LECTURE 4: DIFFERENTIATION RULES

MATP 112: CALCULUS 1

ISAAC KWESI ACQUAH

UNIVERSITY OF EUDCATION, WINNEBA
DEPARTMENT OF PHYSICS EDUCATION
 DIFFERENTIATION RULES
THE CONSTANT RULE
This is simple. f (x)=5 is a horizontal line with a slope of zero, and thus
its derivative is also zero. So, for any number c, if f (x)=c, then 𝑓′(x)=0.
𝑑
Or you can write 𝑐 = 0.
𝑑𝑥

THE POWER RULE

Say f (x)=𝑥5. To find its derivative, take the power, 5, bring it in front
of the x, and then reduce the power by 1 (in this example, the power
becomes a 4).

That gives you f (x)=5𝑥4. To repeat, bring the power in front, then
reduce the power by 1. That’s all there is to it.
 INTRODUCTION TO LIMITS
THE CONSTANT MULTIPLE RULE
What if the function you’re differentiating begins with a coefficient?
Makes no difference. A coefficient has no effect on the process of
differentiation.

You just ignore it and differentiate according to the appropriate rule.

The coefficient stays where it is until the final step when you simplify
your answer by multiplying by the coefficient.
𝒚 = 𝟒𝒙𝟑
𝒚′ = 𝟒(𝟑𝒙𝟐)
𝒚′ = 𝟏𝟐𝒙𝟐
 INTRODUCTION TO LIMITS
THE SUM RULE
When you want the derivative of a sum of terms, take the
derivative of each term separately.

𝒇′ 𝒙 = 𝒙𝟔 + 𝒙𝟑 + 𝒙𝟐 + 𝒙 + 𝟏𝟎
Just use the power rule for each of the first four terms and
the constant rule for the final term.

𝒇′ 𝒙 = 𝟔𝒙𝟓 + 𝟑𝒙𝟐 + 𝟐𝒙 + 𝟏
 INTRODUCTION TO LIMITS
THE CONSTANT MULTIPLE RULE
A coefficient has no effect on the process of differentiation. You just
ignore it and differentiate according to the appropriate rule.
The coefficient stays where it is until the final step when you simplify
your answer by multiplying by the coefficient.

EXAMPLES 1
𝑑𝑖𝑓𝑓𝑒𝑟𝑒𝑛𝑡𝑖𝑎𝑡𝑒 𝑦 = 4𝑥 3
𝑦 ′ = 4(3𝑥 2 )
𝑦 ′ = 12𝑥 2
INTRODUCTION TO LIMITS
EXAMPLES 2
1
5𝑥 3
Differentiate y=
4

′
5 1 1
−1
𝑦 = [ 𝑥 ]
3
4 3

5 −2
𝑦′ = 𝑥 3
12

TRY

𝒚 = 𝟓𝒙
 INTRODUCTION TO LIMITS
EXPONENTIAL FUNCTIONS
Thus the exponential function 𝑓 𝑥 = 𝑒 𝑥 has the property
that it is its own derivative.

EXAMPLE
𝑖𝑓 𝑓 𝑥 = 𝑒 𝑥 − 𝑥 𝑓𝑖𝑛𝑑 𝑓 ′ 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑓 ′′

′
𝑑 𝑥 𝑑 𝑥 𝑑
1. 𝑓 𝑥 = 𝑒 −𝑥 = 𝑒 − 𝑥 = 𝑒𝑥 − 1
𝑑𝑥 𝑑𝑥 𝑑𝑥

𝑑 𝑥 𝑑 𝑥 𝑑
2. 𝑓 ′′ 𝑥 = 𝑒 −1 = 𝑒 − 1 = 𝑒𝑥
𝑑𝑥 𝑑𝑥 𝑑𝑥
 INTRODUCTION TO LIMITS
LOGARITHMIC FUNCTIONS
𝑑 1
𝑙𝑛𝑥 =
𝑑𝑥 𝑥
If the log base is a number other than e, you tweak this
derivative — like with exponential functions — except that
you divide by the natural log of the base instead of
multiplying. Thus,
1
𝑑 𝑥 1
log 2 𝑥 = =
𝑑𝑥 𝑙𝑛2 𝑥𝑙𝑛2
1
𝑑 𝑥 1
𝑙𝑜𝑔 𝑥 = =
𝑑𝑥 𝑙𝑛10 𝑥𝑙𝑛10
(recall that 𝑙𝑜𝑔 𝑥 means 𝑙𝑜𝑔10 𝑥, so the base is 10)
 INTRODUCTION TO LIMITS
THE PRODUCT RULE
the Product Rule says that the derivative of a product of
two functions is the first function times the derivative of the
second function plus the second function times the
derivative of the first function.

