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    Introduction To Differentiation

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    aurennos
    This document introduces differentiation and finding instantaneous rates of change from graphs. It explains that the derivative of a function f(x) gives the gradient of the tangent line at each point, and can be calculated as the limit of the difference quotient as h approaches 0. Examples are given of finding the derivatives of polynomial functions and using derivatives to find the equation of the tangent line to a curve at a given point.

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    Introduction To Differentiation

    Uploaded by

    aurennos
    28 views10 pages
    This document introduces differentiation and finding instantaneous rates of change from graphs. It explains that the derivative of a function f(x) gives the gradient of the tangent line at each point, and can be calculated as the limit of the difference quotient as h approaches 0. Examples are given of finding the derivatives of polynomial functions and using derivatives to find the equation of the tangent line to a curve at a given point.

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    Introduction to Differentiation

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    This document introduces differentiation and finding instantaneous rates of change from graphs. It explains that the derivative of a function f(x) gives the gradient of the tangent line at each point, and can be calculated as the limit of the difference quotient as h approaches 0. Examples are given of finding the derivatives of polynomial functions and using derivatives to find the equation of the tangent line to a curve at a given point.

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as pdf or txt
    28 views10 pages

    Introduction To Differentiation

    Uploaded by

    aurennos
    This document introduces differentiation and finding instantaneous rates of change from graphs. It explains that the derivative of a function f(x) gives the gradient of the tangent line at each point, and can be calculated as the limit of the difference quotient as h approaches 0. Examples are given of finding the derivatives of polynomial functions and using derivatives to find the equation of the tangent line to a curve at a given point.

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
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    of 10

    INTRODUCTION TO

    DIFFERENTIATION
    RATES OF CHANGE, INSTANTANEOUS RATES OF CHANGE, DIFFERENTIATION
    FROM FIRST PRINCIPLES, DIFFERENTIATING POLYNOMIALS
    Straight line graphs:

    In a straight line graph the gradient represents a rate:

    e.g. distance / time graph the gradient is speed e.g. gallons / time as I fill the car with petrol
    the gradient is the rate gallons/second

    How can we find rates on graphs which aren’t straight lines?


    Consider points A and B on the green curve in this diagram:

    The average rate from A to B is the gradient


    of the black line. The black line is called a
    Secant.

    The instantaneous rate at A is the gradient of


    the blue line.

    The blue line is called the Tangent to the


    curve at A.

    To find the gradient of tangent lines we use a


    process called Differentiation.
    Let us look at the theory:

    On a general curve 𝑦𝑦 = 𝑓𝑓 𝑥𝑥 𝑥𝑥 + ℎ, 𝑓𝑓(𝑥𝑥 + ℎ)

    Let A have coordinates 𝑥𝑥, 𝑓𝑓 𝑥𝑥

    and B be at 𝑥𝑥 + ℎ, 𝑓𝑓 𝑥𝑥 + ℎ

    The red triangle’s height will be


    𝑓𝑓 𝑥𝑥 + ℎ − 𝑓𝑓(𝑥𝑥) 𝑓𝑓 𝑥𝑥 + ℎ − 𝑓𝑓(𝑥𝑥)

    The red triangle’s base will be ℎ

    So the gradient of the line AB will be

    𝑓𝑓 𝑥𝑥 + ℎ − 𝑓𝑓(𝑥𝑥)
    ℎ
    (𝑥𝑥, 𝑓𝑓 𝑥𝑥 ) ℎ
    As we reduce the size of ℎ point B will slide a long the curve to get closer and closer to point A

    And the gradient of line AB will get


    closer and closer to the gradient of
    the blue tangent line at A!

    Let us have a look on Geogebra


    too…
    We can write this process in mathematical terms as follows:

    ′
    𝑓𝑓 𝑥𝑥 + ℎ − 𝑓𝑓 𝑥𝑥
    𝑓𝑓 𝑥𝑥 = lim
    ℎ→0 ℎ

    where 𝑓𝑓𝑓 𝑥𝑥 is the gradient function which gives the gradient of the tangent to 𝑦𝑦 = 𝑓𝑓 𝑥𝑥 at the point 𝑥𝑥, 𝑓𝑓 𝑥𝑥

    This will become clearer when we look at an example so let us consider 𝑦𝑦 = 𝑥𝑥 2 and see if we can work out
    𝑓𝑓𝑓 1 which will be the gradient of the tangent at 1,1 .

