b a2 2 a b b(b + a)

Thus I = log(b + a) + C. Since I = 0 when a = 0, C = log(b) and therefore
 bb+ a  b
I = log
b b
Question 4(a) If the rectangular axes are rotated through an angle about the origin and
the new coordinates are (x, y), then show that for any u,
2u 2u 2u 2u
+ = +
x2 y 2 x2 y 2
Solution. From standard coordinate geometry:
x = x cos y sin
y = x sin + y cos
Thus
u u x u y u u
= + = cos + sin
x x x y x x y
2u  u u  x  u u  y
= cos + sin + cos + sin
x2 x x y x y x y x
 2u 2
u   2
u 2
u 
= cos + sin cos + cos + 2 sin sin
x2 x y y x y
2 2 2
u 2 u u 2u 2
= cos + cos sin + cos sin + sin
x2 x y y x y 2
u u x u y u u
= + = ( sin ) + cos
y x y y y x y
2u 2u 2 2u 2u 2u
= sin cos sin cos sin + cos2
y 2 x2 x y y x y 2
Thus
2u 2u 2u 2 2 2u 2 2 2u 2u
+ = (cos + sin ) + (cos + sin ) = +
x2 y 2 x2 y 2 x2 y 2
as required.

6
 x2 y2
Question 4(b) A rectangle is inscribed in the ellipse 2 + 2 = 1, what is the maximum
a b
possible area of the rectangle?

Solution.

If P is the point (a cos , b sin ), the area

of the rectangle is A = 4ab cos sin = Q P
2ab sin 2, as the sides of the rectangle are
2a cos , 2b sin . Clearly the area is maxi-
mum when sin 2 is maximum i.e. sin 2 =
1 = 4 . The maximum area is 2ab. O

R S