Calculus and Vectors How to get an A+

5A Derivative of Logarithmic Function

A Review of Logarithmic Function Ex 1. Use the graph of the logarithmic function to evaluate
y = b x x = log b y each limit.
a) lim+ ln x
y = f ( x) = log b x, b > 0, b 1, x > 0 x 0

log b ( xy ) = log b x + log b x n

log b x = n log b x lim+ ln x =
x0
x log a x
log b = log b x log b x log b x =
y log b a b) lim+ log 0.5 x
x 0
ln x = log e x log b 1 = 0 lim+ log 0.5 x =
x 0
log x = log10 x log b b = 1
c) lim log x
x
lim log x =
x

d) lim log 0.1 x

x
lim log 0.1 x =
x

B Derivative of ln x Ex 2. Differentiate and simplify.

1 a) x 2 ln x
(ln x)' =
x 1
(1) ( x 2 ln x)' = ( x 2 )' ln x + x 2 (ln x)' = 2 x ln x + x 2
d 1 x
ln x =
dx x = 2 x ln x + x = x(2 ln x + 1)
Proof:
y = ln x x = ey ( x)' = (e y )' ln x
b)
1 1 1 x
1 = e y y' y' = y
y' = (ln x)' = 1
e x x ' x ln x
ln x (ln x)' x (ln x)( x)' x 1 ln x
= 2
= 2
=
x x x x2

c) e x ln x
1 1
(e x ln x)' = (e x )' ln x + e x (ln x)' = e x ln x + e x = e x ln x +
x x

C Derivative of ln f ( x) Ex 3. Differentiate and simplify.

Using (1) and the chain rule: a) ln( x 3 + x 2 )
f ' ( x)
[ln f ( x)]' = ( x 3 + x 2 )' 3x 2 + 2 x 3x + 2
f ( x) [ln( x 3 + x 2 )]' = 3 2
= =
(2) x +x x3 + x2 x2 + x
d f ' ( x)
ln f ( x) =
dx f ( x) x 1
b) ln
x +1
' '
x 1 x + 1 x 1 x + 1 (1)( x + 1) ( x 1)(1) 2
ln x + 1 = x 1 x + 1 = x 1 ( x + 1) 2
= 2
x 1

c) ln(e x + e x )
(e x + e x )' e x ex
[ln(e x + e x )]' = = = tanh x
e x + ex e x + ex

5A Derivative of Logarithmic Function

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 Calculus and Vectors How to get an A+

D Derivative of log b x Ex 4. Differentiate.

1 a) log x
(log b x)' = 1
(ln b) x (log x)' =
(3) (ln10) x
d 1
log b x =
dx (ln b) x
Proof: b) x 2 log 3 x
'
ln x 1 1
(log b x)' = = (ln x)' = 1 x
ln b ln b (ln b) x ( x 2 log 3 x)' = 2 x log 3 x + x 2 = 2 x log 3 x +
(ln 3) x ln 3

log x
c)
10 x

' x x
log x (log x)'10 (log x )(10 )'
x =
10 (10 x ) 2
1 1
10 x (log x)(10 x )(ln10) (log x)(ln10)
(ln 10) x (ln10) x
= =
(10 x ) 2 10 x

E Derivative of log b f ( x) Ex 5. Differentiate.

Using (3) and the chain rule: a) log( x 2 + 1)
f ' ( x)
[log b f ( x)]' =
(ln b) f ( x) ( x 2 + 1)' 2x
(4) [log( x 2 + 1)]' = =
d f ' ( x) (ln 10)( x 2 + 1) (ln10)( x 2 + 1)
log b f ( x) =
dx (ln b) f ( x)
b) log 2 ( x 2 2 x )

( x 2 2 x )' 2 x(2 x ) + x 2 (2 x )(ln 2)

[log 2 ( x 2 2 x )]' = =
(ln 2) x 2 2 x (ln 2) x 2 2 x
2 + x ln 2
=
x ln 2

c) log ln x

(ln x)' 1
(log ln x)' = =
(ln10) ln x (ln10) x ln x

Ex 6. Find the equation of the tangent line to the ln x

Ex 7. Find local extrema points for f ( x) = .
curve y = f ( x) = e x ln x at the point P (1,0) . x
1 1
f ' ( x) = e x (1) ln x + e x x (ln x)(1)
1 ln x
x f ' ( x) = x 2
=
1 x x2
m = f ' (1) = 1
e f ' ( x) = 0 at x = e, f (e) =
1 1 1 e
y 0 = ( x 1) y = x
e e e
x e
f (x) _ 1/ e `
f ' ( x) + 0 -

Local maximum point: (e,1 / e) .

5A Derivative of Logarithmic Function
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 Calculus and Vectors How to get an A+

Ex 8. Find the inflection points for f ( x) = x 2 ln x . log x

Ex 9. Find the global extrema for f ( x) = over [1,10] .
1 x
f ' ( x) = 2 x ln x + x 2 = 2 x ln x + x 1 1
x x (log x )(1) log x
1 (ln10) x ln 10
f ' ' ( x) = 2 ln x + 2 x + 1 = 2 ln x + 3 f ' ( x) = =
x x2 x2
1 f ' ( x) = 0 when log x = 1 / ln10 x = 101/ ln10 2.718
f ' ' ( x) = 0 when ln x = 3 / 2 x = e 3 / 2 =
e e 1 / ln10
f (101/ ln10 ) = 0.1598
3 / 2 3 / 2 2
3 3 101/ ln10
f (e ) = (e ) = 3
2 2e f (1) = 0
x f (10) = 0.1
1 /(e e )
The global minimum point is (1,0) .
f (x) 3 /(2e 3 )
The global maximum point is (2.718,0.1598) .
f ' ' ( x) - 0 +
1 3
The inflection point is: , 3 .
e e 2e

Ex 10. Differentiate.
a) y = x x
y ' = ( x x )' = (e x ln x )' = (e x ln x )( x ln x)' = ( x x )(ln x + 1)

b) y = ln | x |
ln x, x > 0
y=
ln( x), x < 0
1
, x>0
x
y' =
1 ( x)' = 1 , x < 0
x x
1
y' = , x 0
x

Reading: Nelson Textbook, Pages 571-574

Homework: Nelson Textbook: Page 575 #3ef, 4ace, 5ab, 6abc, 9a, 10, 11

Reading: Nelson Textbook, Pages 576-577

Homework: Nelson Textbook: Page 578 #1ad, 2cf, 3a, 4bd, 5, 8, 10

5A Derivative of Logarithmic Function

2010 Iulia & Teodoru Gugoiu - Page 3 of 3