Calculus First Principles

Objectives: to be able to,

Contents
•investigate how to find the gradient of a
1. The Gradient formula.
curve,
2. Find the gradient function of y=x2.
•find the general form for differentiation
of xn.
3. The general formula.

4. Examples of differentiation. Prior knowledge: you should already know

how to,
5. Questions.
•find gradients of straight lines,

•write squares as indices,

•write reciprocal powers as indices.

 The Gradient Formula
Find the gradient of the straight line that connects A(2,3) to B(6,9).

Draw a sketch to show the information.

Can we make up a formula?

Re-name the coordinates.

B(x ,y )
B(6,9)
2 2 Draw the run.
Work out the run again.
This could have calculated by doing 6-2=4
Work out the rise again.
y62  y1 Draw the rise.
This could have calculated by doing 9-3=6
y2  y1
Gradient=
9  3x  x 6 3
Gradient = 2 1 or
62 4 2
A(2,3)
A(x1 ,y1 ) x2 4 x1
 The Gradient of Curves
Consider the curve of y=x2. This is drawn below.

Gradient at x = 2
Gradient at x = -1



How do we find the gradient of a curve?

The problem with the curve is that the gradient is changing, so that at different values of
x, the gradient is different.
One way we could find the gradient is to draw a tangent at the value given and find rise
over run – but this is not so accurate.
 The Gradient of Curves
Consider the curve of y=x2. Let us investigate the gradient of the point where x=2.

Gradient at x=2

In order to do this we will just concentrate on this part of the graph.

 The Gradient of Curves
y  x2 Draw
As thea extra
straight
- bitline
wefrom x=2 to on
are adding x=3 on
(3,9) the graph.
(2.8,7.84) gets smaller what is the gradient
heading
This 9to the
towards?
is close 4 tangent and will give a
(2.5,6.25) gradient  5
 good approximation
32 of the gradient of the
 (2.1,4.41)  curve where
Now lets
gradient  4x=2.our straight line closer to
move
(2.01,4.0401)
 the curve.
 (2,4) y2  y1
 Draw a straight line from x=2 to x=2.8.
WeGradient=
can use algebra to show why.
x x
  7.842  4 1
 gradient   4.8
2.8  2
 Make a table9  4 results
 gradient  of the 5
3  2
and continue the process.
 Now lets move our straight line closer to
x1 x2 y1 y2 y2  y1 x2  x1 Gradient
the curve.
2 3 4  9
 Draw a 5 1 x=2 to x=2.8.
straight line from 5
2 2.8 4 7.84 3.84 0.8 4.8
 2

2.5  4   gradient 7.84  4 
4.8
0.5
6.25 2.25 4.5
     2.8
  2 
2 2.1 4 4.41 0.41 0.1 4.1
      
2 2.01 4 4.0401 0.0401 0.01 4.01
      

 The Gradient of Curves – with algebra
y  x2 y y
m 2 1
(2  h,(2  h)2 ) x2  x1

 (2  h)2  4
m
  (2  h)  2
(2,4)

4  4h  h2  4
m
 h


h2  4h
m
 h

h(h  4)
m
 h
h is heading to 0.
We can assume h = 0. m h 4  m 0 4
This is only when x =2.
Take this one step further Gradient = 4
 
with general coordinates.
 The Gradient of Curves – with algebra
y  x2 y y
mGradient
 2 =1 2x
(x  h,(x  h)2 ) x2  x1

The gradient can2 now be found at

  (x  h)  x 2
m  points on the graph by
different
  (x  h)  x
(x, x 2 ) using the x -values.
x 2  2xh  h2  x 2
x 2 ,
Atm m4
h

2
At xm 5 h,  2xh m  10

 h

,  2x)
At x  0 h(h m0
 m  
 h
h is heading to 0.
At x  3 , 
We can assumeh = 0. m  h  2x m m6
 2x

Gradient = 2x
   
 Differentiation – General formula

y  xn

dy
 (n)x n1 This is the general formula for differentiation.
 dx
dy
means the change in y with respect to x.
 dx


dy
is the gradient function.
dx



 Differentiation – General formula

f (x)  x n If we have a function of f then we can use an alternate notation.

n1
f (x)  (n)x
 This is the general formula for differentiation.


dy
  f (x) is the equivalent to if we start with y =...
dx

f (x) is the gradient function.


 Differentiating - examples

1. y  x 3  x 2 2. f (x)  4x 2  3x.
dy Find f (x).
Find .
dx

dy f (x)  (4  2)x (21)  (3 1)x (11)

Remember that  nx n1 
dx
f (x)  8x 1  3x 0

dy
 (3)x (31)  (2)x (21)
dx
x0  1


dy
 3x 2  2x 
dx f (x)  8x  3

 
 Differentiating - examples
x3
3. y  2x 4
5 4. f (x)  x 5  2x 2  4  3x 2
3
dy Find f (x).
Find .
dx
f (x)  5x 4  4x  (3  2)x (21)
Before we start lets think about the constant

at the end and write it as a power of x.

3  f (x)  5x 4  4x  6x 3
x
y  2x 4   5x 0 x0  1
3

dy 3 3x
2 
 8x  (5  0)x 1
dx 3

dy
 8x 3  x 2
dx

The constant will always disappear

when we differentiate them.
 Differentiating - examples
1 1
5. y  x  5 6. f (x)   3x 2  .
x 4
dy 5x
Find . Find f (x).
dx

Before we start lets think about writing Before we start lets think about writing
the expression using indices only. the expression using indices only.

