VIETNAM NATIONAL UNIVERSITY HO CHI MINH CITY

HO CHI MINH CITY UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGY

CALCULUS 1

PROJECT REPORT

Application of derivative
in population growth and in other fields

Members Student’s ID
Dư Đức Minh 2452734
Huỳnh Phúc Minh Trí 2453306
Nguyễn Minh Đạt 2452245
Phạm Gia Hưng 2452430
Trương Quốc Thắng 2453190

Ho Chi Minh City, November 2024

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TABLE OF CONTENTS
1 ORIGIN OF DERIVATIVE AND DIFFERENTIATION 2
1.1 Ancient Beginnings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
1.2 Development of Derivatives and Differentiation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
1.3 Notation and Formalization . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2

2 APPLICATIONS OF DERIVATIVE AND DIFFERENTIATION IN REAL LIFE 3

2.1 Mathematics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
2.2 Other fields . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
2.2.1 Physics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
2.2.2 Economics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
2.2.3 Biology and medicine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
2.2.4 Computer science . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
2.2.5 Finance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
2.2.6 Astronomy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

3 SOME MATH PROBLEMS SOLVED BY DERIVATIVES 5

3.1 Use in Population growth . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
3.2 Some population growth model . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
3.2.1 Exponential growth model . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
3.2.2 Logistic growth model . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6

4 MATLAB SIMULATION FOR PROBLEMS 8

4.1 Problem 1: Bacteria population growth . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
4.2 Problem 2: Fish population growth (Logistic growth model) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9

5 CONCLUSION 11
5.1 Summary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
5.2 Strength . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
5.3 Weakness . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
5.4 Platform used . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
5.5 Reference . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11

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1 ORIGIN OF DERIVATIVE AND DIFFERENTIATION

1.1 Ancient Beginnings
- The earliest ideas related to calculus can be traced back to ancient Greek mathematicians. Eudoxus
and Archimedes developed techniques for finding areas and volumes using what we now call the
"method of exhaustion" which involved approximating the area or volume of a shape by breaking
it down into infinitely small parts. Later, Mathematicians in medieval India, like Bhāskara II (12th
century), made contributions to ideas related to differential calculus, particularly through concepts
like instantaneous motion, which anticipated the modern idea of a derivative.

1.2 Development of Derivatives and Differentiation

- Pierre de Fermat (French mathematician) developed a method for finding the tangent to a curve
at a point, effectively a precursor to the derivative that helped set the stage for a formalized concept
of the rate of change. - The formal invention of calculus as we know it today is generally credited
to Isaac Newton (England) and Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz (Germany): Newton focused on the
concept of "fluxions," a term he used for derivatives, which he applied to describe how quantities
change over time, crucial for physics; Leibniz, on the other hand, developed a notation closer to the
dy
modern form, with dx representing the derivative, and "differentiation" as the process of finding
this rate of change.

1.3 Notation and Formalization

- In the 18th and 19th Centuries, Augustin-Louis Cauchy and later Karl Weierstrass rigorously
defined limits, providing a solid foundation for derivatives and differentiation. This formalization
helped turn calculus from a set of powerful techniques into a well-defined mathematical field.

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2 APPLICATIONS OF DERIVATIVE AND DIFFEREN-

TIATION IN REAL LIFE
2.1 Mathematics
- Determine the value at which a graph increases or decreases
- Determine the maximum and minimum value of a function (local and maximum)
- Determine the critical points of a function
- Determine the average and instantaneous rate of change of a function in an interval
- Determine whether a function is increasing or decreasing
- Determine the approximate value which makes a rational function indeterminate (L Hospital rule
theorem)

2.2 Other fields

2.2.1 Physics
- Determine the rate of change in position (velocity) and velocity (acceleration)

⃗
∆x x⃗f − x⃗i x⃗f − x⃗i
⃗v = = = (1)
∆t tf − ti ∆t

This equation states that the velocity is defined as the change in position divided by the time
interval or change in time.
- The acceleration formula:
∆v
a= (2)
∆t
- Describes how electric and magnetic fields evolve in time and space. For instance, Faraday’s Law
of Induction uses the derivative of magnetic flux to compute induced electromotive force (EMF).
(Maxwell’s equation)

