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MATH1031 Mathematics For Life Sciences: Term 3, 2021

This document is a lecture on differentiation presented by Dr. Joshua Capel at UNSW. It introduces the concept of the derivative and the gradient, and discusses what a derivative is, why it is important, and how to calculate simple derivatives. It then provides some rules for differentiation, such as the power rule and linearity, and gives examples of finding derivatives and interpreting them in the context of graphs.

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Matthew Wong
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121 views17 pages

MATH1031 Mathematics For Life Sciences: Term 3, 2021

This document is a lecture on differentiation presented by Dr. Joshua Capel at UNSW. It introduces the concept of the derivative and the gradient, and discusses what a derivative is, why it is important, and how to calculate simple derivatives. It then provides some rules for differentiation, such as the power rule and linearity, and gives examples of finding derivatives and interpreting them in the context of graphs.

Uploaded by

Matthew Wong
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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MATH1031 Mathematics for Life Sciences

Term 3, 2021

Differentiation

Dr. Joshua Capel


Red Centre Room 5107

Based on the slides provided by Dr. Chi Mak

School of Mathematics and Statistics


University of New South Wales
[email protected]

Joshua Capel (UNSW) MATH1031 1 / 17


Differentiation

This lecture we will be looking at rates of change and differentiation. It is


assumed that you are familiar with the basics of calculus (2 unit high
school maths) however we will spend a few lectures reminding you of some
of the fundamentals. We will eventually be taking the theory of calculus
well beyond the HSC syllabus.

What is a derivative?
Why are derivatives important?
How can some simple derivatives be calculated?
What are the applications of derivatives?

Joshua Capel (UNSW) Differentiation 2 / 17


The Derivative

For a function y = f (x), there exists another function (called the


derivative) denoted
dy
f ′ (x) or
dx
with the property that
dy
at x =a
dx
is the gradient of y = f (x) at x = a.

The derivative is also often called the gradient function.

Joshua Capel (UNSW) Differentiation 3 / 17


The Derivative

We have a horrible definition for the derivative:


dy f (x + h) − f (x)
= f ′ (x) = lim
dx h→0 h
dy
but the really nice thing about differentiation is that we can calculate
dx
quickly and efficiently using simple algorithms instead.

f (a)

a
Joshua Capel (UNSW) Differentiation 4 / 17
Gradient

The term gradient is also referred to as slope or rate of change.

The slope of the tangent line to y = f (x) at (a, f (a)) is equal to f ′ (a), the
derivative of f at a.

If the gradient (that is derivative) is positive, then the curve is increasing.


A negative derivative signifies a decreasing function and a zero derivative
implies a constant function (usually an indication of a local max or min).
y

y = f (x)

tangent
Joshua Capel (UNSW) Differentiation 5 / 17
Differentials and Gradients

Example. For the following graph of y = f (x), determine the value(s)


of x for which:
dy y
1 is positive
dx
dy 3
2 is negative
dx 2
dy 1
3 is zero
dx
dy 0 x
4 is undefined −4 −3 −2 −1 0 1 2 3
dx −1

−2

−3

−4

Joshua Capel (UNSW) Differentiation 6 / 17


Joshua Capel (UNSW) Differentiation 7 / 17
Rules for differentiation

If
y = c,
where c is a constant, then
dy
=0
dx
If
y = x n,
where n 6= 0, then
dy
= nx n−1
dx

Joshua Capel (UNSW) Differentiation 8 / 17


Rules for differentiation

Example. Find the gradient of y = x 3 at x = 3.

Joshua Capel (UNSW) Differentiation 9 / 17


Rules for differentiation

Differentiation is also linear:


If
y = cf (x),
then
dy
= cf ′ (x)
dx
If
y = f (x) ± g (x),
then
dy
= f ′ (x) ± g ′ (x)
dx

Joshua Capel (UNSW) Differentiation 10 / 17


Rules for differentiation

Example. Find the gradient of y = f (x) = x 4 − 12x 2 + 3x − 2


at x = 2.

Joshua Capel (UNSW) Differentiation 11 / 17


Rules for differentiation

Example. A ball is thrown into the air and its displacement is given by
s(x) = x(6 − x) where x is in seconds.

When is the ball neither rising nor falling?

Joshua Capel (UNSW) Differentiation 12 / 17


Rules for differentiation

Example. Find the slope of


√ 3
y = f (x) = 8 x +
x
at x = 9.

Joshua Capel (UNSW) Differentiation 13 / 17


Differentials, Gradients and Graphs

Example. A function y = f (x) defined over the interval −1 6 x 6 5


has the following 5 properties:
1 f ′ (x) < 0, for −1 < x < 1,
2 f ′ (1) = 0,
3 f ′ (x) > 0, for 1 < x < 3,
4 f ′ (3) is undefined, and
5 f ′ (x) = 0, for 3 < x < 5.
Draw a possible sketch of the graph of f .

Joshua Capel (UNSW) Differentiation 14 / 17


Tangent Lines

Example. Find the equation of the tangent line to the curve


y = f (x) = x 2 at the point x = 3.

Joshua Capel (UNSW) Differentiation 15 / 17


Rates

Example. A feverish patient is given a new drug to reduce body


temperature. She is monitored for the next 3 hours. Her temperature T (in
◦ C) at time t (in hours) is given by

1
T = 41 − t 2 0 ≤ t ≤ 3.
3
1 What is her temperature at the beginning and end of the trial?
2 Show that her temperature is decreasing over the entire 3 hours.
3 At what rate is her temperature dropping after 2 hours?
4 When is her temperature decreasing at a rate of 1◦ /hr?

Joshua Capel (UNSW) Differentiation 16 / 17


Joshua Capel (UNSW) Differentiation 17 / 17

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