CALCULUS I

DERIVATIVE OF A FUNCTION:
DEFINITION AND THEOREMS
Romeo C. Layones, MAT
Definitions:
➢Secant Line – any line through two points on a curve
➢Tangent Line – a line intersecting the curve in only one
point
➢Slope of the line passing through the points P1(x1, f(x1))
and P2(x2, f(x2)): f(x)
f ( x2 ) − f ( x1 )
m=
x2 − x1 SL

f(x2) TL
f(x1)

x1 x2
Note: As ∆x approaches zero, the secant line approaches
the tangent line as the limiting position.
f (x + x ) − f (x )
The slope of the tangent line = lim x →0
x
This limit is called the derivative of f(x) with respect to x.
f(x)
SL

f(x+Δx) TL
f(x+Δx) – f(x)
f(x)
Δx

x x + Δx
DEFINITION OF THE DERIVATIVE OF A
FUNCTION
The derivative of the function f is that function, denoted by
f’, such that its value at a number x in the domain of f is
given by ( )
f x + x − f x
f ' (x ) = lim
()
x →0 x
if this limit exists.

Note: If the function f is defined by the equation y = f(x),

then the derivative of f can be indicated in each of the
following ways: f’(x), Dx[f(x)] , y’ and dy/dx.
Example 1: f(x) = 5x + 2
Solution:
Given: f(x) = 5x + 2
Find f(x + Δx): f(x + Δx) = 5(x + Δx) + 2
= 5x + 5(Δx) + 2
Find f’(x):
f (x + x ) − f (x )
f ' (x ) = lim
x →0 x
5 x + 5(x) + 2 − (5 x + 2)
= lim
x →0 x
5 x + 5(x) + 2 − 5 x − 2
= lim
x →0 x
5(x)
= lim
x →0 x

= lim 5
x →0

f ' ( x) = 5
Example 2: f(x) = x2 + 7x + 3
Solution:
Given: f(x) = x2 + 7x + 3
Find f(x + Δx): f(x + Δx) = (x+Δx)2 + 7(x+Δx) + 3
= x2+2x(Δx)+(Δx)2+7x+7(Δx) + 3
Find f’(x):
f ( x + x ) − f ( x )
f ' ( x ) = lim x →0
x
x 2 + 2 x(x) + (x ) + 7 x + 7(x ) + 3 − ( x 2 + 7 x + 3)
2
= lim x →0
x
x 2 + 2 x(x) + (x ) + 7 x + 7(x ) + 3 − x 2 − 7 x − 3
2
= lim x →0
x

2 x(x) + (x) 2 + 7(x)

= lim x →0
x
x(2 x + x + 7)
= lim x →0 = lim x→0 (2 x + x + 7)
x
f ' ( x) = 2 x + 7
 3x
Example 3: f ( x) =
x−2 3( x + x ) 3x
f (x + x ) − f (x ) −
f ' (x ) = lim x→0 = lim x →0 x + x − 2 x − 2
x x

3 x + 3x 3x
−
= lim x →0 x + x − 2 x − 2
x
(3x + 3x )(x − 2) − 3x(x + x − 2)
= lim x →0
(x + x − 2)(x − 2)
x
3 x 2 + 3 x(x ) − 6 x − 6(x ) − 3 x 2 − 3 x(x ) + 6 x

= lim x →0
(x + x − 2)(x − 2)
x
− 6(x ) 1
= lim x →0 •
(x + x − 2)(x − 2) x
= lim x →0
−6 f ' ( x ) = −
6
(x + x − 2)(x − 2) ( x − 2 ) 2
Example 4: f ( x) = 4 x − 1
f (x + x ) − f (x )
f ' (x ) = lim x→0
x
4( x + x ) − 1 − 4 x − 1
= lim x →0
x
4 x + 4(x ) − 1 − 4 x − 1 4 x + 4(x ) − 1 + 4 x − 1
= lim x →0 •
x 4 x + 4(x ) − 1 + 4 x − 1

= lim x →0
( 4 x + 4(x ) − 1 − ) (
2
4x − 1 ) 2

x ( 4 x + 4(x ) − 1 + 4 x − 1)
4 x + 4(x ) − 1 − 4 x + 1
= lim x →0
x ( 4 x + 4(x ) − 1 + 4 x − 1 )
4(x )
= lim x →0
x ( 4 x + 4(x ) − 1 + 4 x − 1 )
4
= lim x →0
( 4 x + 4(x ) − 1 + 4 x − 1 )
f ' (x ) =
4 2
=
2 4x − 1 4x − 1
EXERCISES: Find f’(x)..

