Section 2.

3 Basic Differentiation Formulas 2010 Kiryl Tsishchanka

Basic Differentiation Formulas

DERIVATIVE OF A CONSTANT FUNCTION:
d
(c) = 0 or c = 0
dx
Proof: Suppose f (x) = c, then
f (x + h) f (x) cc 0
f (x) = lim = lim = lim = lim 0 = 0
h0 h h0 h h0 h h0

EXAMPLES:
!
1+ 5
1 = 0, 5 = 0, 0 = 0, (7/9) = 0, = 0, = 0, (x 3 x + 1 x4/3 ) = 0
2

THE POWER RULE: If n is a positive integer, then

d n
(x ) = nxn1 or (xn ) = nxn1
dx

Proof: Before we prove this result rigorously, let us consider cases n = 2, 3, 4.

If n = 2, then
f (x) f (a) x 2 a2 (x a)(x + a)
f (a) = lim = lim = lim = lim (x + a) = a + a = 2a
xa xa xa x a xa xa xa

If n = 3, then
f (x) f (a) x 3 a3 (x a)(x2 + xa + a2 )
f (a) = lim = lim = lim
xa xa xa x a xa xa
= lim (x2 + xa + a2 ) = a2 + a a + a2 = 3a2
xa

If n = 4, then
f (x) f (a) x 4 a4 (x a)(x3 + x2 a + xa2 + a3 )
f (a) = lim = lim = lim
xa xa xa x a xa xa
= lim (x3 + x2 a + xa2 + a3 ) = a3 + a2 a + a a2 + a3 = 4a3
xa

In general, we have
f (x) f (a) x n an (x a)(xn1 + xn2 a + . . . + xan2 + an1 )
f (a) = lim = lim = lim
xa xa xa x a xa xa
= lim (xn1 + xn2 a + . . . + xan2 + an1 ) = nan1
xa

1
Section 2.3 Basic Differentiation Formulas 2010 Kiryl Tsishchanka

EXAMPLES:
(a) If f (x) = x2 , then f (x) = (x2 ) = [n = 2] = 2x21 = 2x1 = 2x.

(b) If f (x) = x9 , then f (x) = (x9 ) = [n = 9] = 9x91 = 9x8 .

(c) If f (x) = x, then f (x) = (x1 ) = [n = 1] = 1 x11 = 1 x0 = 1 1 = 1.

THE POWER RULE (GENERAL VERSION): If n is any real number, then

d n
(x ) = nxn1 or (xn ) = nxn1
dx

EXAMPLES:
(a) If f (x) = x4 , then f (x) = (x4 ) = [n = 4] = (4)x41 = 4x5 .
1 1
(b) If f (x) = , then f (x) = (x1 ) = [n = 1] = (1)x11 = x2 = 2 .
x x
1 1 1
(c) If f (x) = x, then f (x) = (x1/2 ) = [n = 1/2] = x1/21 = x1/2 = .
2 2 2 x

(d) If f (x) = x2 3 x, then
7
f (x) = (x2 x1/3 ) = (x2+1/3 ) = (x7/3 ) = [n = 7/3] = x7/31
3
( )
3 3 3 3
7 4/3 7 x4 7 x3+1 7 x3 x 7 x3 3 x 7x 3 x
= x = = = = =
3 3 3 3 3 3

or
( 4 3+1 3 1 3 1
)
7x 3 7x 3 7x 3 + 3 7x 3 x 3 7x 3 x
= = = = =
3 3 3 3 3

1
(e) If f (x) = 3
, then
x2
 
1 2 2
f (x) = 2/3
= (x2/3 ) = [n = 2/3] = x2/31 = x5/3
x 3 3
 
2 2 2 2 2 2
= 5/3 = = = = =
3x 3
3 x5
3
3 x3+2
3
3 x3 x2
3 3
3 x3 x2
3
3x x2
or
 
2 2 2 2 2
= 5 = 3+2 = 3 + 2 = 3 2 = 3
3x 3 3x 3 3x 3 3 3x 3 x 3 3x x2

4
x
(f) Find f (x) if f (x) =
.
x1 x5

2
Section 2.3 Basic Differentiation Formulas 2010 Kiryl Tsishchanka

4
x
(f) If f (x) = , then
x1 x5
  1/4 
x1/4

x




f (x) = 5/2
= = x1/4(1+5/2) = x1/4+15/2 = x5/4 = [n = 5/4]
x x
1 x 1+5/2

 
5 5/41 5 9/4 5 5 5 5 5
= x = x = = = = = 2
4 4 4
4 x 9 4
4 x 8+1 4 8
4 x x
4 8
4 x x
4 4x 4 x
or
 
5 5 5 5 5
= 9 = 8+1 = 8 + 1 = 8 1 = 2
4x 4 4x 4 4x 4 4 4x 4 x 4 4x 4 x

THE CONSTANT MULTIPLE RULE: If c is a constant and f is a differentiable function, then

d d
[cf (x)] = c f (x) or (cf (x)) = cf (x) or (cf ) = cf
dx dx

Proof: We have
cf (x + h) cf (x) c[f (x + h) f (x)] f (x + h) f (x)
(cf (x)) = lim = lim = c lim = cf (x)
h0 h h0 h h0 h

