Finding c for Real x in e^cx^2 vs. e^x + e^-x

  • Thread starter ehrenfest
  • Start date
  • Tags
    E^x
In summary, the homework statement is asking for a function that is real, such that for all real numbers c, (e^x+e^{-x})/2 <= e^{cx^2}. The Attempt at a Solution found that x can beexpanded into a series and term-by-term compare it to the left side, which states that \sum_{n=0}^{\infty}\frac{x^{2n}}{2n!} = \sum_{n=0}^{\infty}\frac{x^{2n}}{(2n)!} = \sum_{n=0}^{\infty}\frac{
  • #1
ehrenfest
2,020
1

Homework Statement



For which real numbers c is [tex](e^x+e^{-x})/2 \leq e^{cx^2}[/tex] for all real x?

Homework Equations





The Attempt at a Solution


I think you can expand both sides into series and term by term compare them. The left side is
[tex]\sum_{n=0}^{\infty}\frac{x^{2n}}{2n!}[/tex]
Can someone help me with the right side?
 
Physics news on Phys.org
  • #2
Try x=iy. LHS = cos(y), RHS=exp(-cy^2)

Hmmm... maybe not. x is real.

cosh(x)=1+x^2/2!+x^4/4!+x^6/6!+...

exp(cx^2)=1+cx^2+c^2x^4/2!+c^3x^6/3!+...

exp(cx^2)-cosh(x)=(c-1/2!)x^2+(c^2/2!-1/4!)x^4+(c^3/3!-1/6!)x^6+...

c>0.5 means that each term is +ve.
 
Last edited:
  • #3
ehrenfest said:

Homework Statement



For which real numbers c is [tex](e^x+e^{-x})/2 \leq e^{cx^2}[/tex] for all real x?

Homework Equations





The Attempt at a Solution


I think you can expand both sides into series and term by term compare them. The left side is
[tex]\sum_{n=0}^{\infty}\frac{x^{2n}}{2n!}[/tex]
Can someone help me with the right side?

I guess you mean [tex]\sum_{n=0}^{\infty}\frac{x^{2n}}{(2n)!}[/tex]

( 2n! really means 2 (n!))

Why don't you expand the RHS also to get
[tex]\sum_{n=0}^{\infty}\frac{(cx^2)^{n}}{n!} =
\sum_{n=0}^{\infty}\frac{c^n \times x^{2n}}{n!}[/tex]

and then simply compare
 
  • #4
  • #5
christianjb said:
exp(cx^2)=1+cx^2+c^2x^4/2!+c^3x^6/3!+...

Sorry--my calculus is a little fuzzy.

Are you allowed to use the same Taylor series expansion of exp(x) with exp(cx^2)? Because you generate the Taylor series expansion by taking the derivatives of exp(x) at 0, and the derivatives of exp(x) at 0 are different from the derivatives of exp(cx^2) at 0, it seems like you might need some variant of the chain rule to make that work. I mean instead of just plugging in cx^2 for x.
 
  • #6
ehrenfest said:
Sorry--my calculus is a little fuzzy.

Are you allowed to use the same Taylor series expansion of exp(x) with exp(cx^2)? Because you generate the Taylor series expansion by taking the derivatives of exp(x) at 0, and the derivatives of exp(x) at 0 are different from the derivatives of exp(cx^2) at 0, it seems like you might need some variant of the chain rule to make that work. I mean instead of just plugging in cx^2 for x.

Nah, you can just substitute x'=cx^2 on both LHS and RHS.
 

1. What is the difference between e^cx^2 and e^x + e^-x?

The main difference between these two expressions is the presence of the variable x. In e^cx^2, x is being raised to the power of 2 before being multiplied by c. In e^x + e^-x, x is not being raised to any power, but is being added to its own inverse, e^-x. This results in a different shape for the graph of each function.

2. How do the graphs of e^cx^2 and e^x + e^-x compare?

The graph of e^cx^2 is a parabola, while the graph of e^x + e^-x is a combination of two exponential functions. The parabola of e^cx^2 is symmetric and opens upwards or downwards depending on the value of c, while the graph of e^x + e^-x has two different curves that approach the x-axis but never touch it.

3. Is there a specific value of c that makes e^cx^2 and e^x + e^-x equal?

No, there is no single value of c that will make these two expressions equal. However, there are certain values of c that will result in similar graphs for both expressions. For example, when c=1, the graph of e^cx^2 will be similar to the graph of e^x + e^-x, but not exactly equal.

4. What are the real solutions for e^cx^2 = e^x + e^-x?

To find the real solutions for this equation, we can set the two expressions equal to each other and solve for x. This will result in a quadratic equation, which can be solved using the quadratic formula. The solutions will depend on the value of c. If c=1, there will be two real solutions. If c>1, there will be no real solutions. If c<1, there will be two imaginary solutions.

5. How can the value of c affect the behavior of the graphs of e^cx^2 and e^x + e^-x?

The value of c can greatly affect the behavior of these graphs. When c=1, the graph of e^cx^2 will intersect the x-axis at two points, while the graph of e^x + e^-x will never intersect the x-axis. As c increases, the graph of e^cx^2 will become narrower and taller, while the graph of e^x + e^-x will become wider and lower. As c decreases towards 0, the graph of e^cx^2 will become flatter and wider, while the graph of e^x + e^-x will become steeper and narrower.

Similar threads

  • Calculus and Beyond Homework Help
Replies
7
Views
704
  • Calculus and Beyond Homework Help
Replies
3
Views
413
  • Calculus and Beyond Homework Help
Replies
1
Views
255
  • Calculus and Beyond Homework Help
Replies
2
Views
711
  • Calculus and Beyond Homework Help
Replies
4
Views
305
  • Calculus and Beyond Homework Help
Replies
9
Views
2K
  • Calculus and Beyond Homework Help
Replies
1
Views
534
  • Calculus and Beyond Homework Help
Replies
7
Views
2K
  • Calculus and Beyond Homework Help
Replies
14
Views
2K
  • Calculus and Beyond Homework Help
Replies
8
Views
660
Back
Top