MATHONGO – CHEAT SHEETS – application of derivatives

Geometrical meaning of derivative

(a) If the tangent at x = a to the curve y  f x  makes an angle  with the x-axis, then

at x  a i.e., f a .
dy
tan  the value of
dx
(b)  
The equation of the tangent at x1, y1 on the curve y  f x is 
 dy   dy 
y  y1    x  x1  , where   is the value of at x1, y1 
dy
 dx 1  dx 1 dx
(c)  
The equation of the normal to the curve y  f x at x1, y1 on the curve is 
y  y1  
1
x  x1 
 dy 
 
 dx 1
(d)    
Angle between two curves y  f x and y   x . Let x1, y1 be a point of intersection
 dy   dy 
of the two curves and m1    for y  f x  and m2    for y  x  .
 dx 1  dx 1
m1  m2
If  is the acute angle between the curves, then tan   .
1 m1m2

The two curves intersect orthogonally if m1m2  1

(e)  
Let P x, y be a point on the curve y  f x . Then 
2
 dy 
y 1  
 dx 
(i) the length of the tangent at P (PT ) 
dy
dx
(ii) the length of normal at y-axis
2
 dy 
P(PN)  y 1  
 dx  P
dx
(iii) the length of sub tangent QT = y
dy 
x-axis
dy N O Q T
(iv) the length of sub normal QN = y
dy

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MATHONGO – CHEAT SHEETS – application of derivatives

Derivative as a rate measurer

dy
is the rate of change of y with respect to x.
dx
(a) If s is the distance travelled in time t by a particle, then the velocity of the particle at time t
ds d 2s
is and acceleration is .
dt dt 2
(b) If  is the angle described by a line revolving about a fixed point on it, then the angular
d d 2
velocity of the line at time t is and the angular acceleration is .
dt dt 2
Monotonic functions

f x  is an increasing function at x = a when f a is positive and a decreasing function when

Maxima and Minima

(a) f x  attains a maximum at x = a if f a = 0 and f a is negative and the maximum
value is f a . 
(b) f x  attains a minimum at x = a if f a = 0 and f a is positive and the minimum value

is f a .

(c) f (x ) may have maxima or minima at x = a if f (a) is not defined.

(d) Rules for finding the maximum and minimum values of a function f x . 

(i)Find f  x and f  x 
(ii) 
Find the roots of the equation f  x  0 . Let the roots be a1, a2 , .......

(iii) Substitute the values a1, a2 , ...... in f x  and determine the sign of
f a1 , f a2 , .......

  
If f  a1  negative, f x is at a maximum at x = a1 and the maximum value is f a1 .  
  
If f  a1  positive, f x is at a minimum at x = a1 and the minimum value is f a1 .  
 
If f  a1 = 0, nothing can be said at this stage.

(iv) Also if f (a) changes sign from positive to negative, then x = a is point of maxima
and if f (a) changes sign from negative to positive, then x = a is point of minima but if
its sign doe not change in neighbourhood of a, then it is point of inflection.

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MATHONGO – CHEAT SHEETS – application of derivatives

Rolle’s Theorem

    
If a function f x is differentiable in an interval a, b and also f a  f b , then there exists at
 
least one value x1 of x in the interval (a, b) such that f  x1  0 .

Mean Value Theorem

  
If a function f x is differentiable in an interval a, b , then there exists at least one value of x1
f b  f a
in the interval a, b such that f x1  = .
b a

Greatest and Least Value of a Function

Above points x = a1, a2, …, an, where f ( x )  0 and also points where derivative does not exist
(and are points of maxima / minima) are called points of local maxima / local minima. But to find
greatest value and least value find value of function at all such points and also value of the
function at end points of domain, then compare all the values to get greatest and least value of
the function.

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