College of Computer Science

SUBJECT MODULE (WEEK 1- WEEK 6)

CALCULUS 1
CALCU 1

WEEK 1
THE FUNCTIONS
- Definition of a Function
- Evaluation of a Function

OBJECTIVES
1. Demonstrate understanding and correct usage of the concepts and principles of functions.
2. Evaluate functions in algebraic form.

DISCUSSION
What is a Function?
A function relates an input to an output. It is like a machine that has an input and an output. And the
output is related somehow to the input!
Input, Relationship, Output
We will see many ways to think about functions, but there are always three main parts:
- The input
- The relationship
- The output
Example: “Multiply by 2 “ is a very simple function
Here are the three parts:

INPUT RELATIONSHIP OUTPUT

0 X2 0
1 X2 2
7 X2 14
10 X2 20
… … …

For an input of 50, what is the output?

Names
First, it is useful to give a function a name.
The most common name is “f” , but we can have other names lik “g” … or even “marmalade” if we want.
But let us use “f”:

p f(x) = x2
f : function name
x : input
x2: what to output
We say “f of x equals x squared”
What goes into the function is put inside parentheses ( ) after the name of the function:
So f(x) shows us the function “f” takes “x” and squares it.
Example: with f(x) = x2
- An input of 4
- becomes an output of 16
In fact we write f(4) =16
 The "x" is Just a Place-Holder!

Don't get too concerned about "x", it is just there to show us where the input goes and
what happens to it.

It could be anything!

So this function:
f(x) = 1 - x + x2
Is the same function as:

 f(q) = 1 - q + q2
 h(A) = 1 - A + A2
 w(θ) = 1 - θ + θ2

The variable (x, q, A, etc) is just there so we know where to put the values:
f(2) = 1 - 2 + 22 = 3

Sometimes There is No Function Name

Sometimes a function has no name, and we see something like:

y = x2

But there is still:

 an input (x)
 a relationship (squaring)
 and an output (y)

A Function is Special

But a function has special rules:

 It must work for every possible input value

 And it has only one relationship for each input value

Formal Definition of a Function

A function relates each element of a set with exactly one element of another set

(possibly the same set).

The Two Important Things!

1. "...each element..." means that every element in X is related to some

element in Y.

We say that the function covers X (relates every element of it).

(But some elements of Y might not be related to at all, which is fine.)

2. "...exactly one..." means that a function is single valued. It will not give
back 2 or more results for the same input.

So "f(2) = 7 or 9" is not right!

 "One-to-many" is not allowed, but "many-to-one" is allowed:

(one-to-many)  (many-to-one)
This is NOT OK in a function  But this is OK in a function
When a relationship does not follow those two rules then it is not a function ... it is still
a relationship, just not a function.

Example: The relationship x → x2

Could also be written as a table:

X:x Y: x2

3 9

1 1

0 0

4 16

-4 16

… …

It is a function, because:

 Every element in X is related to Y

 No element in X has two or more relationships

So it follows the rules.

(Notice how both 4 and -4 relate to 16, which is allowed.)

Example: This relationship is not a function:

It is a relationship, but it is not a function, for these reasons:

 Value "3" in X has no relation in Y

 Value "4" in X has no relation in Y
 Value "5" is related to more than one value in Y

(But the fact that "6" in Y has no relationship does not matter)

Evaluating Functions

To evaluate a function is to:

Replace (substitute) its variable with a given number or expression.

Like in this example:

Example: evaluate the function f(x) = 2x+4 for x=5

Just replace the variable "x" with "5":

f(5) = 2×5 + 4 = 14

Answer: f(5) = 14

More Examples

Here is a function:

f(x) = 1 − x + x2

Important! The "x" is just a place-holder! And "f" is just a name.