if f(x) and g(x) are both differentiable and are multiplying,
then the product rule says:

𝑑 𝑑 𝑑
𝑓 𝑥 𝑔 𝑥 =𝑓 𝑥 𝑔 𝑥 +𝑔 𝑥 𝑓 𝑥
𝑑𝑥 𝑑𝑥 𝑑𝑥
 INTRODUCTION TO LIMITS
EXAMPLE 1
𝑓 𝑥 = 𝑥𝑒 𝑥 , 𝑓𝑖𝑛𝑑 𝑓 ′ 𝑥 .
solution
′
𝑑
𝑓 𝑥 = 𝑥𝑒 𝑥
𝑑𝑥

𝑑 𝑥 𝑑
𝑓′ 𝑥 =𝑥 𝑒 +𝑒 𝑥 𝑥
𝑑𝑥 𝑑𝑥

𝑓 ′ 𝑥 = 𝑥𝑒 𝑥 + 𝑒 𝑥 . 1

𝑓 ′ 𝑥 = (𝑥 + 1)𝑒 𝑥
 INTRODUCTION TO LIMITS
QUOTIENT RULE
the Quotient Rule says that the derivative of a quotient is the
denominator times the derivative of the numerator minus the
numerator times the derivative of the denominator, all divided by the
square of the denominator.

𝒅 𝒅
𝒅 𝒇𝒙 𝒈𝒙 𝒇 𝒙 − 𝒇(𝒙) 𝒈𝒙
= 𝒅𝒙 𝒅𝒙
𝒅𝒙 𝒈 𝒙 𝒈(𝒙) 𝟐

The Quotient Rule and the other differentiation formulas enable us

to compute the derivative of any rationalfunction.
 INTRODUCTION TO LIMITS
EXAMPLE 1
𝑥2+𝑥−2
Differentiate 𝑦 = 3
𝑥 +6
Solution
3 𝑑 2 2 𝑑 3
𝑥 +6 𝑥 + 𝑥 − 2 − (𝑥 +𝑥 − 2) 𝑥 +6
′
𝑦 = 𝑑𝑥 𝑑𝑥
𝑥3 + 6 2
3 + 6 2𝑥 + 1 − (𝑥2 + 𝑥 − 2)(3𝑥2)
𝑥
𝑦′ =
𝑥3 + 6 2
4 + 𝑥3 + 12𝑥 + 6 − (3𝑥4 + 3𝑥3 − 6𝑥2)
2𝑥
𝑦′ =
𝑥3 + 6 2

−𝑥4 − 2𝑥3 + 6𝑥2 + 12𝑥 + 6

𝑦′ =
𝑥3 + 6 2
 INTRODUCTION TO LIMITS
EXAMPLE 2
𝑒𝑥
Differentiate 𝑦 =
(1−𝑥2)
Solution
𝑑 𝑥 𝑥 𝑑
𝑑𝑦 1 + 𝑥2 𝑒 −𝑒 (1 + 𝑥2)
= 𝑑𝑥 𝑑𝑥
𝑑𝑥 1 − 𝑥2 2

𝑑𝑦 1 + 𝑥2 𝑒𝑥 − 𝑒𝑥(2𝑥)
=
𝑑𝑥 1 − 𝑥2 2

𝑑𝑦 𝑒𝑥(1 − 2𝑥 + 𝑥2)
=
𝑑𝑥 1 − 𝑥2 2

𝑑𝑦 𝑒𝑥 1 − 𝑥 2
=
𝑑𝑥 1 − 𝑥2 2
 INTRODUCTION TO LIMITS
DIFFERENTIATING TRIG FUNCTIONS
INTRODUCTION TO LIMITS
 INTRODUCTION TO LIMITS
ASSIGNMENT Find an equation of the tangent
Differentiate the following equation line to the given curve at the
1. 𝑓 𝑥 = 1 + 2𝑥2 (𝑥 − 𝑥2) specific point.
𝑥2−1
2 𝑥 7. 𝑦 = , (1, 0)
2. 𝑓 𝑥 = 3𝑥 − 5𝑥 𝑒 2
𝑥 +𝑥+1

𝑥
3. 𝑓 𝑥 = 𝑥
𝑒 8. 𝑦 =
2𝑥
, (1, 1)
2
𝑥 +1
𝑥
4. 𝑓 𝑥 = 𝑐
𝑥+𝑥
9. 𝑦 = 2𝑥𝑒𝑥, (0, 0)
𝑥2+1
5. 𝑓 𝑥 = 3
𝑥 −1 1+𝑥 1
10. 𝑦 = , (0, )
𝑥2+𝑒𝑥 2
𝑥4−5𝑥3+ 𝑥
6. 𝑓 𝑥 =
𝑥2