    Let us apply the formula above for 𝑓𝑓 𝑥𝑥 = 𝑥𝑥 2

    𝑥𝑥 + ℎ 2 − 𝑥𝑥 2 𝑥𝑥 2 + 2𝑥𝑥𝑥 + ℎ2 − 𝑥𝑥 2 2𝑥𝑥𝑥 + ℎ 2
    𝑓𝑓 ′ 𝑥𝑥 = lim = lim = lim = lim (2𝑥𝑥 + ℎ) = 2𝑥𝑥
    ℎ→0 ℎ ℎ→0 ℎ ℎ→0 ℎ ℎ→0

    So this means that the gradient of the tangent line at a point on 𝑦𝑦 = 𝑥𝑥 2 is always twice the value of the 𝑥𝑥-coordinate!

    So at 1,1 the tangent will have gradient 2 × 1 = 2

    There is a picture on the next slide…


    Here…

    We can work out the equation of


    the tangent line using 𝑦𝑦 = 𝑚𝑚𝑚𝑚 + 𝑐𝑐

    We know 𝑚𝑚 = 2

    ⇒ 𝑦𝑦 = 2𝑥𝑥 + 𝑐𝑐

    And it passes through 1,1

    ⇒ 1 = 2 × 1 + 𝑐𝑐

    ⇒ 𝑐𝑐 = −1

    ⇒ 𝑦𝑦 = 2𝑥𝑥 − 1
    Now consider 𝑓𝑓 𝑥𝑥 = 𝑥𝑥 3

    3 3 3 2 2 3 3
    𝑥𝑥 + ℎ − 𝑥𝑥 𝑥𝑥 + 3𝑥𝑥 ℎ + 3𝑥𝑥ℎ + ℎ − 𝑥𝑥
    𝑓𝑓 ′ 𝑥𝑥 = lim = lim = lim 3𝑥𝑥 2 + 3𝑥𝑥𝑥 + ℎ2 = 3𝑥𝑥 2
    ℎ→0 ℎ ℎ→0 ℎ ℎ→0

    Similar working shows that for 𝒇𝒇 𝒙𝒙 = 𝒙𝒙𝒏𝒏 , 𝒇𝒇′ 𝒙𝒙 = 𝒏𝒏𝒙𝒙𝒏𝒏−𝟏𝟏 for 𝑛𝑛 ∈ ℕ

    This process for finding gradient functions is called differentiation

    We call 𝑓𝑓𝑓 𝑥𝑥 the derivative of 𝑓𝑓 𝑥𝑥

    𝑑𝑑𝑑𝑑 𝒅𝒅𝒅𝒅
    We can also write for 𝑦𝑦 = 𝑓𝑓 𝑥𝑥 , = 𝑓𝑓𝑓 𝑥𝑥 calling the derivative of 𝒚𝒚 with respect to 𝒙𝒙
    𝑑𝑑𝑑𝑑 𝒅𝒅𝒅𝒅

    We can now differentiate polynomials by repeatedly applying the above results e.g.

    𝑓𝑓 𝑥𝑥 = 5𝑥𝑥 4 + 2𝑥𝑥 3 − 3𝑥𝑥 2 + 2𝑥𝑥 − 7

    ⇒ 𝑓𝑓 ′ 𝑥𝑥 = 5 × 4𝑥𝑥 3 + 2 × 3𝑥𝑥 2 − 3 × 2𝑥𝑥 + 2

    ⇒ 𝑓𝑓 ′ 𝑥𝑥 = 20𝑥𝑥 3 + 6𝑥𝑥 2 − 6𝑥𝑥 + 2


    A worked example to finish off:

    Find the equation of the tangent to the curve 𝑦𝑦 = 𝑥𝑥 3 + 2𝑥𝑥 − 5 at the point 2,7

    𝑦𝑦 = 𝑥𝑥 3 + 2𝑥𝑥 − 5

    𝑑𝑑𝑑𝑑
    ⇒ = 3𝑥𝑥 2 + 2
    𝑑𝑑𝑑𝑑
    𝑑𝑑𝑑𝑑
    when 𝑥𝑥 = 2, = 3 × 22 + 2 = 14
    𝑑𝑑𝑑𝑑

    ⇒ equation of tangent line 𝑦𝑦 = 14𝑥𝑥 + 𝑐𝑐

    2,7 ⇒ 7 = 14 × 2 + 𝑐𝑐

    ⇒ 𝑐𝑐 = −21

    ⇒ 𝑦𝑦 = 14𝑥𝑥 − 21

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