These are all the same function:

 f(x) = 1 − x + x2
 f(q) = 1 − q + q2
 w(A) = 1 − A + A2
 pumpkin(θ) = 1 − θ + θ2

Evaluate For a Given Value:

Let us evaluate that function for x=3:

f(3) = 1 − 3 + 32 = 1 − 3 + 9 = 7

Evaluate For a Given Expression:

Evaluating can also mean replacing with an expression (such as 3m+1 or v2).

Let us evaluate the function for x=1/r:

f(1/r) = 1 − (1/r) + (1/r)2

Or evaluate the function for x = a−4:

f(a−4)= 1 − (a−4) + (a−4)2

 = 1 − a + 4 + a2 − 8a + 16
 = 21 − 9a + a2

Another Example

You can use your ability to evaluate functions to find other answers:

Example: h(x) = 3x2 + ax − 1

 You are told that h(3) = 8, can you work out what "a" is?

First, evaluate h(3): h(3) = 3×(3)2 + a×3 − 1

Simplify: h(3) = 27 + 3a − 1
  h(3) = 26 + 3a
 
Now ... we know that h(3) = 8, so: 8 = 26 + 3a
Swap sides: 26 + 3a = 8
Subtract 26 from both sides: 3a = −18
Divide by 3: a = −6

Check: h(3) = 3(3)2 − 6×3 − 1 = 27 − 18 − 1 = 8

Careful!

I recommend putting the substituted values inside parentheses () , so you don't make
mistakes.

Example: evaluate the function h(x) = x2 + 2 for x = −3

Replace the variable "x" with "−3":

h(−3) = (−3)2 + 2 = 9 + 2 = 11

Without the () you could make a mistake:

h(−3) = −32 + 2 = −9 + 2 = −7 (WRONG!)

Also be careful of this:

f(x+a) is not the same as f(x) + f(a)

Example: g(x) = x2

g(w+1) = (w+1)2 = w2 + 2w + 1

vs

g(w) + g(1) = w2 + 12 = w2 + 1

Different Result!
 ACTIVITIES
- Discussion on function definition and evaluation of a function.
- Exercise on evaluation of a function.

ASSESSMENT
Evaluate the following functions.
1. f(t)=53t -2 + 5t –t2 when t = 2
2. g(x) = (2x2 -4x +5)/(x – 4) when x= 5
3. If f(x) = 2x -5 and g(x) = 4x , calculate f[g(3)]
4. If h(x) = 2x and k(x) = 2x -4, what is h[k(x)]
5. f(x) = 3x -2 ; g(x) = (1/2)x +3, find
a. f (2)
b. g(-4)
c. f(1/3)
d. f(1) + g(2)
e. g(4) – f(1)

REFERENCES
1. https://www.mathsisfun.com/algebra/functions-evaluating.html

2. https://www.mathsisfun.com/sets/function.html

WEEK 2
THE LIMIT OF A FUNCTION
- Definition of a Limit of a function
- Theorem on Limits
- Evaluation of Limits

OBJECTIVES
 1. Define the concept of the limit of a function.
2. Apply the theorems on limits to evaluate the limits of given functions.

DISCUSSION

Limits of Functions

The limit of a function at a point aa in its domain (if it exists) is the value that the function approaches as its
argument approaches a. The concept of a limit is the fundamental concept of calculus and analysis. It is
used to define the derivative and the definite integral, and it can also be used to analyze the local behavior of
functions near points of interest.

Informally, a function is said to have a limit L at aa if it is possible to make the function arbitrarily close
to L by choosing values closer and closer to aa. Note that the actual value at aa is irrelevant to the value of
the limit.

The notation is as follows:

lim f (x )=L
x→ a

which is read as "the limit of f(x) as x approaches aa is L."

Theorems on limits
To help us calculate limits, it is possible to prove the following.
 
Let f and g be functions of a variable x.  Then, if the following limits exist:

1)    (f + g)  =  A + B.

