Lesson 6

DIFFERENTIATION OF
LOGARITHMIC AND
EXPONENTIAL FUNCTIONS
OBJECTIVES:
• To differentiate and simplify logarithmic functions using the
properties of logarithm.
• To apply logarithmic differentiation for complicated functions
and functions with variable base and exponent.
 THE LOGARITHMIC FUNCTIONS
• A logarithmic function with the base a, a>0 and
a1 is defined by
y  log a x if and only if x  a y
Logarithmi c form  y  log a x
Exponential form  x  a y

EXAMPLE
Logarithmic Form Exponential Form
1

log 16 4  1 / 2 4  16 2

log 2 8  3 8  23
SOME LOGARITHMS OF KNOWN BASES:
NATURAL LOGARITHMS
Logarithms to the base e = 2.718 are called
natural logarithms (from the Latin word
Logarithmic Naturalis or Napieran logarithms).
log e x  ln x
COMMON LOGARITHMS
Logarithms to the base 10 are called common
logarithms.
log 10 x  log x
For positive numbers M , N , p, and a  1
1. log a MN  log a M  log a N
Note : log a M  N   log a M  log a N not distributi ve
M
2. log a  log a M  log a N
N
Note : log a
M

log a M
not a quotient of 2 logarithms 
N log a N
3. log a N p  plog a N
1
1
N  log a N  log a N 5. log a 1  0
p p
4. log a
p
6. log a a  1 7. log a a p  p
8. If log a x  log a y , then x y
 DIFFERENTIATION FORMULA
Differentiation Formula
DERIVATIVE OF LOGARITHMIC FUNCTION
The derivative of the logarithmic function for any
given base and any differentiable function of u.
For any given base a :
d 1 du
(log a u )  log a e ; where u  f(x)
dx u dx

For base  e :
d 1 du
(loge u )  log e e but log e e  1 and log e u  ln u
dx u dx
d 1 du
(ln u )  ; where u  f(x)
dx u dx
A. Find the derivative of each of the following natural logarithmic functions and
simplify the result:
B. Differentiate the following logarithmic functions.
Exercise:
A. Find the derivative of each of the following
natural logarithmic functions and simplify the
result:
ln x 2
1. G  x   ln
4x
2. 
y  ln x 2  ln x 
3.. g x  
4

ln 4 x 2  1 
ln x 3
 
54.. F x   x ln x  1  x 2  1  x 2
B. Differentiate the following logarithmic
functions.

1. g  x   log 3 x 
2

2. hx   log 2 3  log 2 x 2

43.. G t   log[ t  32t  3

2
3t 2

1 ]
C. Find the derivative using implicit differentiation.

1. ln xy  5  x  y

2. lnx  y  lnx  y  1
 LOGARITHMIC DIFFERENTIATION

Oftentimes, the derivatives of algebraic functions

which appear complicated in form (involving
products, quotients and powers) can be found
quickly by taking the natural logarithms of both
sides and applying the properties of logarithms
before differentiation. This method is called
logarithmic differentiation.
Steps in applying logarithmic differentiation.

1. Take the natural logarithm of both sides and

apply the properties of logarithms.
2. Differentiate both sides and reduce the right
side to a single fraction.
3. Solve for y’ by multiplying the right side by y.
4. Substitute and simplify the result.
EXAMPLE:

x  3 x  1 
1

using logarithmi c differentiation

2
dy 2
1. Find if y 
dx 5x  2
Solution :

x 
 3 x  12
1

 
2
 ln x 2  3  lnx  1  ln5 x  2 
1
ln y  ln
5x  2 2

y'
 2
1
2 x   1  1 1  1 5
y x 3 2 x 1 5x  2

y' 2 x2  x  15 x  2   x 2  35 x  2   52 x 2  3x  1


y 2x 2  3 x  15 x  2 

y' 20 x 3  8 x 2  20 x 2  8 x  5 x 3  2 x 2  15 x  6  10 x 3  10 x 2  30 x  30

y 2x 2  3 x  15 x  2 

y' 15 x 3  23 x  36

y 2x 2  3  x  15 x  2 
 15 x 3  23 x  36
y'  y
2x 2  3x  15 x  2 

 
x  3 x  1
1
15 x  23 x  36
3 2
2
y'  
 
2 x 2  3 x  15 x  2  5x  2

15 x 3  23 x  36
y' 
2x  1 5 x  2 
1
2
2
2. Find
dy
dx
if y  5 x 2  1 4 x 3  3    using logarithmi c differentiation
Solution :

     
1
1
ln y  ln x  1 4 x  3
2 3 5  ln x 2  1 4 x 3  3
5

ln y 
1
5
   
ln x 2  1  ln 4 x 3  3 
y' 1  1
2 x   31 12 x 2 
  2
y 5  x 1 4x  3     

 
y' 1  2 x 4 x 3  3  12 x 2 x 2  1 
 
 
y 5 
x2  1 4 x3  3  
 
y' 1  8 x 4  6 x  12 x 4  12 x 2  1  20 x 4  12 x 2  6 x 
    2
y 5 
x2  1 4 x3  1  
 5  x  1 4x  1 
3 
  
