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y(x) = 3
y(x) = 3 shown in the figure to the right. 4
mathematically? x1 x2 x
Mathematics of “Change”
Well, we define the change in the function y(x) with respect to
the variable x, Δy/Δx, to be
y Y (x 2 ) y (x 1 )
.
x x 2 x1 Understanding the symbols…
In English, this equation will tell us how the function y(x) The symbol “Δ,” called
delta, represents the
changes over the distance between x1 and x2. Since y always change in a variable.
Translated, Δy reads:
equals 3 in our previous example, then “The change in y,” which
equals:
y 33 “y final minus y initial”
0. or mathematically:
x x2 x1 “Δy = yfinal – yinitial.”
Therefore, the function y(x) does not change over the interval
x1 and x2. This mathematics will be how we describe the change
in any function with respect to a given variable.
Example of a Straight Line
Now consider the function y(x) = 3x + 1 as
drawn in the figure to the right. Again, how
would y(x) change with x? Let’s look at the The slope of the line
interval between x = 2 and x = 3: 20
equals Δy/Δx
y(x) = 3x + 1
Using our definition for the change in y(x)
15
with respect to x from the previous slide (hit
the left arrow key if you need to back to the
previous slide), we get: 10
Y
Δy=3
y y (x 3) y (x 2) [3 * (3) 1] [3 * (2) 1] 10 7 5
Δx=1
3
x 32 32 1
0
0 1 2 3 4 5 6
If we look at this graphically in Figure 2, X
Δx=(X+h)–X=h
This line is still not the tangent line at point
X, but we can make it look more like the
tangent line if we make the h a smaller value:
X X+hX+h x
If you calculate the slope for this second
line, it will have the same form as the above
equation, except now h is a smaller value and
therefore y(X+h) will be a different value.
So What is a Derivative Anyway?
Tangent Line
y y (xfinal ) y (xinitial )
slope
x xfinal xinitial
• The “derivative” of y(x) at point X is the slope of the tangent line to the
curve of y(x) at point X.
dy y ( x h ) y (x )
( as h goes to zero) y = x2
dx h
((x h )2 ) (x 2 )
( as h goes to zero)
h
(x 2 2xh h 2 ) x 2
( as h goes to zero)
h
2xh h 2
( as h goes to zero)
h
2x h ( as h goes to zero)
2x -15 -10 -5 0 5 10 15
dy
And therefore, 2x
dx
Let us use this result to determine the derivative at x = 5. Since the derivative of
y(x)=x2 equals 2x, then the derivative at x = 5 is 2*5 = 10. Therefore, the slope of the
tangent line that passes through x = 5 has a slope of 10!
Graphing the Derivative
In our previous example, we used the
y = x2
definition for the derivative to find the
derivative of the function y = x2. When we
did this, we found the derivative to be a
y
function itself: dy/dx = 2x. This is just a
straight line as plotted to the bottom
right.
-15 -10 -5 0 5 10 15
x
Let us see how the two graphs are related. The slope of the tangent line at x = -4 is -8.
The
The
slope
slope
of of
thethe
tangent
tangent
lineline x =x-9
at at = 0isis-18.
0.
• You know that the derivative of a 25
function is just the slope of that dy/dx = 2x 20
negative! -15
-18
• When the slope of the tangent line -20
y
-20
-60
-80
dy y (x h ) y (x ) x
( as h goes to zero )
Definition of derivative
dx h
[4(x h )3 15(x h )2 20] [4x 3 15x 2 20]
( as h goes to zero )
Substituted in the expression for y(x)
h
[4(x 3 3x 2h 3xh 2 h 3 ) 15(x 2 2xh h 2 ) 20] [4x 3 15x 2 20]
( as h goes to zero)
h
12x 2h 12xh 2 h 3 30xh 15h 2
( as h goes to zeroTerms
) that survived after some terms canceled
h
12x 2 12xh h 2 30x 15h ( as h goes to zeroDivided) each term by h
dy
12x 2 30These
x terms survived after h went to zero
dx
Example Continued
60
We have found that the derivative of y=4x –15x +20
3 2 The slope of the tangent lines
should be zero at these points.
y(x) = 4x3–15x2+20 to be: 40
y
-20
plotted in the bottom right.
-40
Between x = 0 and x = 2.5, y(x)
In this region, dy/dx
haveshould be positive.
Let us compare the two graphs -60 should a negative slope.
Indeed, dy/dx
between x=0 and x=2.5, dy/dx is negative inx=0.
value.
region between x = -2 and x = 0 Indeed,
Indeed, at x has
= 0 positive values
and x = 2.5, between
dy/dx equalsx=-2 and
zero.
this region. x
The Shortcut…
You have seen so far two examples on calculating derivatives and their graphical
representation and meaning. Certainly, the definition for the derivative can be used
each time when one needs to be determined, but there exists a shortcut when it
comes to functions of the form: y(x) = Axn, where “A” is just a numerical constant and
“n” is an integer, positive or negative. Plugging this expression into the definition for
the derivative, you will find that:
dy/dx = nAxn-1
3) Based upon the graph shown, where should the derivative of this function be
positive, negative, and zero?
3
0
y -4 -3 -2 -1 0 1 2 3 4 5
-1
-2
-3
-4
x
Answers to Problems
1) dx / dt 10 9.8t
3 and 4
0
b) positive between -2 and 0, y -4 -3 -2 -1 0 1 2 3 4 5
and between 2 and 3 -1
-3
-4
x