2)    (f g)  =  AB.

f A
3)    =   ,  if B is not 0
 g B

In other words:
1)  The limit of a sum is equal to the sum of the limits.
2)  The limit of a product is equal to the product of the limits.
3)  The limit of a quotient is equal to the quotient of the limits,
provided the limit of the denominator is not 0.

Also, if c does not depend on x -- if c is a constant – then

4)
For example, lim
x→ 4
5=5

When c is a constant factor, but f depends on x, then

5)

A constant factor may pass through the limit sign.  (This

For example,
Computing Limits – Practice Problems
Evaluate the limit, if it exists.
1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.
 7.

8.

9.

10. Given the function

Evaluate the following limits, if they exist.

For this part we know that −6<1−6<1 and so there will be values of x on both sides of -6 in the
range x<1x<1 and so we can assume that, in the limit, we will have x<1x<1. This will allow us to use
the piece of the function in that range and then just use standard limit techniques to compute the
limit.

This part is going to be different from the previous part. We are looking at the limit at x=1x=1 and
that is the “cut–off” point in the piecewise functions. Recall from the discussion in the section,
that this means that we are going to have to look at the two one sided limits.
So, in this case, we can see that,

and so we know that the overall limit must exist and,

ACTIVITIES
- Discussion on Theorem on Limits and Evaluation of Limits
- Exercise on the Limit of a Function

ASSESSMENT

Computing Limits.
Evaluate the limit, if it exists.
 ASSESSMENT

1. https://tutorial.math.lamar.edu/ProblemsNS/CalcI/ComputingLimits.aspx

2. https://tutorial.math.lamar.edu/Solutions/CalcI/ComputingLimits/Prob1.aspx

3. https://themathpage.com/aCalc/limits-2.htm#poly

4. https://brilliant.org/wiki/limits-of-functions/
 WEEK 3
THE DERIVATIVE
- Definition of derivative
- Determination of the derivative by increment method
- Differentiation Rules

OBJECTIVES

1. Demonstrate understanding of derivatives concepts and principles.

2. Learn to calculate derivative for various type of functions using increment and differentiation rules.

DISCUSSION
Definition of Derivative
The rate at which an output changes with respect to an input.
Working out a derivative is called Differentiation (part of Calculus).

Introduction to Derivatives
It is all about slope!
Let us Find a Derivative!

To find the derivative of a function y = f(x) we use the slope formula:

Like this:
Example: the function f(x) = x2

We know f(x) = x2, and we can calculate f(x+Δx) :

Start with:   f(x+Δx) = (x+Δx)2  

Expand (x + Δx)2:   f(x+Δx) = x2 + 2x Δx + (Δx)2

The slope formula is: f(x+Δx) − f(x)Δx

Put in f(x+Δx) and f(x) : ( x2 + 2x Δx + (Δx)2 − x2) / Δx
Simplify (x2 and −x2 cancel) : (2x Δx + (Δx)2)/ Δx
Simplify more (divide through by Δx) : = 2x + Δx
Then as Δx heads towards 0 we get: = 2x

Result: the derivative of x2 is 2x

In other words, the slope at x is 2x

We write dx instead of "Δx heads towards 0".

And "the derivative of" is commonly written   :

(x2)= 2x
"The derivative of  x2  equals  2x"
or simply  "d dx of  x2  equals  2x"
Note: sometimes f’(x) is also used for "the derivative of":

f’(x) = 2x
"The derivative of f(x) equals 2x"
or simply "f-dash of x equals 2x"

Let's try another example.

Example: What is  x3 ?

We know f(x) = x3, and can calculate f(x+Δx) :

Start with:   f(x+Δx) = (x+Δx)3

Expand (x + Δx)3:   f(x+Δx) = x3 + 3x2 Δx + 3x (Δx)2 + (Δx)3

The slope formula: f(x+Δx) − f(x)Δx

Put in f(x+Δx) and f(x): (x3 + 3x2 Δx + 3x (Δx)2 + (Δx)3 − x3)/ Δx

Simplify (x3 and −x3 cancel): (3x2 Δx + 3x (Δx)2 + (Δx)3)/ Δx

Simplify more (divide through by Δx): = 3x2 + 3x Δx + (Δx)2

Then as Δx heads towards 0 we get:= 3x2

Result: the derivative of x3 is 3x2

Derivative Rules

The Derivative tells us the slope of a function at any point.