2
EXAMPLE: If f (x) = , then
35x
   
2 1/5 2 1/5
2 1 2
f (x) = x = x = x1/51 = x6/5
3 3 3 5 15

EXAMPLE: Find equations of the tangent line and normal line to the curve y = 2x3 x at
the point (1, 2).
Solution: A point-slope equation of a line is
y y0 = m(x x0 )
where m is the slope. Since x0 and y0 are given (x0 = 1 and y0 = 2), we only have to find the
slope. We have
7
f (x) = (2x3 x1/2 ) = (2x3+1/2 ) = 2(x7/2 ) = 2 x7/21 = 7x5/2
2
therefore the slope of the tangent line at (1, 2) is f (1) = 7 15/2 = 7. So, an equation of the
tangent line is
y 2 = 7(x 1)
The normal line is perpendicular to the tangent line, so its slope is the negative reciprocal
1
of 7, that is, . From this it follows that an equation of the normal line is
7
1
y 2 = (x 1)
7

3
Section 2.3 Basic Differentiation Formulas 2010 Kiryl Tsishchanka

THE SUM/DIFFERENCE RULE: If f and g are both differentiable functions, then

d d d
[f (x) g(x)] = f (x) g(x)
dx dx dx
or
(f (x) g(x)) = f (x) g (x) or (f g) = f g

Proof: We have
(f (x + h) g(x + h)) (f (x) g(x))
(f (x) g(x)) = lim
h0 h

[f (x + h) f (x)] [g(x + h) g(x)]

= lim
h0 h

f (x + h) f (x) g(x + h) g(x)

= lim lim
h0 h h0 h

= f (x) g (x)

3x2 5 x
EXAMPLE: If f (x) = , then
6x4
 2   2     
3x 5x1/2 3x 5x1/2 3 24 5 1/24 1 2 5 7/2
f (x) = = = x x = x x
6x4 6x4 6x4 6 6 2 6
   
1 2 5 7/2 1 2
5 7/2

= x x = x x
2 6 2 6
 
1 21 5 7 35
= (2)x x7/21 = x3 + x9/2
2 6 2 12

REMARK: We can combine two previous rules in one. If c1 , c2 are constants and f, g are both
differentiable functions, then
d d d
[c1 f (x) c2 g(x)] = c1 f (x) c2 g(x)
dx dx dx
or
(c1 f (x) c2 g(x)) = c1 f (x) c2 g (x) or (c1 f c2 g) = c1 f c2 g

3x2 5 x
EXAMPLE: If f (x) = , then
6x4
 2   2     
3x 5x1/2 3x 5x1/2 3 24 5 1/24 1 2 5 7/2
f (x) = = = x x = x x
6x4 6x4 6x4 6 6 2 6
1 2
5 7/2

= x x
2 6
 
1 21 5 7 35
= (2)x x7/21 = x3 + x9/2
2 6 2 12

4
Section 2.3 Basic Differentiation Formulas 2010 Kiryl Tsishchanka

THE DERIVATIVE OF THE SINE AND COSINE FUNCTIONS: We have

d
(sin x) = cos x or (sin x) = cos x
dx
and
d
(cos x) = sin x or (cos x) = sin x
dx
Proof: We have
sin(x + h) sin x
(sin x) = lim
h0 h
[We use sin( + ) = sin cos + cos sin ]
 
sin x cos h + cos x sin h sin x sin x cos h sin x cos x sin h
= lim = lim +
h0 h h0 h h
 
sin x(cos h 1) sin h cos h 1 sin h
= lim + cos x = sin x lim + cos x lim
h0 h h h0 h h0 h

= sin x 0 + cos x 1 = cos x

In the same way we prove that (cos x) = sin x.

EXAMPLE: If f (x) = 3 sin x 4 cos x, then

f (x) = (3 sin x 4 cos x) = 3(sin x) 4(cos x) = 3 cos x 4( sin x) = 3 cos x + 4 sin x

EXAMPLE: If f (x) = sin x, then

f (x) = cos x

f (x) = (cos x) = sin x

f (x) = ( sin x) = cos x

f (x) = ( cos x) = ( sin x) = sin x

Therefore
f (x) = f (4) (x) = f (8) (x) = f (12) (x) = f (16) (x) = . . . = sin x

f (x) = f (5) (x) = f (9) (x) = f (13) (x) = f (17) (x) = . . . = cos x

f (x) = f (6) (x) = f (10) (x) = f (14) (x) = f (18) (x) = . . . = sin x

f (x) = f (7) (x) = f (11) (x) = f (15) (x) = f (19) (x) = . . . = cos x

For instance, it immediately follows from here that

f (2010) (x) = f (2008+2) (x) = f (4502+2) = f (x) = sin x

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Section 2.3 Basic Differentiation Formulas 2010 Kiryl Tsishchanka

Appendix

cos2 h 1
 
cos h 1 0 A (cos h 1)(cos h + 1) A
lim = = lim = lim
h0 h 0 h0 h(cos h + 1) h0 h(cos h + 1)

A (1 cos2 h)
= lim
h0 h(cos h + 1)

T sin2 h
= lim
h0 h(cos h + 1)

 
A sin h sin h
= lim
h0 h cos h + 1

C sin h sin h
= lim lim
h0 h h0 cos h + 1

C sin h
= 1 lim
h0 cos h + 1

DSP sin 0
=
1 + cos 0

0
=
1+1

=0