2.2.2 Economics
- Marginal analysis + Marginal cost: represents the additional cost incurred when producing one
more unit of a good. If C(q) is the total cost function where q is the quantity, the marginal cost is
the derivative:
dC(q)
M C(q) = (3)
dq

+ Marginal revenue (MR) measures the additional revenue generated from selling one more unit of
a good. If R(q) is the revenue function, q is the quantity then:

dR(q)
M R(q) = (4)
dq

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2.2.3 Biology and medicine

- Population Dynamics: The rate at which populations grow or decline can be modeled using
differentiation. The logistic growth model is an example where the rate of population change is
given by a differential equation:
dP (t) P (t)
= rP (t)(1 − ) (5)
dt K
- Spread of Diseases (Epidemiology): Differentiation helps in the analysis of how infectious diseases
spread over time, through models like the SIR model (Susceptible, Infected, Recovered):

dS dI dR
, , (6)
dt dt dt

2.2.4 Computer science

- In computer science, differentiation has applications in optimization, machine learning, and com-
puter graphics.
- Gradient Descent in Machine Learning: In machine learning, differentiation is used to min-
imize a cost function by updating model parameters. The gradient descent algorithm uses the
derivative (gradient) of the cost function to guide the model toward the point of minimum error.
- Image Processing: In computer vision and image processing, differentiation is used to detect
edges in images. The Sobel filter and other edge detection algorithms are based on the first and
second derivatives of image intensity.

2.2.5 Finance
- In finance, differentiation is used in option pricing models, risk analysis, and optimization of
investment portfolios.
- Option Pricing (Greeks): In the Black-Scholes model, differentiation is used to calculate the
sensitivity of option prices to changes in underlying factors. The "Greeks" (Delta, Gamma, Theta,
etc.) are derivatives that measure the sensitivity of an option’s price to various parameters.

2.2.6 Astronomy
Orbital Mechanics:
- In studying the motion of planets, moons, and satellites, differentiation plays a central role in
orbital mechanics, which is governed by Newton’s Laws of Motion and Gravitation.
- Velocity and Acceleration of Celestial Bodies:
- The velocity of a planet or satellite in its orbit is the derivative of its position with respect to
time.

dr(t)
v(t) =
dt
- Acceleration is the second derivative of the position function, which helps determine how a body’s
velocity changes under the influence of gravitational forces.

d2 r(t)
a(t) =
dt2

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Gravitational Potential:
- The gravitational potential (V) is a scalar field that describes the potential energy per unit mass
in a gravitational field. The gravitational force (F) on a body is the negative gradient (spatial
derivative) of the gravitational potential:

F = −∇V (7)

- This means the force exerted by a massive object (e.g., a planet or star) on another body is
determined by the rate at which the potential changes with distance.
Escape Velocity: The escape velocity from a celestial body is derived by differentiating the po-
tential energy of the body’s gravitational field and solving for the velocity needed to reach zero
total energy (kinetic + potential).

3 SOME MATH PROBLEMS SOLVED BY DERIVATIVES

3.1 Use in Population growth
Example: 1,000 bacteria are introduced into a nutrient-rich environment. Based on experiments,
the growth of the bacteria over time can be described by the following rule:

100t
p(t) = 1000 + (8)
100 + t2

(Where t represents time in hours (t > 0))

Question: At what time will the number of bacteria be at its maximum?
Step 1: Find the rate of growth by differentiate P(t)

100 200t2
p′ (t) = − (9)
100 + t2 (100 + t2 )2

Step 2: Analyze the Critical Points t = 10 and t = −10

Step 3: Plot critical number into the table of trend
Step 4: Find the maximum

Figure 1: Table of change

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At t=10
P(t)=1005
Therefore, the number of bacteria be at its maximum is t=10.