Examples:

Example: what is the derivative of sin(x) ?

From the table above it is listed as being cos(x)

It can be written as:

sin(x) = cos(x)

Or:

sin(x)’ = cos(x)
Power Rule

Example: What is  x3 ?

The question is asking "what is the derivative of x3 ?"

We can use the Power Rule, where n=3:

xn = nxn−1

x3 = 3x3−1 

= 3x2

(In other words the derivative of x3 is 3x2)

So it is simply this:

It can also be used in cases like this:

Example: What is  (1/x) ?

1/x is also x-1

We can use the Power Rule, where n = −1:

xn = nxn−1

x−1 = −1x−1−1

= −x−2

= −1/x2

So we just did this:

Multiplication by constant

Example: What is   5x3 ?

the derivative of cf = cf’

the derivative of 5f = 5f’

We know (from the Power Rule):

x3 = 3x3−1 = 3x2

So:

5x3 = 5 x3 = 5 × 3x2 = 15x2

Sum Rule
Example: What is the derivative of x2+x3 ?

The Sum Rule says:

the derivative of f + g = f’ + g’

So we can work out each derivative separately and then add them.

Using the Power Rule:

 x2 = 2x

 x3 = 3x2

And so:

the derivative of x2 + x3 = 2x + 3x2

Difference Rule

It doesn't have to be x, we can differentiate with respect to, for example, v:

Example: What is  (v3−v4) ?

The Difference Rule says

the derivative of f − g = f’ − g’

So we can work out each derivative separately and then subtract them.

Using the Power Rule:

 v3 = 3v2

 v4 = 4v3

And so:

the derivative of v3 − v4 = 3v2 − 4v3

Sum, Difference, Constant Multiplication And Power Rules

Example: What is  (5z2 + z3 − 7z4) ?

Using the Power Rule:

 z2 = 2z

 z3 = 3z2

 z4 = 4z3

And so:

(5z2 + z3 − 7z4) = 5 × 2z + 3z2 − 7 × 4z3 = 10z + 3z2 − 28z3

Product Rule
Example: What is the derivative of cos(x)sin(x) ?

The Product Rule says:

the derivative of fg = f g’ + f’ g

In our case:

 f = cos
 g = sin

We know (from the table above):

 cos(x) = −sin(x)

 sin(x) = cos(x)

So:

the derivative of cos(x)sin(x) = cos(x)cos(x) − sin(x)sin(x)

= cos2(x) − sin2(x)

Quotient Rule

To help you remember:

(f/g)’ = (gf’ − fg’)/g2

The derivative of "High over Low" is:

"Low dHigh minus High dLow, over the line and square the Low"
 Example: What is the derivative of cos(x)/x ?

In our case:

 f = cos
 g=x

We know (from the table above):

 f' = −sin(x)
 g' = 1

So:

the derivative of cos(x)x = Low dHigh minus High dLow /over the line and square the Low

= [x(−sin(x)) − cos(x)(1)]/x2

= − [xsin(x) + cos(x)]/x2

Reciprocal Rule

Example: What is  (1/x) ?

The Reciprocal Rule says:

the derivative of 1/f = −f’/f2

With f(x)= x, we know that f’(x) = 1

So:

the derivative of 1x = −1x2

Which is the same result we got above using the Power Rule.

