MATH 115: Derivatives of General Exponential and

Logarithmic Functions Bonus

Dylan C. Beck
18 April 2018

Bonus. Prove the general form of the derivatives of exponential and logarithmic functions.
dy
1.) Let y = ax . Prove that = ax · ln a.
dx
(Hint: Begin by taking the natural log of both sides. Use logarithmic differentiation.)
dy 1
2.) Let y = loga x. Prove that = .
dx x · ln a
(Hint: Undo the logarithm to get x = ay . Use the result from above with the Chain Rule.)