1 The number e 

:
It was that great mathematician Leonhard Euler
who discovered the number e and calculated
its value to 23 decimal places. It is often
called Euler's number and, like pi, is an
irrational number, so we cannot write its exact
value; the approximate value to 20 decimal places
is e ≈ 2.71828182845904523536.

2 Exponential function :
For any positive number a > 0, there is a function called an exponential function with base a
that is defined as f(x) = ax.
For example, f(x)=3x is an exponential function with base 3.

Any positive number can be used as the base for an exponential function, but some bases are
more useful than others. The most important base though is the number denoted by the letter
e.

3 The Natural Exponential Function:

The natural exponential function is the exponential function with base e.
so f(x)= ex  
It is often referred to as the exponential function.

4 Derivatives
● The derivative of  ex is ex
● If u is a function of x, we can obtain the derivative of an expression in
the form  eu:
DERIVATIVE OF eu = eu * DERIVATIVE OF u
5 Limits
5.1 Indeterminate forms
Those forms not have fixed values, they change from an exercise to another.
The indeterminate forms are:

𝑥+1 2𝑥+1 ∞
for example when x tends to +∞ ; the two fractions 𝑥−1
and 𝑥−1
tends to ∞
but their
limits answers are 1 and 2.
5.2 Hospital rule:
𝐴(𝑥) ∞ 0
If 𝐵(𝑥)
= ∞
𝑜𝑟 0
then we can substitute in this limit, the two function A(x) and B(x) by
their derivatives to calculate its value.
Example:
𝑥
𝑒 ∞
𝑥
= ∞
then we can replace the functions by their derivatives, so

𝑥 𝑥
𝑒 𝑒 +∞
𝑥
= 1
= 1
=+ ∞
5.3 Asymptotes
● consider that 𝑓(𝑥) = 𝑛 .
o If m is a number and n is infinity then the curve of f has the line x=m as
vertical asymptote.
o If m is infinity and n is a number then the curve of f has the line y=n as
horizontal asymptote.

● Consider the line (D) : y=ax+b and a function f.

o If 𝑓(𝑥) − 𝑦 = 0 then the line (D) : y=ax+b is an oblique asymptote to the
curve of the function f.
5.4 Answers to know:
In the resolution of exercises we can use the answers of the limits listed below witout any
justification.
𝑥
● 𝑒 = 0
𝑥
● 𝑒 =+ ∞
𝑥
𝑒
● 𝑥
=+ ∞
−𝑥
● 𝑒 = 0

6 Relative position between a line and a curve

Consider a function f and a line (d):y=sx+r.
Firstly we must calculate the value of the difference f(x)-y,then:
● If this difference is equal to zero for a value i for x then in this case the line (d) cut the
curve of f in the point (i; f(i)).
● If the difference f(x)-y is negative on an interval N then in this case the line (d) is
below the curve of f on N.
● If the difference f(x)-y is positive on an interval P then in this case the line (d) is above
the curve of f on P.
Example:
f(x)=ex and (d):y=1.
f(x)-y=ex-1
for x=0 ,f(x)-y=1-1=0 then (d) cut the cuve of f in the point (0; 1)
for x>0 the f(x)-y>0 the (d) is above the curve of f.
for x<0 the f(x)-y<0 the (d) is below the curve of f.