Chain Rule
Example: What is d/dx sin(x2) ?

sin(x2) is made up of sin() and x2:

 f(g) = sin(g)
 g(x) = x2

The Chain Rule says:

the derivative of f(g(x)) = f'(g(x))g'(x)

The individual derivatives are:

 f'(g) = cos(g)
 g'(x) = 2x

So:

d/dx sin(x2) = cos(g(x)) (2x)

= 2x cos(x2)
Another way of writing the Chain Rule is: dydx = dy/du* du/dx

Let's do the previous example again using that formula:

Example: What is ddxsin(x2) ?

dy/dx = dy/du. du/dx

Have u = x2, so y = sin(u):

d/dx sin(x2) = d/du sin(u) d/dx x2

Differentiate each:

d/dx sin(x2) = cos(u) (2x)

Substitute back u = x2 and simplify:

d/dx sin(x2) = 2x cos(x2)

Same result as before (thank goodness!)

Another couple of examples of the Chain Rule:

Example: What is  (1/cos(x)) ?

1/cos(x) is made up of 1/g and cos():

 f(g) = 1/g
 g(x) = cos(x)

The Chain Rule says:

the derivative of f(g(x)) = f’(g(x))g’(x)

The individual derivatives are:

 f'(g) = −1/(g2)
 g'(x) = −sin(x)

So:

(1/cos(x))’ = −1/(g(x))2 × −sin(x)

= sin(x)/cos2(x)

Note: sin(x)/cos2(x) is also tan(x)/cos(x), or many other forms.

Example: What is  (5x−2)3 ?

The Chain Rule says:

the derivative of f(g(x)) = f’(g(x))g’(x)

(5x-2)3 is made up of g3 and 5x-2:

 f(g) = g3
 g(x) = 5x−2

The individual derivatives are:

 f'(g) = 3g2 (by the Power Rule)

 g'(x) = 5

So:

(5x−2)3 = 3g(x)2 × 5 = 15(5x−2)2

ACTIVITIES
- discussion on derivatives using increment method and differentiation rules.
- Exercise on finding the derivative of a function.

ASSESSMENT
A. Find the derivative of the given function using any available method.
1) y = 5

2) f (x) = 5x 18

3) y = 4x 5 + x

4) f (x) = 4x 4 − 5x − 3

5) y = 3x 5/4

6) y = (5 /4) x 2/3

7) y = −x 3 (3x4 − 2)

8) f (x) = x 2 (−3x2 − 2)

9) y = 2 /(2x4 – 5)

10) f (x) = 2 /(x 5 – 5)

11) y = (x3 + 3)5

12) y = (−3x 5+ 1)3

13) y = x2 + 2 , use increment method

14) y = 2x2 + x + 2, use increment method

15) f (x) = sin 2x 3

REFERENCES

1. https://www.kutasoftware.com/freeica.html
2. https://www.mathsisfun.com/calculus/derivatives-introduction.html
 WEEK 4
THE DERIVATIVE
- The slope of a curve at a given point.
- The average and instantaneous rate of change.

OBJECTIVES

1. Identify slope as the derivative of a function.

2. Explain the derivatives on a limit of the slope of a function, slope of tangent line of a function, rate of
change
3. Calculate the slope of a tangent line.

DISCUSSION

Slope of a Curve
Finding the slope of a curve at a point is one of two fundamental problems in calculus. This
abstract concept has a variety of concrete realizations, like finding the velocity of a particle given
its position and finding the rate of a reaction given the concentration as a function of time.

To find the slope m of a curve at a particular point, we differentiate the equation of the curve. If the given
curve is y=f(x), we evaluate dy/dx or f′(x) and substitute the value of x to find the
slope.

Example 1. How do I find the slope of a curve at a point?

The slope of a curve of y=f(x) at x=a is f'(a).

Let us find the slope of f(x) = x3 – x + 2 at x=1.

By taking the derivative,

f'(x) = 3x2 −1

By plugging in x=1,

f'(1) = 3(1)2 −1=2

Hence, the slope is 2.

