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 DIFFERENTIATION
Let us take the graph of a function
 f 
. We know that the point (
 x,f 
(
 x
) ) is a point on thegraph. What line, if any, should be the tangent to the graph at this point?We can take another point on (
 x+h, f 
(
 x+h
)
 
)
 
on the graph and draw a secant line throughthese two points. Keeping (
 x,f 
(
 x
) ) fixed, we move the other point closer to it (
h
tends tozero from the left or from the right). The secant line tends to a limiting position. This is“the tangent to the graph at the point (
 x,f 
(
 x
) )”. If this limit exists, that is defined to be theslope of the tangent line at that fixed point (
 x,f 
(
 x
) ) on the graph of 
 y = f 
(
 x
).
 
 
DIFFERENTIABILITY &THE DERIVATIVE OF A FUNCTION
 Differentiation
is the process of finding the derivative of a function.
 A function
 f 
is said to be
 differentiable at x
if and only if lim
h
Q
0
 f x
+
h
` a
@
 f x
` a
h
 fffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffff
exists.If this limit exists, it is called the
 derivative of f at x
and is denoted by
 f 
. 
x
` a
.
 
Therefore,
 f 
. 
 x
` a
=
lim
 h
Q
0
 fx
+
 h
` a
@
 fx
` a
 h
 fffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffff
.If we draw a tangent to the graph at this point, the
slope of the tangent is equal to f 
. 
x
` a
.
The derivative of a function
 y = f(x)
with respect to x at a point
 x
=
 x
0
 
is given by
 f 
. 
x
0
` a
=
lim
h
Q
0
 f x
0
+
h
b c
@
 f x
0
` a
h
 fffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffff
provided that this limit exists.This limit is also called the
instantaneous rate of change
of y with respect to x at
 x
=
 x
0
. 
The
 d/dx
notation :
If y = f(x), then we can write
 f 
. 
x
` a
=
d dx
 ffffffff
 f x
` a
=
dydx
 ffffffff
 The derivative of the function
 y =f(x)
with respect to x may be indicated by any one of the
symbols
d dx
 ffffffff
 y
` a
 ,dydx
 ffffffff
 , y
. 
, f 
. 
x
` a
 , D
 x
, D
 x
f,df x
` a
dx
 fffffffffffffffff
. We can use any of these,while solving problems.
 
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