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Lec.9 Differentiation

1) The derivative of a function f(x) at a point x=a, written as f'(a), is the slope of the tangent line to the curve y=f(x) at x=a. 2) The derivative can be defined geometrically as the slope of the tangent line or algebraically as the limit of the difference quotient as h approaches 0. 3) For power functions of the form f(x)=xn, the power rule states that the derivative is f'(x)=nxn-1.

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11 views13 pages

Lec.9 Differentiation

1) The derivative of a function f(x) at a point x=a, written as f'(a), is the slope of the tangent line to the curve y=f(x) at x=a. 2) The derivative can be defined geometrically as the slope of the tangent line or algebraically as the limit of the difference quotient as h approaches 0. 3) For power functions of the form f(x)=xn, the power rule states that the derivative is f'(x)=nxn-1.

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Najiba Hamad
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Calculus I - Lecture 7 - The Derivative

Lecture Notes:
http://www.math.ksu.edu/˜gerald/math220d/
Course Syllabus:
http://www.math.ksu.edu/math220/spring-2014/indexs14.html

Gerald Hoehn (based on notes by T. Cochran)

February 12, 2014


Section 3.1 – Definition of the Derivative

In this section we will give both a geometric and an algebraic


definition of the derivative
Geometric View of the Derivative
Recall, the slope of a line is
rise ∆y y2 − y1 change in y
m= = = =
run ∆x x2 − x1 change in x

Definition (Tangent Line)


A tangent line is a line that (in general)
1. touches the graph at one point (near that point) and
2. has a slope equal to the slope of the curve.
If the curve is a line segment, the tangent line coincides with the
segment.
Slope of a curve at x = a equals mtan = slope of tangent line.
Definition (Derivative — geometric)
The derivative of a function f (x) at x = a, denoted f 0 (a)
(pronounced ”f prime of a”), is the slope of the curve y = f (x) at
x = a.

f 0 (a) = the derivative of f(x) at a


= mtan , the slope of the tangent line.
Example: Determine by inspection the following derivatives.

a) f 0 (1) = 1 (m = 1)
b) f 0 (2.2) = 0 (m = 0)
∆y −2
c) f 0 (π) = −2 (m = ∆x = 1 )
d) f 0 (5) = 0 (tangent m = 0)
e) What about f 0 (2) and f 0 (3)?
Undefined. Do not exist.
At sharp corners, f 0 (a) does not exist.
Algebraic View of the Derivative

Let us determine the slope of the curve at x = a.


Let h = tiny positive number (e.g. 0.0001)
msec = slope of the secant line shown above
∆y f (a + h) − f (a)
= =
∆x h
mtan = lim msec
h→0

Definition (Derivative — algebraic)


0 f (a + h) − f (a)
f (a) = lim
h→0 h
Memorize this!
Example:
a) Find f 0 (2) where f (x) = x 2 − 2x.
b) Use part a) to find the equation of the tangent line to the curve
y = x 2 − 2x at (2, 0).

Solution: a)
f (2 + h) − f (2)
f 0 (2) = lim
h→0 h
[(2 + h)2 − 2(2 + h)] − [22 − 2 · 2]
= lim
h→0 h
4 + 4h + h2 − 4 + h
= lim
h→0 h
2h + h2
= lim
h→0 h
= lim (2 + h) = 2
h→0
Solution: b)

We use point-slope form of the tangent line:


y − y1 = m(x − x1 )
y − 0 = 2(x − 2) (since m = 2 by a))
y = 2x − 4
√
Example: Let f (x) = x. Find f 0 (a), where a is any value > 0.
Solution:
0 f (a + h) − f (a)
f (a) = lim
h→0 h
√ √ √ √
( a + h − a) ( a + h + a)
= lim · √ √
h→0 h ( a + h + a)
√ √ √ √
(a + h) − a a + h + a a + h − a
= lim √ √
h→0 h ( a + h + a)
h
= lim √ √
h→0 h ( a + h + a)
1 1 1
= lim √ √ =√ √ = √
h→0 a+h+ a a+ a 2 a
√ 1 1 −1/2
If f (x) = x = x 1/2 , then f 0 (a) = 2√ a
= 2a .

We will see short cuts next time.


Two formulas for f 0 (a):
f (a + h) − f (a)
1) f 0 (a) = lim (as in definition)
h→0 h
f (x) − f (a)
2) f 0 (a) = lim
x→a x −a

2) is obtained by letting h = x − a, so x = a + h, and h → 0 is


equivalent to x → a.

∆y f (x) − f (a)
= .
∆x x −a
1
Example: Let f (x) = . Find f 0 (a) using method 2.
x
Solution:
1 1
f (x) − f (a) −
0
f (a) = lim = lim x a
x→a x −a x→a x − a

a1 1x a−x
−
= lim a x a x = lim ax
x→a x −a x→a x − a
1
a−x 1 −(x − a)
= lim · = lim
x→a ax x − a x→a ax(x − a)
1 1
= lim − =− 2
x→a ax a
Note:

We have seen that


√ 1
1. if f (x) = x = x 1/2 then f 0 (a) = a−1/2 ,
2
1
2. if f (x) = = x −1 then f 0 (a) = (−1) · a−2 .
x
What is the pattern?

Theorem (Power rule)


Let n be any real number. If f (x) = x n , then f 0 (a) = n · an−1 for
any real number a where f (x) is defined.

Since a is arbitrary, we simply replace a with x (a variable) and say


f 0 (x) = n x n−1 .
Note: Intuitively, f 0 (a) fails to exist if either
i) f (x) has a discontinuity at x = a, or
ii) the graph of f (x) has a sharp corner at x = a.
Example:

f 0 (a) does not exist since f (x) is not continuous at a.


Try to find f 0 (b):
f (x) − f (b)
lim+ =1
x→b x −b
f (x) − f (b)
lim = −1
x→b − x − b
The one-sided limits are not equal.
Thus the two-sided limit f 0 (b) = lim f (x)−f
x−b
(b)
does not exist.
x→b

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