1. f(x) = 3x 2 − 7 x + 5
2. f(x) = x 3 − 5 x 2 − 4
2x
3. f(x) =
3x − 1
5
4. f(x) = 2
x
5. f(x) = 6 x − 5
6. f(x) = 1 − 8x
DERIVATIVE THEOREMS
DT1:
If c is a constant and if f(x) = c for all x, then f' (x) = 0.
Proof :
f (x + x ) − f (x )
f' (x) = lim
x →0 x
c−c
= lim
x →0 x

= lim 0
x→0

f ' ( x) = 0
Example :
Given : f (x ) = 23
 f' (x ) = 0
DERIVATIVE THEOREMS
DT2:
If n is a positive integer and if f(x) = x n , then f' (x) = nx n −1 .

Proof :
f (x + x ) − f (x )
f' (x) = lim
x →0 x
= lim
n

x + nx x + ... + nx(x ) + (x ) − x n
n −1 n −1 n

x →0 x
nx x + ... + nx(x ) + (x )
n −1 n −1 n
= lim
x →0 x

x →0

= lim nx + ... + nx(x ) + (x )
n −1 n−2
n −1

n −1
f ' ( x) = nx
DERIVATIVE THEOREMS
DT2:
If n is a positive integer and if f(x) = x n , then f' (x) = nx n −1 .

Examples :
1. f (x ) = x12 3. f (x ) = x
1
 f' (x ) = 12 x11 f (x ) = x 2

1
−
 f' (x ) = x
1 1
2. y = 8 2

x 2
y = x −8 1
= 1
dy
 = −8 x −9 2x 2
dx
f' (x ) =
1
dy 8
=− 9 2 x
dx x
DERIVATIVE THEOREMS
DT3:
If f is a function, c isa constant, and g is a function
defined by g(x) = c • f(x), then g' (x) = c • f' (x).
Proof :
g (x + x ) − g (x )
g' (x) = lim
x →0 x
c • f (x + x ) − c • f (x )
= lim
x →0 x
 f (x + x ) − f (x )
= lim c •  
x →0
 x 
 f (x + x ) − f (x )
= c • lim  
x →0
 x
g ' ( x) = c • f ' ( x)
DERIVATIVE THEOREMS
DT3:
If f is a function, c isa constant, and g is a function
defined by g(x) = c • f(x), then g' (x) = c • f' (x).
Examples :
1. f (x ) = 5 x 6 3. f (x ) = 6 x
 f' (x ) = 30 x
1
f (x ) = 6 x
5
2

4
2. y = 3
1
−
x  f' (x ) = 3x 2

y = 4 x −3 3
= 1
dy
 = −12 x − 4 x2
dx
f' (x ) =
dy 12 3
=− 4 x
dx x
 DERIVATIVE THEOREMS
DT4:
If f and g are functions, and if h is a function defined by
h(x) = f(x) + g(x), then if f' (x) and g' (x) exist,
h' (x) = f' (x) + g' (x).
Proof :
h(x + x ) − h(x )
h'(x) = lim
x →0 x
f (x + x ) + g ( x + x) −  f ( x) + g ( x)
= lim
x →0 x
f (x + x ) + g ( x + x) − f ( x) − g ( x)
= lim
x →0 x
 f (x + x ) − f (x ) g ( x + x) − g ( x) 
= lim  + 
x →0
 x x
h'(x) = f'(x) + g'(x)
DERIVATIVE THEOREMS
DT4:
If f and g are functions, and if h is a function defined by
h(x) = f(x) + g(x), then if f' (x) and g' (x) exist,
h' (x) = f' (x) + g' (x).
Examples :
1. f(x) = x 3 + 3x 2 − 7 x + 9 2 3
2. y = 4 + 3
 f' (x ) = 3x 2 + 6 x − 7
x x
y = 2x −4 + 3x −3
dy
 = − 8x −5 − 9 x − 4
dx
dy 8 9
=− 5 − 4
dx x x
DERIVATIVE THEOREMS
DT5:
If g and h are functions, and if f is a function defined by
f(x) = g(x)h(x), then if g' (x) and h' (x) exist,
f' (x) = g(x)h' (x) + h(x)g' (x)
Example :
( )
f(x) = 4x 2 + 2 x + 1 (2 x − 1)
Let g(x) = 4x 2 + 2 x + 1 h(x) = 2 x − 1
g' (x) = 8x + 2 h' (x) = 2