3.2 Some population growth model

3.2.1 Exponential growth model
Example: You are working in a biology lab and have just placed 100 bacteria into a petri dish. The
number of bacteria after t hours is modeled by the function:

p(t) = 100.a0.2t (10)

How fast is the bacteria population growing after 3 hours?

Step 1: Find the rate of growth
d d
p′ (t) = P ⇒ (100.e0.2t ) ⇒ p′ (t) = 20.e0.2t (11)
dt dt
Step 2: Find the Growth Rate at t=3

p′ (3) = 20xe0.2x3 ≈ 36.44 (12)

The Growth rate in 3 hours is around 36.44 bacteria per hours

3.2.2 Logistic growth model

Example:
A small lake is newly stocked with fish, starting with a small population that has the potential to
grow rapidly. The fish population in the lake is observed to follow a predictable growth pattern,
with a maximum sustainable population of 4,200 fish, due to limited resources and space.
The growth of the fish population over time is modeled by the following equation:
dP P
= 1.2P (1 − ) (13)
dt 4200
Question:
(a) For what P is the fish population increasing?
(b) For what P is the fish population decreasing?
(c) At what P is the growth speed of the fish at its highest?
Population value always > 0

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(a) For the fish population to increase

P
1.2P (1 − )>0
4200
⇒ 1.2P > 0(true)
P
⇒1− >0
4200 (14)
P
⇒1>
4200
⇒ P < 4200
⇒ 0 < P < 4200

(b) For the fish population to decrease

dP
<0
dt
⇒ 1.2P < 0(f alse)
P
⇒ 1− <0
4200 (15)
P
⇒1<
4200
⇒ P > 4200
⇒ P > 4200

(c) At what P is the fish population growth rate is highest

d dP
Step 1: Differentiate dt ( dt )
dP P
= 1.2P (1 − )
dt 4200
d2 P d 1.2P 2
⇒ 2 = (1.2P − ) (16)
dt dt 4200
2
d P 2.4P
⇒ 2 = 1.2 −
dt 4200
Step 2: Find critical point(peak point)

d2 P
=0
dt2
2.4P (17)
⇒ 1.2 − =0
4200
⇒ P = 2100

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Step 3: Plot the critical point into the table of trend to see if P is peak point You can see when P

Figure 2: Peak point

at 2100 fishes the growth rate is the highest (1260 fishes per year)

4 MATLAB SIMULATION FOR PROBLEMS

4.1 Problem 1: Bacteria population growth
p(t) = 100a0.2t (18)
- Firstly, we declare all the variables:

a = 2;
syms t
bacteria_growth= 100 ∗ a∧ (2 ∗ t);
growth_rate = diff(bacteria_growth, t);

- Secondly, we calculate the speed of bacteria growing after 3 hours:

t_value = 3;
population_at_t = double(subs(bacteria_growth, t, t_value));
growth_rate_at_t = double(subs(growth_rate, t, t_value));

- Thirdly, we display the result:

fprintf(’At t = %.2f hours:\n’, t_value);

fprintf(’ Bacterial population = %.2f\n’, population_at_t);
fprintf(’ Growth rate (dP/dt) = %.2f\n’, growth_rate_at_t);

- Finally, we sketch the graph:

fplot(bacteria_growth, [0, 5], ’b’, ’LineWidth’, 1.5);

hold on;
plot(t_value, population_at_t, ’ro’, ’DisplayName’, ’Population at t = 3’);
title(’Bacterial Growth Over Time’);

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xlabel(’Time (t) [hours]’);

ylabel(’Bacterial Population’);
legend(’Bacterial Population’, ’Population at t = 3’);
grid on;
hold off;

Figure 3: Bacterial Growth Over Time

At t = 3.00 hours:
Bacterial population = 6400
Growth rate dP
dt = 8872.28

4.2 Problem 2: Fish population growth (Logistic growth model)

dP P
= 1.2P (1 − ) (19)
dt 4200
- Firstly, we declare the variable of the function:

K = 4200;
r = 1.2;
syms P
growth_rate = r * P * (1 - P/K);