1 
  1 x 4
2
yx 2
5 f (x)  x  3x  .
5
1 
 1 (11) (4)x 4 1
1
dy 1 2  f (x)  (1)x  6x  .
 x 5
dx 2 

 1  (2) 4 x (5)
  f (x)  (1)x  6x  .
dy 1  2 5
 x
dx 2

4 1
dy 1 f (x)    6x
 5x 5
x 2
dx 2 x
 Using differentiation to find gradients
1. Find the gradient of y = x 3  4x 2  1, 1
2. f (x)  3x   2, x  0
at the point where, x
Find the gradient at the point where, .
a) x = 4,
a) x = 2,
dy
= 3x 2  8x
dx  f (x)  3x  x 1  2
dy 1
x4  3(4)2  8(4)  f (x)  3 
dx x2
1 1
dy f (2)  3  f (2)  3
 16 22 4
dx 

b) x = 1, b) x = 2,
 
dy 1
x  1  3(1)2  8(1) f (2)  3  1
dx f (2)  3
 (2)2 4
dy
 11
dx
 
 Using differentiation to find gradients
3. Find the x  coordinate where the x 1
4. f (x)  1   , x0
gradient of the curve y = 3x 2  4x  2 8 2x 2
is 8. Find the solution to f (x) = 0.

dy x x 2
= 6x  4 f (x)  1  
dx  8 2
1
f (x)    x 3
8
dy dy
is the gradient function  8 f (x)  0
dx dx
 1 1
 0
6x  4  8 x3 8

1 1

 x3 8
x 2

 x 2

 Questions
dy c) y  (x  3)(4x 1)
1. Find for,
dx
y  4x 2 13x  3

2
a) y  x  5x  1
dy
  8x 13
dy dx
 2x  5
dx


d) y = 3
x 2  
-1 + 5
  2x - x 2 

2
4
b) y  3x  2x  8x
y  3x 2  3  10x  5x 2
dy  y  10x  2x 2  3
 12x 3  4x  8
dx
dy
 10  4x
 dx

 Questions

2. Find f (x) for, 1 4 3

c) f (x) =  
2x2 3x 3 4

a) f (x) = 3 x  4x 2  1
1 4
 f (x)   
3 x3 x4
f (x)   8x
2 x


1
 1 2 d) f (x) = 3 x  6x 
b) f (x) = 2x -  2 x
x x2

1 2  1  1 3 
f (x)  x  3  6     x  2 
1 4  3  2  2 
f (x)  2  
2
x x3

1 1
f (x)  6
3
 3 x2 4 x3
 Questions
3. Find the gradient of the curve,
x2
5. Find f (3) given that f (x) =  2x  1.
y =4 x 2  10 x  4 at the point where 4
x =3.
1
gradient = 14  f (3) = -
2

See solution
  See solution

4. Find the gradient of the curve, 6. Find f (1) given that f (x) = x  2x 10.
1
y= + 5x - 2 at the point where
x
x = 1. 5
 f (1)=
2
gradient = 4
See solution
See solution

 Questions
7. A graph has the equation, x2
8. Given that f (x)=4 x   4 x  0,
4
y = 2x 3  3x 2  3x  4.
find solve f (x)=-1.
Find the value(s) of x for which the
gradient is equal to 9.

x  2 and x = -1 x4

See solution See solution

 
 Worked solutions
Find the gradient of the curve,
y = 4x 2 10x  4 at the point where
x = 3.

y = 4x 2 10x  4

dy
= 8x 10
dx

dy
x 3 = 8(3) 10
dx

gradient = 14

 Return
 Worked solutions
Find the gradient of the curve,
1
y = + 5x - 2 at the point where
x
x = 1.

y = x -1  5x  2

dy 1
=5-
dx x2

dy 1
x 1 =5
dx 12

gradient = 4

 Return
 Worked solutions

x2
Find f (3) given that f (x) =  2x  1.
4

x2
f (x)   2x  1
4

x
f (x)  2
2


3
 f (3)  - 2
2

 1
f (3) = -
2

 Return
 Worked solutions

Find f (1) given that f (x) = x  2x 10.

1
f (x)  x 2  2x 10

1
f (x)  2
2 x

1
f (1)  2
2 1

5
f (1)=
2

Return
 Worked solutions
A graph has the equation,
2x 2  2x 1  3
y = 2x 3  3x 2  3x  4.
Find the value(s) of x for which the 2x 2  2x  4  0
gradient is equal to 9. 

x2  x  2  0
y = 2x 3  3x 2  3x  4 
(x  2)(x  1)  0
dy 
= 6x 2  6x  3
dx x  2 and x = -1

dy
= 9 (gradient = 9)
dx  Return

6x 2  6x  3  9
 Worked solutions
x2 Solve this by using a graph on your GDC.
Given that f (x) = 4 x   4 x  0,
4
find solve f (x) = -1.

1 2
x
f (x) = 4x 2  4
4

2 x
f (x) = 
x 2

f (x) = 1

2 x x4
  1
x 2
Return

2 x
  1
x 2
 The Gradient of Curves
As the extra - bit we are adding on
gets smaller what is the gradient
heading towards?

(2.01,4.0401) gradient  4

(2,4)
We can use algebra to show why.
 




x1 x2 y1 y2 y2  y1 x2  x1 Gradient
2 3 4 9 5 1 5
2 2.8 4 7.84 3.84 0.8 4.8
  
2 2.5  4  
6.25 
2.25 0.5 4.5
      
2 2.1 4 4.41 0.41 0.1 4.1
      
2 2.01 4
      
 The Gradient of Curves – with algebra
y  x2 Gradient = 2x
(x  h,(x  h)2 )
The gradient can now be found at
 
different points on the graph by

(x, x 2 ) using the x - values.

At x  2 , m4
 

At x  5 ,  m  10


At x  0 ,  m0


At x  3 ,  m  6


 