Basic Calculus

Differentiability
and
Continuity
 DiCNHS:Math Department - Basic Calculus

❖ Definition 1
A function f is continuous at a number c if all of the following conditions
are satisfied:
i. f(c) exist;
ii. lim 𝑓(𝑥) exists; and
𝑥→𝑐
iii. lim 𝑓(𝑥) = f(c).
𝑥→𝑐

❖ Definition 2
A function f is differentiable at a number c if f’(c) exists.
 DiCNHS:Math Department - Basic Calculus
Theorem:

If a function f is differentiable at a, then f is continuous at a.

Remarks:
1. If f is continuous at x = a, it does not mean that f is differentiable at
x = a.
2. If f is not continuous at x = a, then f is not differentiable at x = a.
3. If f is not differentiable at x = a, it does not mean that f is not
continuous at x = a.
4. A function f is not differentiable at x = a if one of the following is true:
a. f is not continuous at x = a.
b. the graph of f has a vertical tangent line at x = a.
c. the graph of f has a corner or cusp at x = a.
DiCNHS:Math Department - Basic Calculus
DiCNHS:Math Department - Basic Calculus
 DiCNHS:Math Department - Basic Calculus
Example 1:

Suppose f is a function such that f’(1) is undefined. Which of

the following statements is ALWAYS true?

a) f must be continuous at x = 1.

b) f is NOT continuous at x = 1.

c) There is not enough information to determine whether or

not f is continuous at x = 1.
 DiCNHS:Math Department - Basic Calculus
Example 2:

Which of the following statements is ALWAYS true?

a) A function that is continuous at x = a must be differentiable at x = a.

b) A function that is NOT continuous at x = a must NOT be
differentiable at x = a.
c) A function that is NOT differentiable at x = a must NOT be
continuous at x = a.
d) A function that is differentiable at x = a must NOT be continuous at
x = a.
Rules of
Differentiation
Review
 DIFFERENTIATION RULES

Rule 1: The Constant Rule

Rule 2: The Power Rule
Rule 3: The Sum and Difference Rule
Rule 4: The Product Rule
Rule 5: The Quotient Rule
 Rule 1: The Constant Rule
If f(x) = c where c is a constant, then f’(x) = 0. The
derivative of a constant is zero.
Example:

1. If f(x) = 10 , then f’(x) = 0.

2. If h(x) = − 3 , then h’(x) = 0.
3. If g(x) = 5𝜋, then g’(x) = 0.
 Rule 2: The Power Rule
If f(x) = xn where n 𝜖 ℕ, then f’(x) = nxn-1.
Example: Find the derivative of the following:

1. f(x) = x3 = 3x3-1 = 3x2

1 −𝟐
2. g(x) = = 1x-2 = 1(-2)x-2-1 = -2x-3 =
𝑥2 𝒙𝟑
𝟏 𝟏
𝟏 −𝟏 𝟑 −𝟏 𝟑
3. h(x) = 3 𝑥 = 3𝒙 = 𝟑 𝟐 𝒙 𝟐 = 𝒙 𝟐 =
𝟐 𝟐 𝟐 𝒙
 Rule 3: The Sum and Difference Rule
If f(x) = g(x) + h(x) where g and h are differentiable
functions, then f’(x) = g’(x) + h’(x).
3
13
Example: Find the derivative of f(x) = 5𝑥 and g(x) =
4
3
𝑥.
Solution:
𝟏 𝟏 𝟑
f’(x) = 𝒙𝟑 + 𝟓𝒙 𝟒
𝟑
𝟏 𝟑
𝟏 𝟏 −𝟏 𝟑 −𝟏
= 𝒙
𝟑 +𝟓 𝒙 𝟒
𝟑 𝟑 𝟒
𝟏 −𝟐 𝟏𝟓 −𝟏 =
𝟏
+
𝟏𝟓
= 𝒙 𝟑 + 𝒙 𝟒 𝟑
𝟗 𝒙 𝟐 𝟒𝟒 𝒙
𝟗 𝟒
 Example 1:
Find the derivative of the function f(x) = x4 - 9x3 + 8x2 + 12.

Solution:
f(x) = x4 - 9x3 + 8x2 + 12
f'(x) = 4x4-1 – 9(3)x3-1 + 8(2)x2-1 + 0

= 4x3 – 27x2 + 16x

 Rule 4: The Product Rule
If g and h are differentiable functions, then
f’(g(x)h(x)) = g(x)h’(x) + h(x)g’(x).
Example: Find f’(x) if f(x) = (3x2 – 4)(x2 – 3x).
3x)
Solution:
f'(x) = (3x2 – 4) [2x2-1 – 3(1)x1-1] + (x2 – 3x)[3(2)x2-1 – 0]
= (3x2 – 4)(2x – 3) + (x2 – 3x)(6x)
= (6x3 – 9x2 – 8x + 12) + (6x3 – 18x2)
= 6x3 – 9x2 – 8x + 12 + 6x3 – 18x2
f’(x) = 12x3 – 27x2 – 8x + 12
Example 2: Find the derivative of f(x) = (3x2 + 2)(2x-1).
Solution:

f’(x) = (3x2 + 2)[2(1)x1-1 – 0] + (2x – 1)[3(2)x2-1 + 0]

= (3x2 + 2)(2) + (2x – 1)(6x)