( )
 f' (x) = 4x 2 + 2 x + 1 (2 ) + (2 x − 1)(8 x + 2 )
= 8 x 2 + 4x + 2 + 16x 2 + 4 x − 8 x − 2
f' (x ) = 24 x 2
DERIVATIVE THEOREMS
DT6:
If g and h are functions, and if f is a function defined by
g(x)
f(x) = , then if g' (x) and h' (x) exist,
h(x)
h(x)g' (x) − g(x)h' (x)
f' (x) =
h(x)2
Example :
f(x) = 2
x2 − 3
 f' (x) =
( ) ( )
x 2 + 1 2x − x 2 − 3 2x
x +1 ( x +12
) 2

Let g(x) = x − 3 h(x) = x + 1

2 2 2 x 3
+ 2 x − 2 x 3
+ 6x
=
g' (x) = 2 x h' (x) = 2 x + 1 (x +1
2
) 2

8x
f' (x) =
(x +1
2
) 2
DERIVATIVE THEOREMS
DT7:
Suppose that the function f is continuous and monotonic on the
closed interval [a, b], and let y = f (x ). If f' (x ) exists and is not
zero for all x in [a, b], then the derivative of the inverse function f −1 ,
defined by x = f −1 ( y ), is given by
dx 1
=
dy dy
dx
Example : y = x
3

dy
 = 3x 2
dx
dx 1
 = 2
dy 3x
DERIVATIVE THEOREMS
DT8:
If the function g is differentiable at x and the function f is
differentiable at g (x ), then the composite function f o g is
differentiable at x and ( f o g )' (x ) = f ' g (x )g ' (x ).
Example :
Let f(x) = x 4 and g(x ) = 2 x 2 + 1
 g' (x ) = 4 x
(f o g )(x ) = f g(x ) = g(x)4

 ( f o g )' (x ) = f' g(x )g ' (x )

= 4g(x) g' (x)
3

= 42x + 1 (4x )
2 3

 ( f o g )' (x ) = 16x (2x + 1)

2 3
DERIVATIVE THEOREMS
DT9:
If f and g are functions such that f (x ) = g (x ) , where r is any
r

rational number, and if g' (x ) exists, then f is differentiable, and

f' (x ) = r g (x ) g ' (x ).
r −1

Example :
(
f(x) = 3x − 1
4
)
5

Let g(x) = 3x 4 − 1 with r = 5

→ g' (x) = 12x 3
(
 f' (x) = 5 3x − 1 12x 3
4
)( 4
)
f' (x) = 60x 3x − 1
3
( 4
)
4
EXERCISES:
A. Find f’(x). 4
 2 
1. f(x) = x 7 − 2 x 5 + 5 x 3 − 7 x 9. f ( x ) =  
1  3x − 1 
2. f(x) = x + 3 x + 2
2
10. f ( x ) = (3x − 1) (2 x + 1)
4 3
x
3 5
3. f(x) = 2 + 4
x x
(
4. f(x) = 2 x 2 + 5 (4 x − 1) )
5. f(x) = (2 x 4
− 1)(5 x 3
+ 6x )
2x + 1
6. f(x) =
3x + 4
x3 − 8
7. f ( x ) = 3
x +8
(
8. f ( x ) = 2 − 3 x )
2 3
EXERCISES:

B. Find dx/dy.
1. y = 3x 2
(
2. y = 5 x − 1
2
)
4

3x − 1
3. y =
5x + 2
C. Find (f o g)’(x).

1. f (x ) = 5x 2 and g(x ) = 3 − 4x

2. f (x ) = 3 and g(x ) = 4x − 1
2
x
3. f (x ) = x and g(x ) =
4 3
x