DERIVATIVES

Let
f Cx) be a
function .

The derivative is defined

of f at
x=xo by :

FCK) -

fCKo)
Icao ) = him .

x. → Xo K -
ko

>
Evaluate
Example Let god = 3k 2
j C- 23
-
.
.

the ) -

8C-2 )
Answer g' c- z) = him

x -3-2 x -
C -
2)

( 3K -
2) -
( 3 .
-2 -
z )
= fin
x. → -
2 x -12

3 CK -12 )
= ein
x -3 -
2 a -12

= him 3 = 3

x. → -2

Remark A derivative is a limit therefore it

, may
happen that a derivative does not exist .

'
Example Let floc) = Ix -
31 . Evaluate y C 33 .
 Answer
Ix -
31 -
13 -
31

j 'C3 ) = line
x -33 3
x -

be -31
= line .

x. → 3 x -
3

This limit does not exist since

12C -
31 K -
3
line = him = 1 .

k→3t K -
3 1-33-1 x -
3

IK -
31 3 -
k

him = him = - 1 .

- -

so -33 K -
3 so -33 x -
3

Therefore f 'c3) does not exist .

However in this example we that

say
:
,

( the
left hand derivative ) f! (3) = -
1 and

( the
right hand derivative ) f (3) = 1 .

is
Observation
If f increasing near x=
sco then

'
j Coco ) 70 .

If is
'
f decreasing near
x=xo then

j Coco ) E O .

( Assume that f' Coco ) exists .

)
 THE MEANING OF A DERIVATIVE

t
Meaning y

"

i a
# K

"
o

>

If Coco ) exists then there exists the line

j tangent
at
to the
graph of fcx) the point on the
graph
where I =
Xo .

is
The
equation of the
tangent line then

'

y Jaco ) f Geo ) ( x Xo )
-
-
= .

So the slope of the

tangent line is f' Geo ) .

'
The
geometric meaning
:
f Geo ) = tan Cd ) .

is
Here a the
angle between the
tangent line and

Ood .
 '
Example Estimate
y Coco ) in the
following figure :

# i
i
i
,

i x
"
o

Answer

# t
'
i
i
i

! x
"
o

'
j Coco ) = tan ( II ) = 1 .

Meaning 2

77
' "

j Geo ) = the rate

of change of f at x=xo .

" "
'
j Geo ) = the speed of change of f at x=xo .

'
Explanation y exo ) illustrates how fast the function f
is This
changing at x=xo . number can be

positive or
negative .
 '
If is and
positive number
y Coco ) a
big ,

for example flcxo ) = 10000 then we know

that

is
j increasing very fast at x=xo .

ne
ry

:
jcx )
!
I oc

Ko

If g) Coco ) is a
very negative number ,

for example f) Coco ) =

-
10000 then we know

that

is
decreasing
at
j very fast a-
Ko .

my

i w

Ko

Example
y

L÷ ,

l
l

l
l l

i i so
a b
 and also
J is
increasing near x= a neat x=b .

'
So
f) Ca ) 70 and
y Cb ) 30 .

also is
We can see that f increasing faster at

at b
x. = a than x. = .

Therefore

" "
is
the
increasing speed of f at a
greater than

" "
the
increasing speed of f at b .

Note that

" "

g' Cas = the

increasing speed of f at a .

' " "

j Cb) = the
increasing speed of f at b .

Therefore
f' Cb) Ica) f' Cb )
>
j Ca) 7 = 7 because

f) Ca) 30 and f' Cb ) 30 .

Example y

floc )

i
i
l
l
l
l
l l
l
l
l l
'
,
I 2C

a b
 f) Ca)
'
We know that E O and y Cb) E O since

is and
j decreasing near a = a near x= b .

On the other hand we also have

,

I f) Cast > If'Cb3l because :

" "
f' ca) the
decreasing speed of f at

{
= a
,

"

" °"
"

"
= the """ " "
t
s
" " t at b
"

and from the

figure we see that

is
f decreasing faster at x=a than at x=b .

' '
Since ca) and Cb) that
f E O
f E O
,
we
get

' '

j ca) L
f Cb )