- Secondly, we calculate the derivative of the function, and find the trend of the function:

solve_increasing = solve(growth_rate > 0, P);

solve_decreasing = solve(growth_rate < 0, P);
d_growth_rate = diff(growth_rate, P);
critical_point = solve(d_growth_rate == 0, P);
second_derivative = diff(d_growth_rate, P);

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is_peak = subs(second_derivative, P, critical_point) < 0;

- Finally, we display the result and draw the graph:

fprintf(’(a) The fish population is increasing when P is in the range: %.0f to %.0f\n’,solve_increasing(1),
solve_increasing(2));
fprintf(’(b) The fish population is decreasing when P is outside the range: %.0f to %.0f\n’, solve_decreasing(1),
solve_decreasing(2));
fprintf(’(c) The fish population growth rate is highest at P = %.0f fishes\n’, critical_point);
fplot(growth_rate, [0, K]);
hold on;
plot(double(critical_point), double(subs(growth_rate, P, critical_point)), ’ro’);
title(’Fish Population Growth Rate’);
xlabel(’Fish Population (P)’);
ylabel(’Growth Rate’);
grid on;
hold off;

Figure 4: Fish Population Growth Rate

(a) the fish population is increasing when P is in the range: 1 to 2100

(b) the fish population is decreasing when P is outside the range: 4201 to -1
(c) the fish population growth rate is highest at P = 2100 fishes.

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5 CONCLUSION
5.1 Summary
- Derivative is common and used widely in not only Mathematic, but also in any other fields.
- From derivative, we can find out the speed of population growth, maximum, minimum magnitude
of the figure in a specific time and also we can sketch the graph of the mentioned figure to clearly
understand about the trend of the figure with defined amount of time or any reference.
- After the project, we can have more experience with simulation apps (Matlab) and Latex to solve
problem and write the reports.

5.2 Strength
- We can work together to make research about the project, and complete the report.
- We got good communication through online platforms to discuss about the project.

5.3 Weakness
- Due to different time table, we can not meet to discuss more about the project and about practical
aspects of derivative in our life.
- We had difficult with coding on new application at first

5.4 Platform used

- Google (Google Search, Google Document, Google Sheet, Google Drive)
- Youtube.com
- Overleaf.com
- Communication platform (Facebook, Messenger, Email)
- MatLab
- HCMUT LMS
- A.I (chat GPT)

5.5 Reference
https://tex.stackexchange.com
https://stackoverflow.com
book The History of Calculus and Its Conceptual Development by Carl B. Boyer and book A His-
tory of Mathematics by Victor Katz
Calculus Early Transcendentals 6th Edition, feat: James Steward
Calculus Early Transcendentals 8th Edition by James Stewart
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GLCVF3Tg75g&list=PLX2gX-ftPVXX2-C5txf01EAd3J9CyEI1v&index=2
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EeLu4i_Rh-4&list=PLX2gX-ftPVXX2-C5txf01EAd3J9CyEI1v&index=11
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nnMV84j85Nk&list=PLX2gX-ftPVXX2-C5txf01EAd3J9CyEI1v&index=12
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O176uaele4Q&list=PLX2gX-ftPVXX2-C5txf01EAd3J9CyEI1v&index=16
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mPCo2CyxGec&list=PLX2gX-ftPVXX2-C5txf01EAd3J9CyEI1v&index=19
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j-p0AlCrBQk&list=PLX2gX-ftPVXX2-C5txf01EAd3J9CyEI1v&index=20
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5yvpsftAZP4

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wmyTGE4Ri2s
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Y5vbYHa0E4
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wkjz1LlX1CQ
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KyAKEisg2PQ
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fXQXE96r4AY
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QQCSidPfDyI
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nf9ByTdX0aY&t=24s
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8-SyHZb7w40
BÀI TẬP VẬT LÝ ĐẠI CƯƠNG A1
Physics for Scientists and Engineers Tenth edition
https://www.slideshare.net/slideshow/mot-so-bai-toan-ung-dung-thuc-te/188940843

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