Example2. Find the slope of the line tangent to the graph of function
f(x) = 2x - 5 at any point [x, y].
Following the increment process we have

1. f(x + ∆x) = 2(x + ∆x) - 5

2. f(x + ∆x) - f(x) = (2x + 2∆x - 5) - (2x - 5) = 2∆x
3. f ( x + Δ x ) - f ( x ) Δ x = 2 Δ x Δ x = 2
4. m = lim Δ x → 0 f ( x + Δ x ) - f ( x ) Δ x = lim Δ x → 0 2 = 2

The slope at any point is therefore constant, m = 2, as shown also on the function graph.
EXAMPLE 3
Find a formula for the slope of the line tangent to the graph of function
f(x) = x2 - 1 and calculate the slope at points [-1, 0], [0, -1], [2, 3].

SOLUTION
Following the increment process we have

1. f(x + ∆x) = (x + ∆x)2 - 1

2. f(x + ∆x) - f(x) = x2 + 2x∆x + (∆x)2 - 1 - x2 + 1 = 2x∆x + (∆x)2
3. f ( x + Δ x ) - f ( x ) Δ x = Δ x ( 2 x + Δ x ) Δ x = 2 x + Δ x
4. m = lim Δ x → 0 f ( x + Δ x ) - f ( x ) Δ x = lim Δ x → 0 ( 2 x + Δ x ) = 2x

Therefore the slope is given, at any point on the graph of function f(x) = x2 - 1, by formula m = 2x.

At particular points the value can be calculated inserting the x-coordinate of the point into this formula.

1. At the point [-1, 0] the slope is m = 2(-1) = -2.

2. At the point [0, -1] the slope is m = 2(0) = 0.
3. At the point [2, 3] the slope is m = 2(2) = 4.

Rate of Change Problems

Recall that the derivative of a function f is defined by

if it exists. If f is a function of time t, we may write the above equation in the form

and hence we may interpret f '( )t as the (instantaneous) rate of change of the quantity f at time t.
This allows us to investigate rate of change problems with the techniques in differentiation. We illustrate with a few
examples below.

Example 1.
The edges of a cube extend a rate of 1.5 in/s.  If the cube has a volume of 216 in3 what is the rate of the growth of
the surface area?

Solution:

Surface area of a cube is given by the formula:

A=6l2

Therefore, deriving each side with respect to time relates the growth of surface area to the growth of the edges:

dA /dt=12l dl/dt

The only current unknown now is the length of an edge, which can be found since the volume of the cube is
known:

l3 = 216in3
l = 6in

Therefore, the growth of the surface area is:

dA /dt=12(6in)(1.5in/s)=108in2 /s
Example 2.
A cylinder with a radius of two inches and a height of eight inches is enlongating at a rate of half an inch per
second. If the thickness is maintained constant, what is the rate of growth of the surface area?

The surface area of a cylinder is given by the formula:

A=2πr2 +2πrh

Therefore the rate of growth over time is:

dA /dt = 2πr dh/dt

Therefore

dA /dt= 2πr dh/dt = 2π(2in)(0.5in/s) = 2πin2 /s.

Example 3.
A sphere with a volume of 36π m3 is expanding at a rate of 0.9π m3 per second. What is the rate of growth of the
surface area?
Solution:
To begin, find the radius of the sphere and the radius' rate of change, since these terms are used when
describing the surface area. Working with volume:
V= 4/3 πr3
4/3 πr3 =36π m3
r = 3m
dV/dt = 4πr2 dr/dt
dr/dt = [1/36π](0.9π)=140 m

Now, to work with surface area:

A = 4πr2
dA/dt = 8πr dr/dt = 24π(1/40)=35π m2

ACTIVITIES

- discussion on the slope of a curve and derivatives as rates of change.

- exercise on rate of change and slope using derivatives.

