MF007 Calculus

Chapter 2: Differentiation (Part I)

2.1 Definition of the derivative of a function

2.2 Derivatives of functions
2.3 Rules of differentiation

1
Definition of the Derivative of a Function
 Therefore, we have
dy  y   f  x   x  f  x 
 lim    lim   ,
dx  x 0   x   x 0  x 
which can be written more simply as
𝑑𝑦 𝑓 𝑥+ℎ −𝑓(𝑥)
= 𝑓′ 𝑥 = lim .
𝑑𝑥 ℎ→0 ℎ
 The result above is the definition of the derivative of a
function 𝑓 𝑥 .
 This process is called differentiation from first principles.

2
Definition of the Derivative of a Function
The interpretation of the derivative 𝑓′(𝑥) of a function 𝑓 𝑥 is
as given below:

 𝑓′(𝑥) is the first derivative of the function 𝑓(𝑥) and is a

result of differentiating 𝑓(𝑥) once.

 𝑓′(𝑥) is the slope function of 𝑓 𝑥 and 𝑓′(𝑐) gives the

value of the slope of the tangent to the curve 𝑓(𝑥) at the
point 𝑥 = 𝑐.

 𝑓′(𝑥) is the instantaneous rate of change of 𝑓 𝑥 .

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Examples
Find the derivative of the following functions by using the first
principles method.
(a) y  x
2

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Examples
(b) y  x3

Hint: To expand 𝑥 + ℎ 3 , write 𝑥 + ℎ 3 = 𝑥 + ℎ 2 𝑥 + ℎ ,

then expand and multiply all the terms to obtain the final answer.
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Examples
1
(c) y 
x

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Examples
(d) y  x

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 Derivative of a Function
Derivative of a Constant Function
 If f has the constant value f(x) = c, then
df d
 (c )  0
dx dx

 Example: Find f ' ( x) if f ( x)  4

Solution: f ' ( x)  0

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 Derivative of a Function
Derivative of ax
 Consider the equation y  ax ,
we have dy  a or d ax   a
dx dx
𝑑𝑦
Example: Find :
𝑑𝑥
1
a) 𝑦 = 4𝑥 b) 𝑦 = 𝑥
2

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 Derivative of a Function
Derivative of 𝒙𝒏
For any equation of the form 𝑦 = 𝑥 𝑛 , the
𝑑𝑦
derivative is = 𝑛𝑥 𝑛−1 .
𝑑𝑥

𝑑𝑦
 Example: Find :
𝑑𝑥
2
a) 𝑦 = 𝑥 4 b) 𝑦 = 𝑥 3

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 Derivative of a Function
Derivative of 𝒂𝒙𝒏
For any equation of the form 𝑦 = 𝑎𝑥 𝑛 , the
𝑑𝑦
derivative is = 𝑎𝑛𝑥 𝑛−1 .
𝑑𝑥
𝑑𝑦
 Example: Find :
𝑑𝑥
1
a) 𝑦 = 4𝑥 6 b) 𝑦 = 3𝑥 2

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Derivative of a Function
 Derivative of 𝒚 = (𝒂𝒙 + 𝒃)𝒏
The derivative of the equation 𝑦 = (𝑎𝑥 + 𝑏)𝑛 is:
𝑑𝑦
= 𝑎𝑛(𝑎𝑥 + 𝑏)𝑛−1
𝑑𝑥

𝑑𝑦
Examples: Find for the following functions:
𝑑𝑥
1
(a) 𝑦 = (3𝑥 + 1)5 (b) 𝑦 = (2𝑥 − 1) 3

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 Derivative of a Function
Properties of the derivative of a function:

