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Differentiation



Derivative
The tangent line to the curve y = (x) at the point A(o, (o)) is the line
through A with slope (gradient)
(o) =lim
h0
(o +) (o)

which is called the derivative of (x) at x = o.


The rate of change of the function f at A(o, (o)) is given by the gradient of the
tangent to the curve at A.

Except for the Newtonian (prime) notation there is also the Leibniz notation
for the derivative of the function y = (x)

i
(x) = y
i
=
Jy
Jx
=
J
Jx
=
J
Jx
(x)
A
B

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Page2

E Ex xa am mp pl le e
Find, from first principles, the derivative of (x) =x
2

Solution
At any point x the derivative is given by

i
(x) =lim
h0
(x +) (x)

=lim
h0
(x + )
2
x
2

=
=lim
h0
x
2
+2x +
2
x
2

=lim
h0
(2x + )

=lim
h0
(2x +) =2x
Thus, the derivative (or gradient) function is
i
(x) =2x

Differentiation Rules
((x) g(x))
i
=
i
(x) g
i
(x)
(c (x))
i
=c
i
(x)
((x) g(x))
i
=
i
(x) g(x) +(x) g
i
(x) Product Rule
[
](x)
g(x)

i
=
]
|
(x)g(x)-](x)g
|
(x)
(g(x))
2
Quotient Rule
( g)
i
(x) =
i
(g(x)) g
i
(x) Chain Rule

d
dx
=
d
du
du
dx
Chain Rule(Leibniz notation)



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Function Derivative
(x) =c (x) =0
(x) =x
k
, k (x) =kx
k-1
, k
(x) =x ,x 0

i
(x) =
1
2x
,x >0
(x) =sinx (x) =cosx
(x) =cosx
i
(x) =sinx
(x) =tonx
i
(x) =
1
cos
2
x
=scc
2
x
(x) =cotx
i
(x) =
1
sin
2
x
=csc
2
x
(x) =cscx
i
(x) =cscx cotx
(x) =sccx
i
(x) =sccx tonx
(x) =orcsinx
i
(x) =
1
1x
2

(x) =orccosx
i
(x) =
1
1x
2

(x) =orctonx
i
(x) =
1
1+x
2

(x) =orcsin [
x
o

i
(x) =
1
o
2
x
2

(x) =orccos [
x
o

i
(x) =
1
o
2
x
2


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(x) =orcton [
x
o

i
(x) =
o
o
2
+x
2

(x) =c
x

i
(x) =c
x

(x) =lnx ,x >0

i
(x) =
1
x

(x) =log
u
x ,x >0

i
(x) =
1
x lno

(x) =
1
x
,x 0
i
(x) =
1
x
2

(x) =o
x
, o >0
i
(x) =o
x
lno

Composite Function Derivative
(x) =g
k
(x) (x) =kg
k-1
(x)g
i
(x)
(x) =g(x) ,g(x) 0

i
(x) =
1
2g(x)
g
i
(x) ,g(x) >0
(x) =sin(g(x)) (x) =cos(g(x)) g
i
(x)
(x) =cos(g(x))
i
(x) =sin(g(x)) g
i
(x)
(x) =c
g(x)

i
(x) =c
g(x)
g
i
(x)
(x) =lng(x) ,g(x) >0
i
(x) =
g(x)
g(x)

(x) =ton(g(x)) ,cos(g(x))
0

i
(x) =
1
cos
2
(g(x))
g
i
(x)

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Page5

(x) =cot(g(x)) ,sin(g(x)) 0
i
(x) =
1
sin
2
(g(x))
g
i
(x)
(x) =
1
g(x)
,g(x) 0
i
(x) =
1
(g(x))
2
g
i
(x)
(x) =o
g(x)

i
(x) =o
g(x)
lno g
i
(x)
(x) =((x))
g(x)

i
(x) =(c
g(x)Inh(x)
)

E Ex xa am mp pl le es s
1. Find the derivative of (x) =
x
2
c
x
+sn
3
x
Inx

Solution (Newtonian notation)

i
(x) =_
x
2
c
x
+sin
3
x
lnx
_
i
=
(x
2
c
x
+sin
3
x)
i
lnx (x
2
c
x
+sin
3
x)(lnx)
i
(lnx)
2
=
=
[(x
2
c
x
) +(sin
3
x)
i
]lnx (x
2
c
x
+sin
3
x)
1
x
(lnx)
2
=
=
2xc
x
lnx +x
2
c
x
lnx +3sin
2
xcosxlnx (x
2
c
x
+sin
3
x)
1
x
(lnx)
2





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Page6

2. Find the derivative of y =(4x 12)
6

Solution (Leibniz notation)
Let u =4x 12 and y =u
6

Thus,
d
du
=6u
5
and
du
dx
=4
Since
d
dx
=
d
du
du
dx

d
dx
=6u
5
4 = 24u
5
= 24(4x 12)
5

Implicit Differentiation
In order to find the derivative
d
dx
when y is implicitly defined as a function of x we can
use implicit differentiation which means that we have to differentiate both sides of the
equation with respect to x and then solving the resulting equation for
d
dx
.
E Ex xa am mp pl le e
(a) If x
2
+y
2
=13 , find
d
dx