ASSESSMENT

A. Rate of change
1. A circle's circumference is increasing at a rate of 0.6 feet per second.  If the diameter of
the circle is 80 feet at a moment, how fast is the area of the circle increasing at the same
moment?
2. The sides of a square shrink at a rate of 0.01 in/s . What is the rate of growth of the
square
if its sides have lengths of 10in ?
3. An swimming pool with dimensions 50 meters wide, 50 meters long, and 5 meters deep is
being filled up with water.  If the height of the water is rising at a rate of 0.1 meters per
minute, how fast is the volume of the pool changing?  Assume the pool is being filled
uniformly from the bottom up.
B. Slope of the Curve.
1. Find the slope of the line tangent to y = x 2 at (3, 9).
2.  Find the slope of the curve at the given point
a. y = x2 - 3x - 1  at x = 0
b y= 1/ ( x – 1)   at  x = 2
c. y = x2  – 4x     at  x =  1
d. y = 2x2  – 3   at x = 5

REFERENCES

1. https://www.varsitytutors.com/calculus_1-help/how-to-find-rate-of-change?page=6

2. http://www.buders.com/UNIVERSITE/Universite_Dersleri/Math101/Arsiv/applications_of_derivative.pdf

3. http://www.evlm.stuba.sk/~velichova/xmathkluc/diff/practise/examples/ex1.xml

4. https://brilliant.org/wiki/slope-of-a-curve-basic/#introduction

5. https://brilliant.org/wiki/slope-of-a-curve-basic/#finding-slope
 WEEK 5
DIFFERENTIATION
- Implicit Diffferentiation

OBJECTIVES
1. to find the derivative of an implicitly defined function using implicit differentiation .

DISCUSSION
Implicit Differentiation

Sometimes a function is defined implicitly by an equation of the form

f(x, y) = 0,

which we think of as a relationship between x and y, and we can “solve” y

in terms of x to get a function y = y(x) such that
f(x, y(x)) = 0 for all x.

This is how we understand that the equation f(x, y) = 0 “defines” the

function y(x) implicitly. Let us start with a simple example.

Example 1. Consider the linear equation 4x + 3y = 5, we can solve y in

terms of x to get
1
y= (5 − 4x).
3

1
Hence, the equation defines a function y(x) = (5 − 4x), whose derivative
3
is y ’ (x) = −4/3.

Question: Can we find the derivative y 0 (x) without first solving y in

terms of x from the equation f(x, y) = 0?
The answer is YES! And this can be done by “implicit differentiation”.
The idea is just to differentiation the whole equation f(x, y) = 0 with respect
to x, keeping in mind that y = y(x) is a function of x. For example, in
Example 1, we have some implicitly defined function y(x) such that

4x + 3y(x) = 5 for all x.

Differentiating both sides with respect to x, we get

’
4 + 3y (x) = 0,
’
which implies y (x) = −4/3. Note that we get the same answer without
having to solve for y.
However, in some cases the equation f(x, y) = 0 may not define a unique function y(x). Let’s
look at the example below.

Example 2. Consider the equation

X 2 + y2 = 1,
then when we solve for y in terms of x, we get
y = ± √ 1−x 2
Hence the equation defines implicitly y±(x) = ± √ 1−x 2 which both satisfies
the equation x2 + y ±(x)) = 1. Geometrically, y+ and y- defines the upper
and lower unit circle respectively. If we calculate their derivatives, we get
−x
y ’
(x) = ,
+
√1−x2
x
y ’
(x) = ,
+
√1−x2
If we do implicit differentiation instead, we differentiate the equation
X2 + y2 = 1 with respect to x, applying chain rule when the derivative falls on
Y2 , we obtain
’
2x + 2yy = 0.

We can solve y 0 in terms of x and y to get

’ −x
y =−
y

’
Note that both y ± satisfy the equation above.

’
In general, implicit differentiation can only find y in terms
’
of both x and y. If we want to find y solely in terms of x, we still have to
solve y in terms of x, or in some case, we can simply the expression of y
and x to an expression only involving x.

