CHAIN RULE

𝐹(𝑥) = (𝑓 ∘ 𝑔)(𝑥) 𝐹 ′ (𝑥) = 𝑓 ′ (𝑔(𝑥)) 𝑔′(𝑥)

𝑦 = 𝑓(𝑢) and 𝑢 = 𝑔(𝑥) 𝑑𝑦 𝑑𝑦 𝑑𝑢
= ⋅
𝑑𝑥 𝑑𝑢 𝑑𝑥

IMPLICIT DIFFERENTIATION

Differentiate each side of an equation with two variables by treating one of the variables
as a function of the other. This technique is used when we cannot explicitly define a
variable as a function of the other variable.
HIGHER ORDER DERIVATIVES

First Second Third

Fourth Derivative Fifth Derivative
Derivative Derivative Derivative

𝑑𝑦 𝑑 𝑑𝑦 𝑑 𝑑 𝑑𝑦 𝑑 𝑑 𝑑 𝑑𝑦 𝑑 𝑑 𝑑 𝑑 𝑑𝑦
( ) ( ( )) ( ( ( ))) ( ( ( ( ))))
𝑑𝑥 𝑑𝑥 𝑑𝑥 𝑑𝑥 𝑑𝑥 𝑑𝑥 𝑑𝑥 𝑑𝑥 𝑑𝑥 𝑑𝑥 𝑑𝑥 𝑑𝑥 𝑑𝑥 𝑑𝑥 𝑑𝑥

𝑑𝑦 𝑑2𝑦 𝑑3 𝑦 𝑑4𝑦 𝑑5𝑦

𝑑𝑥 𝑑𝑥 2 𝑑𝑥 3 𝑑𝑥 4 𝑑𝑥 5

𝑓′(𝑥) 𝑓′′(𝑥) 𝑓′′′(𝑥) 𝑓 (4) (𝑥) 𝑓 (5) (𝑥)

𝐷𝑥 𝑦 𝐷𝑥2 𝑦 𝐷𝑥3 𝑦 𝐷𝑥4 𝑦 𝐷𝑥5 𝑦

𝑦′ 𝑦′′ 𝑦′′′ 𝑦 (4) 𝑦 (5)

INDETERMINATE FORMS

0 ±∞
∞−∞ 0⋅∞ 00 ∞0 1∞
0 ±∞

L’HOPITAL’S RULE

𝑓(𝑥) 0
lim =
𝑥→𝑎 𝑔(𝑥) 0
𝑓(𝑥) 𝑓′(𝑥)
lim =
𝑥→𝑎 𝑔(𝑥) 𝑔′(𝑥)
𝑓(𝑥) ±∞
lim =
𝑥→𝑎 𝑔(𝑥) ±∞

CRITICAL POINTS

𝒙 = 𝒄 is a critical point of the function 𝒇(𝒙) if 𝒇(𝒄) exists and either 𝒇′ (𝒄) = 𝟎 or 𝒇′ (𝒄) 𝑫𝑵𝑬

MINIMUM AND MAXIMUM VALUES

Absolute (or global) maximum at 𝒙 = 𝒄 𝒇(𝒙) ≤ 𝒇(𝒄) for every x in the domain

Relative (or local) maximum at 𝒙 = 𝒄 𝒇(𝒙) ≤ 𝒇(𝒄) for every x in some open interval
 Absolute (or global) minimum at 𝒙 = 𝒄 𝒇(𝒙) ≥ 𝒇(𝒄) for every x in the domain

Relative (or local) minimum at 𝒙 = 𝒄 𝒇(𝒙) ≥ 𝒇(𝒄) for every x in some open interval

EXTREME VALUE THEOREM

𝒇(𝒄) is absolute maximum

𝒇(𝒙) is continuous on the interval [a, b] and
𝒂 ≤ 𝒄 and 𝒅 ≤ 𝒃
𝒇(𝒅) is absolute minimum

FINDING ABSOLUTE EXTREMA

1. Verify that the function is continuous on the interval [a, b].

2. Find all critical points of 𝑓(𝑥) in the interval [a, b].

3. Evaluate the function at the critical points and the end points.

4. Identify the absolute extrema