MCQ
If $f(x) = \left\{ \begin{array}{l}x\frac{{{e^{(1/x)}} - {e^{( - 1/x)}}}}{{{e^{(1/x)}} + {e^{( - 1/x)}}}},\,x \ne 0\\\,\,\,\,\,\,\,\,\,\,\,\,\,\,\,\,\,\,\,\,\,\,\,\,\,\,\,\,\,0,\,x = 0\end{array} \right.$ then which of the following is true
  • A
    $f$ is continuous and differentiable at every point
  • $f$ is continuous at every point but is not differentiable
  • C
    $f$ is differentiable at every point
  • D
    $f$ is differentiable only at the origin

Answer

Correct option: B.
$f$ is continuous at every point but is not differentiable
b
(b) $f(0 + 0) = \mathop {\lim }\limits_{h \to 0} f(x) = \mathop {\lim }\limits_{h \to 0} f(0 + h)$

$ = \mathop {\lim }\limits_{h \to 0} \,\,(0 + h)\,\frac{{{e^{1/0 + h}} - {e^{ - 1/0 + h}}}}{{{e^{1/0 + h}} + {e^{ - 1/0 + h}}}}$

$ = \mathop {\lim }\limits_{h \to 0} \,\,h\,\,\frac{{{e^{1/h}} - {e^{ - 1/h}}}}{{{e^{1/h}} + {e^{ - 1/h}}}} =0$

and $f(0 - 0) = \mathop {\lim }\limits_{h \to 0} f(0 - h) = \mathop {\lim }\limits_{h \to 0} \,\, - h\,\,\frac{{{e^{ - 1/h}} - {e^{1/h}}}}{{{e^{ - 1/h}} + {e^{1/h}}}} = 0$

and $f(0) = 0$;

$\therefore \,\,\,f(0 + 0) = f(0 - 0) = f(0)$

Hence $f$ is continuous at $x = 0.$

At remaining points $f(x)$ is obviously continuous.

Thus it is everywhere continuous.

Again, $L\,f'(0) = \mathop {\lim }\limits_{h \to 0} \,\,\frac{{f(0 - h) - f(0)}}{{ - h}}$

$ = \mathop {\lim }\limits_{h \to 0} \,\frac{{h\,.\,\frac{{{e^{ - 1/h}} - {e^{1/h}}}}{{{e^{ - 1/h}} + {e^{1/h}}}} - 0}}{{ - h}} = - 1$

$R\,f'(0) = \mathop {\lim }\limits_{h \to 0} \,\frac{{f\,(0 + h) - f\,(0)}}{h}$

$ = \mathop {\lim }\limits_{h \to 0} \,\,\frac{{h\,\,\frac{{{e^{1/h}} - {e^{ - 1/h}}}}{{{e^{1/h}} + {e^{ - 1/h}}}}}}{h} = 1$

$\because \,\,L\,\,f'(0) \ne R\,f'(0)$

$\therefore \,\,f$ is not differentiable at $x = 0$.

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