= 6x2 + 4 + 12x2 – 6x

f’(x) = 18x2 – 6x + 4
 Rule 5: The Quotient Rule
Let f(x) and g(x) be two differentiable functions with g(x) ≠ 0. Then
𝒇(𝒙) 𝒈 𝒙 𝒇′ 𝒙 − 𝒇 𝒙 𝒈′(𝒙)
𝒇′ =
𝒈(𝒙) 𝒈(𝒙) 𝟐
3𝑥+5
Example: Let h(x) = 2 . Compute h’(x).
𝑥 +4

𝒙𝟐 + 𝟒 𝟑 𝟏 𝒙𝟏−𝟏 + 𝟎 − (𝟑𝒙 + 𝟓) 𝟐𝒙𝟐−𝟏 + 𝟎

h'(x) = 𝟐 𝟐
𝒙 +𝟒
𝒙𝟐 + 𝟒 𝟑 − (𝟑𝒙 + 𝟓) 𝟐𝒙
= 𝟐 𝟐
𝒙 +𝟒
𝟑𝒙𝟐 𝟔𝒙𝟐 − 𝟑𝒙𝟐 − 𝟏𝟎𝒙 + 𝟏𝟐
=
+ 𝟏𝟐 − − 𝟏𝟎𝒙 h’(x) = 𝟐 𝟐
𝟐 𝒙 +𝟒
𝒙𝟐 + 𝟒
 𝑥 2 − 2𝑥 + 7
Example 3: Find the derivative of 𝑓 𝑥 =
2𝑥 − 3
.
Solution:
𝟐𝒙 − 𝟑 𝟐𝒙𝟐−𝟏 − 𝟐 𝟏 𝒙𝟏−𝟏 + 𝟎 − 𝒙𝟐 − 𝟐𝒙 + 𝟕 𝟐 𝟏 𝒙𝟏−𝟏 − 𝟎
f’(x) =
(𝟐𝒙 − 𝟑)𝟐

𝟐𝒙 − 𝟑 𝟐𝒙 − 𝟐 − 𝒙𝟐 − 𝟐𝒙 + 𝟕 𝟐
=
(𝟐𝒙 − 𝟑)𝟐

𝟒𝒙𝟐 − 𝟏𝟎𝒙 + 𝟔 − 𝟐𝒙𝟐 + 𝟒𝒙 − 𝟏𝟒

=
(𝟐𝒙 − 𝟑)𝟐

𝟐𝒙𝟐 −𝟔𝒙 −𝟖
f’(x) =
(𝟐𝒙 − 𝟑)𝟐
 To differentiate “a function within a function” called as
composite function in Algebra, we use the CHAIN RULE.

Theorem: The Chain Rule

If the function g(x) is differentiable at x and the

function f(x) is differentiable at g(x), then the
composite function F(x) = f(g(x)) = (f ∘ g)(x) is
differentiable at x, and

Remarks F’(x) = f’(g(x)) • g’(x).

1. We refer to f(x) as the outer function and g(x) as the inner function. To apply the
Chain Rule, we differentiate the outer function and multiply this to the derivative
of the inner function.
2. The differentiation rules can be combined with the Chain Rule.
Example 4: Find the derivative of f(x) = 𝟕𝒙 + 𝟓𝒙 .
𝟐 𝟑

3
f(x) = 7𝑥 + 5𝑥
2

3−1
f'(x) = 3 7𝑥 + 5𝑥
2
7 2 𝑥 2−1 + 5
2 Do FOIL Method
= 3 7𝑥 2 + 5𝑥 14𝑥 + 5 in multiplying
both binomials.
= 3 7𝑥 2 + 5𝑥 7𝑥 2 + 5𝑥 14𝑥 + 5 Distribute 3 to the
trinomial.
= 3(49𝑥 4 + 70𝑥 3 + 25𝑥 2 ) 14𝑥 + 5
Multiply the two
= (147𝑥 4 + 210𝑥 3 + 75𝑥 2 ) 14𝑥 + 5 polynomials.

f’(x) = 2058𝑥 5 + 3675𝑥 4 + 2100𝑥 3 + 375𝑥 2

Example 5 𝟐𝒙 + 𝟑
Find the derivative of f(x) = .
𝟓𝒙 − 𝟏
f(x) =
1
2x + 3 2
1
5x − 11 2x + 3 −1 5𝑥−1 2 − 2𝑥+3 5
2
f'(x) =
2 5x − 1 (5𝑥−1)2
1
1 2x + 3 − 10𝑥 −2 −10𝑥 −15
2
=
2 5x − 1 (5𝑥−1)2
1
1 5x − 1 2 −17
=
2 2x + 3 (5𝑥−1)2
1
−17(5𝑥 − 1)2
= 1
2(2𝑥 + 3)2 (5𝑥 −1)2
−17 −17
f’(x) = 1 3 f’(x) =
2 2𝑥 + 3 (5𝑥 −1)3
2(2𝑥 + 3)2 (5𝑥 −1)2
 Practice!
Find the derivative of the functions.

G-1 f(x) = (3x3 - 5x2)(4x2 + 7x - 5)

G-2 f(x) = (3x2 – 1)(x2 + 2x + 3)

G - 3 f(x) = (2x2 – 3)(3x3 + 2)

 Practice!
Find the derivative of the functions.
𝑥 2 +𝑥
G - 4 f(x) = 𝑥−1
x2 − 2x + 1
G - 5 f(x) = x−1
4x2 + 11
G - 6 f(x) = x2 + 3
 Practice!
Find the derivative of the functions.
𝟏 𝟑
G-7 f(x) = 𝒙 −
𝒙

𝟑
G - 8 f(x) = 𝟗𝒙 − 𝟒
f(x) = (x -1 + x -2)2
G-9