(b) Find an equation of the tangent to the circle x
2
+y
2
=13 at the point (2,3)
Solution
(a) Differentiate both sides of the equation we have
J
Jx
(x
2
+y
2
) =
J
Jx
(13)
J
Jx
(x
2
) +
J
Jx
(y
2
) =0
2x +2y
Jy
Jx
=0
Jy
Jx
=
x
y


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Page7

(b) At the point (2,3) we have that
d
dx
=
2
3

Therefore the equation of the tangent to the circle at (2,3) is
y 3 =
2
3
(x 2) 3y 9 =2x +4
2x +3y =13

Tangents and Normals
The equation of the tangent to a curve y =(x) at (x
1
,y
1
) is given by
y y
1
=
i
(x
1
)(x x
1
)

The equation of the normal to a curve y =(x) at (x
1
,y
1
) is given by
y y
1
=
1

i
(x
1
)
(x x
1
)






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Page8

E Ex xa am mp pl le e
A curve has equation x
4
y
3
=27 . Find the equation of the normal to the curve
at the point (1,3).
Solution
Differentiate both sides of the equation we have
J
Jx
(x
4
y
3
) =
J
Jx
(27)
J
Jx
(x
4
) y
3
+x
4

J
Jx
(y
3
) =0
4x
3
y
3
+x
4
3y
2
Jy
Jx
=0
ut (1,3)
=====
4 1
3
3
3
+1
4
S 3
2
Jy
Jx
=0
Jy
Jx
=
108
27

Therefore the gradient of the normal at (1,3) is
27
108

and the equation of the normal is
y 3 =
27
108
(x 1) 108y 324 =27x 27
27x 108y =297




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Page9

Stationary points
A stationary point is a point where
i
(x) =0. It could be a local minimum,
local maximum or a point of inflexion.




















maxi
minimum
point of
inflexion

i
(x) >0
=0
Increasing

i
(x) <0
Decreasing

i
(x) >0
=0
Increasing
Local maximum
Local minimum
x
y

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Page10


Points of inflexion(inflection)
A point of inflexion is a point on a curve at which a change of concavity occurs.
We have a point of inflexion at x =x
0
if
ii
(x
0
) =0 and the sign of
ii
(x)
changes on either side of x =x
0
.

ii
(x) <0
Concave down

ii
(x) >0
Concave up Point of inflexion
x
y

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Curve sketching of y =(x)
Identify the domain of , that is , the set of values of x for which (x) is
defined.
Find I and I
Find x ax|x intercepts setting y =0 and solve for x.
Find y ax|x intercept setting x =0 and solve for y.
Find Horizontal (behavior of as _ ) and Vertical Asymptotes (where
the function is not defined).
Find where the curve is increasing (
i
(x) >0) and where it is
decreasing(
i
(x) <0).
Find where the curve is concave up (
ii
(x) >0) and where it is concave
down (
ii
(x) <0).
Find Local Minimum, Maximum values and points of inflexion.
Find any symmetries (even function: symmetry about y-axis, odd function:
symmetry about the origin) the curve may have.





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Page12

E Ex xa am mp pl le e
Sketch the graph of (x) =
x
x
2
-1

Solution
The domain of is
]
= {1,1}
The x oxis and y oxis intercept is the origin (0,0)

i
(x) =
(x)
|
(x
2
-1)-x(x
2
-1)
|
(x
2
-1)
2
=
(x
2
-1)-2x
2
(x
2
-1)
2
=
x
2
+1
(x
2
-1)
2
<0

ii
(x) =_
x
2
+1
(x
2
1)
2
_
i
=
=
(x
2
+1)
i
(x
2
1)
2
(x
2
+1)( (x
2
1)
2
)
i
(x
2
1)
4
=
=
2x (x
2
1)
2
(x
2
+1)2(x
2
1)(x
2
1)
(x
2
1)
4
=
=
2x (x
2
1)
2
(x
2
+1)2(x
2
1)2x
(x
2
1)
4
=
=
2x(x
2
1)[x
2
1 2x
2
2]
(x
2
1)
4
=
2x(x
2
+3)
(x
2
1)
3


-1 0 1 +

ii
(x) - + - +

i
(x) - - - -
(x)
Decreasing and
Concave down
Decreasing and
Concave up
Decreasing and
Concave down
Decreasing and
Concave up

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Page13


The function has a vertical asymptote at x =1 and x = 1
and an horizontal asymptote y =0
There is no local minimum or maximum although we have an inflexion
point at (0,0).
The function is odd because (x) =
-x
(-x)
2
-1
= (x) which means that
there is symmetry about the origin.
Finally the graph of (x) =
x
x
2
-1
is the following