DERIVATIVES

OBJECTIVES:
• Illustrate the tangent line to the graph of a
function at a given point.
• Apply the definition of the derivative of a
function at a given number; and
• Relate the derivative of a function to the
slope of the tangent line.
 THE TANGENT LINE DEFINED
MORE FORMALLY
Definition:
Let C the graph of a continuous function 𝛾 = 𝑓 𝑥
and let 𝑃 be a point on C.
1. A secant line to 𝛾 = 𝑓 𝑥 through 𝑃 is any line
connecting 𝑃 and another point 𝑄 𝑜𝑛 𝐶.
2. The tangent line to 𝛾 = 𝑓 𝑥 at 𝑃 is the limiting
position of all secant lines as 𝑄 → 𝑃.
𝑃𝑄
 CURVES THAT DO NOT HAVE
TANGENT LINES
It is possible that the tangent line to a graph of a
function at a point 𝑃(𝑥0, 𝑓(𝑥0 )) does not exist.
There are only two cases when this happens:
1. The case when the function is not continuous at
𝑥0
2. The case when the function has a sharp corner/
cusp, at 𝑃