InstitutodeEducacinMediaSuperiordelDistritoFederal

PlantelBenitoJurez

THEDERIVATIVE Thederivativeofafunctionisoneofthemostpowerfultoolsinmathematicsandtheappliedsciences.The definitionofthederivativecanbeapproachedintwodifferentwaysthatyoualreadyseeinmathclass.One isgeometrical(asaslopeofacurve)andtheotheroneisphysical(asarateofchange).Historicallythere was(andmaybestillis)afightbetweenmathematicianswhichofthetwoillustratestheconceptofthe derivativebestandwhichoneismoreuseful.Wewillnotdwellonthisandwilldefinethederivativeand discussmanypropertiesassociatedwiththisimportantconcept.Ouremphasiswillbeontheuseofthe derivativeasatool. Supposethatafunction f isdefinedonanopenintervalcontainingtherealnumberx. Thegraphof y=f(x) andthreesecantlines, S1, S2 and S3, through P(x,f(x)) and Q(x+x,f(x+x)) areillustratedin Figure1.Thedashedlinelrepresentsapossibletangent1lineatthepointP.

Yaxis P(x,f(x)) s1 s2 s3

Q(x+x,f(x+x))

y=f(x)

x Xaxis x x+x

Figure1:Secantsandatangentlineofthecurvey=f(x). Asyoucansee,whenx getcloserandcloserto zero,thesecantlinesgetcloserandclosertothe tangentline.Sincealltheselinespassthroughthepoint P(x,f(x)),theirequationswillbedeterminedby findingtheirslope. Theslopeofthesecantslines,msec,passingthroughthepointsP(x,f(x))andQ(x+x,f(x+x))(SeeFigure 2,wherex0)isgivenby:

m sec =

opposite side f x x f x f x x f x = = adjacent side x xx x

Mat.OsmanVillaanuevaGarca

1 Thestraightlinetouchingthegraphatthatpoint.

Yaxis

opposites.

Q(x+x,f(x+x)) f(x+x)f(x)

P(x,f(x)) s2 x

x adjacentside

Xaxis x+x

Figure2:Determinationoftheslopeofthesecantslines,msec,passingthroughthepointsPandQ. Thetangentitselfwillhaveaslopemtan,whichisveryclosetomsecwhenx+xitselfisveryclosetox. Thisistheconceptoflimitonceagain!Inotherwords,wehave:

m tan = lim m sec = lim

x 0

f x x f x providedthelimitexists. x

Theprecedinglimitisoneofthefundamentalconceptsofcalculus.Itiscalledthederivativeofthefunction fatthepointx. Definition1(Thederivativeofafuntion):Letfbeafunctionthatisdefinedonanopenintervalcontaining thepointx.Thederivativeofat ,writtenf'(x),is: f x

f ' x= lim
x 0

f x x f x x

Thesymbolf'(x)isreadfprimeofx.Theterminologyf'(x)existsmeansthatthelimitinDefinition(1) exist.Iff'(x)exists,wesaythatthefunctionfisdifferentiableatxorfhasaderivativeatx. APPLlCATIONSOFTHEDERIVATIVE: i)Tangentline:Theslopeofthetangentlinetothegraphoffatthepoint(x,f(x))isf''(x).

m tan = f ' x
ii)Velocity: Ifapoint P movesonacoordinatelinesuchthatitscoordinateattime t is d(t),thenthe instantaneousvelocityattimetisd'(t).

Velinst = lim

t 0

d t td t = d ' t t