  
1  2x 10x 3  6x  3 
y'   2 y
  
5  x  1 4x 3  3 

  
1  2x 10x 3  6x  3 
y'   2 
  x  1 4x  3 
1

  
2 3 5
5  x  1 4x  3 
3

     
1
1 1
y'  2 x 10 x 3  6 x  3  x 2  1 4 x 3  3 5
5

    
4
2 
y'  x 10 x 3  6 x  3  x 2  1 4 x 3  3 5
5
Logarithmic differentiation is also applicable whenever the base
and its power are both functions. (Variable to variable power.)
Example:
dy
1. Find if y  x x
dx
ln y  ln x x
ln y  x ln x

y'  x 1  ln x1

1 1
y x
y'  1  ln x  y  but y  x x
 
 y'  1  ln x  x x
 if y  2 x  1
dy x 1
2. Find
dx
ln y  ln2 x  1
x 1

ln y  x  1ln2 x  1
y'  x  1 2  ln2 x  11
1 1
y 2x  1
2x  1
 ln2 x  1
1
y' 
y 2x  1
 2x  1 
y'    ln2 x  1 y  but y  2x  1
x -1

 2x  1 
 2x  1  2 x  1ln2 x  1
y'    2x  1  x -1

 2x  1
y'  2x  1  2 x  1ln2 x  1 2x  1
x -1-1

 y'  2x  1  2 x  1ln2 x  1 2x  1

x-2
 DIFFERENTIATION OF
EXPONENTIAL FUNCTIONS
.

THE EXPONENTIAL FUNCTION

The exponentia l function with base a, a  0 and

a  1, is defined by y  a x where x is a real number.
Since the exponentia l function is the inverse of
logarithmi c function, y  a x may also be written as
x  log a y .
LAWS OF EXPONENTS
.

1. am  an  am  n

a mn ,if mn
am 

2.  1 ,if mn
an 
1
 , if mn
 a n-m


3. a m   a mn
n

4. abn  a nbn
n an
a
5.    n
b b
6. a0  1 , provided a  0
 1 n
m 1 n
m n  m 
7. a 
a 
  a 
   
8. alog a x  x
9. if a x  a y then x  y
 Differentiation Formula
DERIVATIVE OF EXPONENTIAL FUNCTION
The derivative of the exponential function for any
given base and any differentiable function of u.
For any given base a :

( a )  a ln a  ; where u  f(x)

d u u du
dx dx

For base  e :
d u du
( e )  eu ; where u  f(x)
dx dx
A. Find the derivative of each of the following natural
and simplify the result:

1. f x  e3x
2 3. hx   4 x 2 e 1 / x

f ' x   e 3x 2
6x 

h' x   4  x 2
 dx
 
d 1/ x
e  e1 / x  
d 2
dx
x 

 6 xe 3x 2 
 4x 2     1  1/ x
e1 / x 

  e 2x 
 x2 
 
 4e1 / x  1  2x 
2. g x  e 12 x

 4e1 / x 2x  1
g' x   e 1 2x
d
1  2x
dx
2
 e 1 2x 
2 1  2x
e 1 2x

1  2x
 x
4. e xy  x 2  2
y
y1  xy' 
e xy xy'  y  1  2 x  0
y 2
y  xy'
xe xy y' e xy y  2 x 
y2
xy 2 c xy y'  y 3e xy  2 xy 2  y  xy'
y'  xy 2e xy  x   y  y 3e xy  2 xy 2
 
 
y 1  2 xy  y 2 e xy 
y'   
x 1  y 2 e xy 
 
5. y  7 3 x 4 x5
2

y'  7 3 x 4 x5 ln7   3 x 2  4 x  5 

2 d
dx  

y'  7 3x 4 x5 ln7 6 x  4

2

24 x5
  
y'  x 3x  2 ln7 7 3 x
 2
6. hx  ln 4 3 x
d  43 x2 
dx 

h' ( x )  2
43 x2 OR hx  ln 4 3x
4 3 x ln 4   3 x 2 
2 d hx   3 x 2 ln 4
h' x   dx  
h' x   3 ln 4 
d  2
43x
2 x 
dx  
h' x  ln 4 6 x h' x   3 ln 4 2 x
h' x  6 x ln 4 h' x   6 x ln 4
7. Gx   log e x  1 e2 x  3
 
 
Gx   log e x  1  log e 2 x  3  
ex e 2x  2
G' x   log e  log e
ex  1 e 2x  3

G' x  
 
e x e 2 x  3  2e 2 x e x  1  log e
e x

 1 e 2x  3 
e 2 x  3  2e 2 x  2e x
G' x   e x log e
e x
1 e  2x
3 
3e 2 x  2e 2 x  3
G' x   e x log e
e x

 1 e 2x  3 
8. f x   2 3 x4
5 x2
f x   2 3x4
5 x2
OR
    ln f x   ln 23x 5 x
4 2

f ' x   2 3 x
4 d x2 2 d 4
5  5x 23x
ln f x   ln 23 x  ln 5 x
dx dx 4 2

4
 2
 
f ' x  23x 5 x ln 52x  5 x 23x ln 212x 3
2 4
 ln f x   3 x 4 ln 2  x 2 ln 5
f ' x 
f ' x  (2 x)2 5 ln 5  6 x2 ln 2
3 x4 x2

f x 
 
 3 ln 2 4x 3  ln 52x

f ' x   x 23 x 15x ln 5  6 x2 ln 2

4 2

 2x 6 x 2 ln 2  ln 5 
f ' ( x)  2 3x4 x2

 5  2x 6x 2 ln 2  ln 5 
f '  x   ( x) 2 5 6 x2 ln 2  ln 5
3 x 4 1 x 2
9. 3x  5y  x4  y

3 x ln 3   5 y ln 5 y'  4 x 3  y'

 
y' 5 y ln 5   1  4 x 3  3 x ln 3
4 x 3  3 x ln 3
y'  y

5 ln 5   1 