Loading [MathJax]/jax/output/HTML-CSS/jax.js
Skip to main content
Library homepage
 

Text Color

Text Size

 

Margin Size

 

Font Type

Enable Dyslexic Font
Mathematics LibreTexts

The Product and Quotient Rules

( \newcommand{\kernel}{\mathrm{null}\,}\)

Theorem: The Product Rule

Let f and g be differentiable functions. Then

[f(x)g(x)]=f(x)g(x)+f(x)g(x)

Proof

We have

prodqu1.gif

Example 1

Find

ddx(2x2)(x45)

Solution:

Here

f(x)=2x2

and

g(x)=x45

The product rule gives

ddx(2x2)(x45)=(2x2)(4x3)+(2x)(x45)

The Quotient Rule

Remember the poem

"lo d hi minus hi d lo square the bottom and away you go"

This poem is the mnemonic for the taking the derivative of a quotient.

Theorem: The Quotient Rule

Let f and g be differentiable functions. Then

ddxf(x)g(x)=g(x)f(x)f(x)g(x)g(x)2

Example 2:

Find y if

y=2x1x+1

Solution

Here

f(x)=2x1

and

g(x)=x+1

The quotient rule (Equation ???) gives

(x+1)(2)(2x1)(1)(x+1)2=2x+22x+1(x+1)2=3(x+1)2


This page titled The Product and Quotient Rules is shared under a not declared license and was authored, remixed, and/or curated by Larry Green.

  • Was this article helpful?

Support Center

How can we help?