𝑑
(a) 𝑐 = 0, where 𝑐 is any constant.
𝑑𝑥

𝑑 𝑑
(b) 𝑐𝑓 𝑥 =𝑐 𝑓 𝑥 , where 𝑐 is any constant.
𝑑𝑥 𝑑𝑥

𝑑 𝑑 𝑑
(c) 𝑓 𝑥 ±𝑔 𝑥 = 𝑓 𝑥 ± 𝑔 𝑥
𝑑𝑥 𝑑𝑥 𝑑𝑥

𝑑 𝑑 𝑑
(d) 𝑎𝑓 𝑥 ±𝑏𝑔 𝑥 = 𝑎 𝑓 𝑥 ±𝑏 𝑔 𝑥
𝑑𝑥 𝑑𝑥 𝑑𝑥

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Examples
Find the derivative of the following functions:
a) f ( x)  x5  3x 2  5 b) f ( x)  x 4  5x 2  3

c) f ( x)  x  52

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Examples
e) f ( x)   43x  2
2
d) f ( x)  x 2  4 x
x x

f) f ( x)  x x  2

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Exercises
2) Find the gradient of the curve 𝑦 = 𝑥 + 1 𝑥 2 − 2 at the
point on the curve where 𝑥 = 1.

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Exercises
3) Find the coordinate of the point on the curve 𝑦 = 𝑥 2 − 3𝑥 + 4
where the gradient is 1.

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 Derivative of a Function
Derivative of 𝒚 = 𝐥𝐧 𝒙
 A function of the form log a x with 𝑎 as a positive
constant and 𝑥 > 0 is called a logarithmic function.
 A natural logarithmic function is defined by a formula
of the form 𝑦 = log 𝑒 𝑥 = ln 𝑥 .
 The derivative of 𝑦 = ln 𝑥 is:

d
ln x   1
dx x

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Derivative of a Function
Derivative of 𝒆𝒙
 An exponential function is the inverse of logarithmic
function in the form of 𝑎 𝑥 with 𝑎 as the base.
 Hence, we have the natural exponential function 𝑦 = 𝑒 𝑥 .
 The derivative of the basic exponential function is as given
below:
d x
dx
 
e e x

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Examples
 Differentiate the following with respect to 𝑥:
a) 𝑦 = 3 ln 𝑥 c) 𝑦 = 6𝑒 𝑥

1
b) 𝑦 = ln 5𝑥 2 d) 𝑦 = 2𝑒 𝑥 −
𝑥

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 Derivative of Trigonometry Functions
 Generally, the derivative of the trigonometry functions
are as follow:

d
sin x   cos x
dx
d
cos x    sin x
dx
d
tan x   sec x
2

dx
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 Examples
 Differentiate the following functions with respect to 𝑥.
a) 𝑦 = 𝑒 𝑥 − cos 𝑥

b) 𝑦 = sin 𝑥 − ln 𝑥

c) 𝑦 = tan 𝑥 + 2𝑥 2 − 𝑒 𝑥 + 5

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 Rules for Differentiation
Differentiation of Products
2
Functions such as xsin x and x ln x are of
the form f x  g x  , that is each function is
a product of two functions.
Consider y  uv, where u and v are
functions of x . Then, we have
d
uv   u  v
dv du
dx dx dx

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Examples
 Differentiate the following functions with respect to 𝑥.
3 4
a) 𝑦 = 𝑥 + 1 𝑥−2

b) 𝑦 = 𝑥 2 𝑥 − 3 5

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Examples
c) 𝑦 = 𝑥 2 ln 𝑥

d) 𝑦 = 𝑒 𝑥 sin 𝑥

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 Rules for Differentiation
Differentiation of Quotients
𝑥2 sin 𝑥 𝑓 𝑥
 Functions such as and are of the form , that is
𝑥+1 𝑥 𝑔 𝑥
a function divided by another function.
𝑢
 Consider 𝑦 = where 𝑢 and 𝑣 are functions of 𝑥. The
𝑣
differentiation formula is as given below:
du dv
v u
d u
   dx 2 dx
dx  v  v

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Examples
 Differentiate the following functions with respect to 𝑥.
𝑥+2
a) 𝑦 =
𝑥+3