Example 3. Consider the equation

y sin y + x = 1,

it is impossible to solve for y in terms of x by elementary means. Therefore,

we can only do implicit differentiation to find y ’ . Differentiating the
equation, we get
’ ‘
y sin y + yy cos y + 1 = 0,

which we can solve for y 0 to obtain

’ 1
y =− siny + ycosy
 ACTIVITIES
- discussion on implicit function and its derivative.
- Solving derivatives

ASSESSMENT
Find the derivative of the following implicit functions.

REFERENCES

1. https://www.math.cuhk.edu.hk/course_builder/1415/math1010e/1010E%20Week%205.pdf
 2. https://cdn.kutasoftware.com/Worksheets/Calc/03%20-%20Implicit%20Differentiation.pdf

WEEK 6
The Derivative
- Higher Order Derivatives

OBJECTIVES
1. Calculate higher order derivatives.

DISCUSSION

Higher Order Derivatives

Let’s start with the following function

f(x)=5x 3 −3x2 +10x−5

By this point we should be able to differentiate this function without any problems. Doing this we get,

f′(x)=15x2 −6x+10

Now, this is a function and so it can be differentiated. Here is the notation that we’ll use for that, as well
as the derivative.

(f′(x))′=30x−6

This is called the second derivative and f′(x) is now called the first derivative.

Again, this is a function, so we can differentiate it again. This will be called the third derivative. Here is
that derivative as well as the notation for the third derivative.

f‴(x)=(f″(x))′=30

Continuing, we can differentiate again. This is called, oddly enough, the fourth derivative. We’re also
going to be changing notation at this point. We can keep adding on primes, but that will get
cumbersome after a while.

f (4) (x)=(f′′′(x))′=0

This process can continue but notice that we will get zero for all derivatives after this point. This set of
derivatives leads us to the following fact about the differentiation of polynomials .

Fact
If p(x) is a polynomial of degree n (i.e. the largest exponent in the polynomial) then,
(k)
P (x)=0 for k≥n+1

We will need to be careful with the “non-prime” notation for derivatives. Consider each of the
following.
 f(2) (x)=f′′(x)
f2 (x)=[f(x)]2
The presence of parenthesis in the exponent denotes differentiation while the absence of parenthesis
denotes exponentiation.

Collectively the second, third, fourth, etc. derivatives are called higher order derivatives.

Let’s take a look at some examples of higher order derivatives.

Example 1 Find the first four derivatives for each of the following.

a. R(t)=3t2 +8t1/2 +et

b. y = cosx

c. f(y)=sin(3y)+e-2y +ln(7y)

Solution:

a.

b.

Note that cosine (and sine) will repeat every four derivatives. The other four trig functions will not
exhibit this behavior. You might want to take a few derivatives to convince yourself of this.

c. In the previous two examples we saw some patterns in the differentiation of exponential
functions, cosines and sines. We need to be careful however since they only work if there is just
a t or an x in the argument. This is the point of this example. In this example we will need to use
the chain rule on each derivative.

So, we can see with slightly more complicated arguments the patterns that we saw for exponential
functions, sines and cosines no longer completely hold.

Solution:
a.

Notice that each successive derivative will require a product and/or chain rule and that as noted
above this will not end up returning back to just a secant after four (or another other number for that
matter) derivatives as sine and cosine will.

b.

c.
 ACTIVITIES
- discussion on Higher Order Derivatives
- Calculate Higher Order Derivatives

ASSESSMENT
Higher Order Derivatives Problems
A. Determine the fourth derivative of the given function.

B. Determine the second derivative of the given function.

1.

2.

ASSESSMENT

1. https://tutorial.math.lamar.edu/ProblemsNS/CalcI/HigherOrderDerivatives.aspx

2. https://tutorial.math.lamar.edu/classes/calci/higherorderderivatives.aspx