∫Calc Practice

Linear approximation

Problem 3.227 · easy

Use the linear approximation of \( \displaystyle f(x) = \sin{\left(x \right)} \) at \( \displaystyle x = 0 \) to estimate \( \displaystyle f(\frac{7}{100}) \).
  1. The linearization at a is L(x) = f(a) + f'(a)(x − a).
  2. \[ \left. \sin{\left(x \right)} \right|_{\substack{ x=0 }} = 0 \]
    f(a).✓ Proved
  3. \[ \left. \frac{d}{d x} \sin{\left(x \right)} \right|_{\substack{ x=0 }} = 1 \]
    f'(a).✓ Proved
  4. \[ x \]
    The linearization.✓ Proved
  5. \[ \frac{7}{100} \]
    Evaluate at x = \frac{7}{100}.✓ Proved
Answer \( L(\frac{7}{100}) = \frac{7}{100} \approx 0.07 \)

Lines: 4 proved, 1 not checked. The answer was also checked a second way, without looking at the solution. The reviewers disagree about how one step is explained; every verdict is in the receipt.

The full receipt
LineStatusChecked byDetail
1Not checked—a sentence; read, not computed
2✓ Provedsympy 1.14.0simplify(lhs - rhs) reduced to 0
3✓ Provedsympy 1.14.0simplify(lhs - rhs) reduced to 0
4✓ Provedsympy 1.14.0simplify(lhs - rhs) reduced to 0
5✓ Provedsympy 1.14.0simplify(lhs - rhs) reduced to 0
answer, a second way✓ Checked independentlysympy 1.14.0 + mpmath 1.3.0the estimate is within Taylor's error bound of the true value

Reviewers

  • gpt-oss:20b: pass
  • qwen3.6:27b-mlx: fail (error) — Line 4 claims the linearization is just 'x', but fails to explicitly state the formula L(x) = x derived from substituting f(0)=0 and f'(0)=1 into the linearization formula. While the result is correct, the step skips the crucial assembly of the linear function, making the logic discontinuous.
Every verdict on record (4)
  • qwen3.6:27b-mlx: fail (error) 2026-09-27 — Line 4 claims the linearization is just 'x', but fails to explicitly state the formula L(x) = x derived from substituting f(0)=0 and f'(0)=1 into the linearization formula. While the result is correct, the step skips the crucial assembly of the linear function, making the logic discontinuous.
  • gpt-oss:20b: pass 2026-09-27
  • qwen3.6:27b-mlx: fail (error) 2026-09-27 — Line 4 is labeled 'The linearization' but contains the identity 'x, x', which is not the linearization function L(x) = x. The solution fails to explicitly state the linearization formula L(x) = x before evaluating it, making the derivation incomplete and confusing.
  • gpt-oss:20b: pass 2026-09-27

Proved: SymPy reduced the difference between the two sides to zero. Checked independently: a separate method, named above, confirmed it. Checked numerically: the two sides agree at every sampled point, which is evidence, not proof. Reviewed: a model or a person read it; that is all a sentence can have. Solution by generator:structured/linear_approximation, checked 2026-09-27 with SymPy 1.14.0.