2𝑥 2 +1
b) 𝑦 =
𝑥 2 −1

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Examples
𝑒𝑥
c) 𝑦 =
sin 𝑥

ln 𝑥
d) 𝑦 =
𝑥

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Derivative of a Function
 Any functions of the form 𝑦 = ln 𝑓(𝑥) can be differentiated
by using the formula below:

f ' x 
ln f x  
d
dx f x 

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Derivative of a Function
 For natural logarithmic functions, the following properties
hold true:

(a) In 𝑥𝑦 = ln 𝑥 + ln 𝑦

𝑥
(b) In = ln 𝑥 − ln 𝑦
𝑦

(c) In 𝑥 𝑘 = 𝑘 ln 𝑥

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Examples
 Differentiate the following with respect to 𝑥:
(a) y  ln 3  4 x   
(b) y  ln x 2  1

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Examples 1

(c)  x  (d) y  ln  1  x  3
y  ln    
 2x 1  1 x 

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Derivative of a Function
 Derivative of 𝒚 = 𝒆𝒇(𝒙)
The derivative of the exponential function of the form
𝑦 = 𝑒 𝑓 𝑥 , where 𝑓(𝑥) is any function of 𝑥, is as given below:

e  e f ' x 
d f x f x

dx

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Derivative of a Function
 For exponential functions, the following properties hold
true:
−𝑥 1
(a) 𝑒 =
𝑒𝑥

(b) 𝑒 𝑥 𝑦 = 𝑒 𝑥𝑦

(c) 𝑒 𝑥+𝑦 = 𝑒 𝑥 𝑒 𝑦

𝑒𝑥
(d) 𝑒 𝑥−𝑦 =
𝑒𝑦

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Examples/exercises
 Differentiate the following with respect to 𝑥:
(a) 𝑦 = 𝑒 3𝑥 (b) 𝑦 = 𝑒 1−2𝑥

(c) 𝑦 = 𝑒 𝑥 (d) 𝑦𝑒 3𝑥 = 2

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 Rules for Differentiation
The differentiation formula for the derivatives of
sin 𝑎𝑥 + 𝑏 , cos 𝑎𝑥 + 𝑏 , and tan 𝑎𝑥 + 𝑏 are
as given below:
sin ax  b   a cos ax  b 
d
dx
cos ax  b   a sin ax  b 
d
dx
tanax  b   a sec ax  b 
d 2

dx

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 Rules for Differentiation
In the case where 𝑏 = 0, the differentiation
formula are as given below:

d
sin ax  a cos ax
dx
d
cos ax   a sin ax
dx
d
tan ax  a sec 2 ax
dx

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Examples
 Differentiate the following functions with respect to 𝑥.
a) 𝑦 = sin(3𝑥)

b) 𝑦 = cos 2 − 𝑥

1
c) 𝑦 = 6 tan 𝑥
4

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 Rules for Differentiation
The differentiation formula for the derivatives of
sin𝑛 𝑥 , cos 𝑛 𝑥 and tan𝑛 𝑥 are as given below:
d n 1
sin x  n sin x cos x
n

dx
d
cos n x  n cos n 1 x sin x
dx
d n 1
tan x  n tan x sec x
n 2

dx

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Examples
Differentiate the following functions with respect
to 𝑥.
a) y  sin 2 x c) y  tan5 3x 

b) y  cos 4 2 x 

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 Rules for Differentiation
The derivatives for the reciprocal functions
sec 𝑥 , cosec 𝑥 and cot 𝑥 can be derived using the
quotient rule.
1
(a) 𝑦 = sec 𝑥 (Hint: sec 𝑥 = cos 𝑥)

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 Rules for Differentiation
1
(b) 𝑦 = cosec 𝑥 (Hint: cosec 𝑥 = )
sin 𝑥

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 Rules for Differentiation
1
(c) 𝑦 = cot 𝑥 (Hint: cot 𝑥 = )
tan 𝑥

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Exercises
Differentiate the following functions with respect
to 𝑥.
a) 𝑦 = sec 4 𝑥 c) 𝑦 = cot 2 𝑥

b) 𝑦 = cosec 3𝑥

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