Analyzing the Setup
When you first look at the expression f(x)=∫x32sinx−sin2xdx, your instinct might be to panic. However, the secret of the JEE Advanced is that the most intimidating problems often require the least amount of actual integration.
We are tasked with finding limx→0f′(x).
The Fundamental Theorem
Your Get-Out-of-Jail-Free Card
Many students fall into the trap of trying to find the antiderivative of the integrand. They reach for integration by parts or series expansion, wasting precious minutes.
The Fundamental Theorem of Calculus is our best friend here. It tells us that the derivative of an integral is simply the integrand itself:
By applying this, the integral sign vanishes, and we are left with the function:
Just like that, the complexity of the integral disappears, and we are left with a limit problem.
The Trigonometric Dance
Now, we face the limit: limx→0x32sinx−sin2x. If you plug in x=0 immediately, you get the indeterminate form 00.
We must unify the arguments in the numerator. Recall the double angle identity: sin2x=2sinxcosx.
Substituting this into our expression, the numerator transforms into:
2sinx−2sinxcosx=2sinx(1−cosx)
The expression now becomes:
The Surgical Precision of Limits
We have x3 in the denominator and two distinct trigonometric parts in the numerator. We split x3 into x⋅x2 to match the standard limits we know by heart.
We rewrite the limit as:
x→0lim2⋅(xsinx)⋅(x21−cosx)
We know that limx→0xsinx=1 and limx→0x21−cosx=21.
Substituting these values, we get:
Final Reflection
We started with a terrifying integral, used the Fundamental Theorem to strip away the complexity, employed a trigonometric identity to reveal the structure, and used standard limits to find the truth.
The limit of the derivative as x approaches zero is 1.