Differentiating Exponential

Functions
The exponential function: y = exp(x) = ex

Features of y = ex
i. non-linear
ii. always positive
iii. as  x get  y and  slope of graph

Differentiation rule
•If y = ex then where e = 2.71828….
• More generally,
• If y = Aerx then
Examples:
i. y = e2x
Solution
Recall the rule: if y = Aerx then
Therefore If y = e2x , then = 2e2x

ii. y = e-7x

Solution = -7e-7x using the above rule

Differentiating Natural Logs

Notation: If y = ex this is equivalent to writing x = = ln y

Note: Logs to the base e are natural logs

Differentiation rule for natural logs

• If y = ex then = y
• From, the Inverse Function Rule
• y = ex 
•Now, if y = ex can be written as x = loge y = ln y
• Then, x = ln y 
Generally, if y = ln mx  (Note: the derivative of a natural log function does not depend on
the co-efficient of x)

Rules of Logs
Sum-Difference : If y = ln m+ ln x, then

Examples
i. y = ln 5x (x>0) 
ii. y = ln(x2+2x+1),

Solution: let v = (x2+2x+1) so y = ln v

Apply Chain Rule: 

Thus, =
iii. y = x4lnx
Solution
Use product Rule: 
= =
iv. y = ln(x3(x+2)4)
Solution
First : Simplify using rules of logs
 y = lnx3 + ln(x+2)4  y = 3lnx + 4ln(x+2)
Then differentiate
Applied Examples
• Natural logs are useful in considering proportional changes in variables

The derivative of log(f(x))  , or the proportional change in the variable x, i.e. y =

f(x), then the proportional  x = =

Example
1. Show that if y = x, then , and this  derivative of ln(y) with respect to x.

Solution:   

Now ln y = ln x
Re-writing  ln y = lnx 

Differentiating the ln y with respect to x gives the proportional change in x.

Example:
1. If Price level at time t is P(t) = a+bt+ct2
• The inflation rate at t is

• This is equivalent to differentiating the log of P(t) with respect to t directly

lnP(t) = ln(a+bt+ct2)

Letting v = (a+bt+ct2) we have lnP(t) = ln v

Using chain rule, , we have

 DIFFERENTIATION FORMULS

d d d d
1. (u n )  nu n 1 (u ), 2. (sin u )  cos u (u ),
dx dx dx dx

d d d d
3. (cos u )   sin u (u ), 4. (tan u )  sec 2 u (u ),
dx dx dx dx

d d d d
5. (ctnu )   csc 2 u (u ), 6. (sec u )  sec u tan( u ) (u ),
dx dx dx dx

d d d 1 d
7. (csc u )   csc uctnu (u ), 8. ( arc sin u )  (u ),
dx dx dx (1  u 2 ) dx

d 1 d d 1 d
9 . ( arc cos u )   (u ), 10 ( arc tan u )  (u ),
dx (1  u 2 ) dx dx 1 u 2
dx

d 1 d d 1 d
11 . ( arc ctnu )   (u ), 12. ( arc sec u )  (u ),
dx 1 u 2
dx dx u (u 2  1) dx

d 1 d d d
13 . ( arc csc u )   (u ), 14. (e u )  e u (u ),
dx u (u 2  1) dx dx dx

d du d 1 d d 1 d
15 ( a u )  a u (ln a ) , 16 . (ln u )  (u ), 17 (log a u )  (u ).
dx dx dx u dx dx u ln a dx

x
sin x e x 1  a
lim  1,
lim  1,
lim 1   ea
x 0 x x 0 x x   x
Exercise
Find the derivative of each of the following questions
1)
2)

3)
4)
5)
(8)
(9)
1
(11)
(12)
(13)
(14)
(15)
(16)
(17)
(18)
(19)
(20)
(21)
(22)
(23) If a firms Total Cost Curve is: TC = Q3 – 4Q2 + 12Q find