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Differentiation

Yue Zhao

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September, 2024 e
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AP Calculus AB 1/21
Rate of Change

Motivation

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Let an object m move along the real number line and start at the origin. To
describe its movement, let x-axis denote the timeline x, y-axis denote the
movement and the function f(x) denote the distance between the object m
and the origin at time x.

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Let c be a point on the timeline and ∆x denote the change of time from time
c. Then the displacement at c is f(c) and the movement at time c + ∆x is
f(c + ∆x). We denote the change of movement (corresponding to ∆x) by

∆y = f(c + ∆x) − f(c).

AP Calculus AB 2/21
Rate of Change

Average Rate of Change

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Question 1. What is the average velocity during ∆x?

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∆y f(c + ∆x) − f(c)
=
e ∆x ∆x

Geometric Meaning: Slope of secant line of y = f(x) over interval [c, c + ∆x].
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AP Calculus AB 3/21
Rate of Change

Instantaneous Rate of Change

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∆y
Question 2. What is the instantaneous velocity at time c? lim∆x→0
∆x

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Geometric Meaning: Slope of tangent line of y = f(x) at point (c, f(c)).

AP Calculus AB 4/21
Rate of Change

Derivative At One Point

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Derivative of y = f(x) at x = c is the instantaneous rate of change of y = f(x)
at x = c.

∆y f( c + ∆ x ) − f( c ) f( x ) − f( c )
lim = lim = lim

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∆x→0 ∆x ∆x→0 ∆x x → c x−c

If the derivative exists, we say y = f(x) is differentiable at point x = c, and

dy d
= f( x ) = f′ (c).
e
dx dx
x= c x= c

If the derivative does not exist, we say that y = f(x) is not differentiable at
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x = c.

AP Calculus AB 5/21
Rate of Change

Derivative of y = x2 at c

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(c + ∆x)2 − (c)2
f′ ( c ) = lim
∆x→0 ∆x

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2c ∆ x + ∆ x 2
= lim
∆x→0 ∆x
= lim 2c + ∆x
∆x→0
= 2c
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AP Calculus AB 6/21
Rate of Change

Derivative of y = L at c

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f(c + ∆x) − f(c)
f′ ( c ) = lim
∆x→0 ∆x

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L−L
= lim
∆x→0 ∆x
= lim 0
∆x→0
=0
e
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AP Calculus AB 7/21
Rate of Change

1
Derivative of y = at c

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x

1 1
−
′
lim c + ∆x c

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f ( c) =
∆x→0 ∆x
−∆x
c ( c + ∆ x)
= lim
∆x→0 ∆x
−1
= lim
e
∆x→0 c(c + ∆x)
1
=− 2
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c

AP Calculus AB 8/21
Rate of Change

√
Derivative of y = x at c

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√ √
′ c + ∆x − c
f ( c) = lim
∆x→0 ∆x
√ √ √ √

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( c + ∆x − c)( c + ∆x + c)
= lim √ √
∆x→0 ∆ x( c + ∆ x + c )
∆x
= lim √ √
∆x→0 ∆x( c + ∆x + c)
1
= lim √ √
e
∆x→0 c + ∆x + c
1
= √
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2 c

AP Calculus AB 9/21
Rate of Change

Derivative From One Side

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Derivative from the right

f( c + ∆ x ) − f( c ) f( x ) − f( c )
lim = lim
∆x→0+ ∆x x→ c + x−c

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Derivative from the left

f( c + ∆ x ) − f( c ) f( x ) − f( c )
lim = lim
∆x→0− ∆x x→ c − x−c
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AP Calculus AB 10/21
Rate of Change

Differentiable and Continuous

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If f(x) has the derivative at c, then f(x) is continuous at c.
f( x ) − f( c )
Proof. Let f′ (c) = limx→c . Consider
x−c

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lim f(x) − f(c)
x→ c

f( x ) − f( c )
= lim ( x − c)
x→ c x−c
f( x ) − f( c )
= lim · lim(x − c)
x→ c x−c x→ c
′
e
= f ( c) · 0
=0.
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AP Calculus AB 11/21
Rate of Change

Derivative Do NOT Exist

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Discontinuity Corner
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AP Calculus AB 12/21
Rate of Change

Derivative Do NOT Exist

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Vertical Tangent Line Cusp
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AP Calculus AB 13/21
Derivative Rules

Constant Rule

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AP Calculus AB 14/21
Derivative Rules

Power Rule

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AP Calculus AB 15/21
Derivative Rules

Constant Rule

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d
(i) ( L) = ( L) ′ = 0
dx
d
(ii) (xn ) = (xn )′ = nxn−1
dx

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d
(iii) (sin x) = (sin x)′ = cos x
dx
d
(iv) (cos x) = (cos x)′ = − sin x
dx
d
(v) ( e x ) = ( e x ) ′ = ex
dx
e
d 1
(vi) (ln x) = (ln x)′ =
dx x
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AP Calculus AB 16/21
Derivative Rules

Derivative of sin x

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AP Calculus AB 17/21
Derivative Rules

Constant Multiple Rule

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AP Calculus AB 18/21
Derivative Rules

Sum and Difference Rule

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AP Calculus AB 19/21
Derivative Rules

Product Rule

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AP Calculus AB 20/21
Derivative Rules

Quotient Rule

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AP Calculus AB 21/21