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Differentiation Rules

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    217585
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    Differentiation Rules

     

     Constant Rule and Power Rule

    We have seen the following derivatives:

    1. If \(f(x) = c\), then \(f'(x) = 0\)

    2. If \(f(x) = x\), then \(f'(x) = 1\)

    3. If \(f(x) = x^2 \), then \(f'(x) = 2x\)

    4. If \(f(x) = x^3 \), then \(f'(x) = 3x^2\)

    5. If \(f(x) = x^4\), then \(f'(x) = 4x^3\)

    This leads us the guess the following theorem.

     

    Theorem

    \(\frac{d}{dx}(x^n) = nx^{n-1}\)


    Proof:

    First note that the binomial theorem says that 

            \( (x + h)^n = x^n + nhx^{n-1} + _nC_2h^2x^{n-2} + ... + nh^{n-1}x +h^n  x^n  \)

            \( = x^n + nhx^{n-1} + h^2(\text{Stuff}) \)

    For our purposes, stuff is some polynomial in \(h\) and \(k\) that we do not care about.

    We have

            \( \displaystyle \lim_{h \to 0} \frac{(x + h)^n - x^n}{h} = \lim_{h \to 0} \frac{x^n + nhx^{n-1} + h^2(\text{Stuff})}{h} \) 

                 \( \displaystyle  = \lim_{h \to 0} \frac{nhx^{n-1} + h^2(\text{Stuff})}{h} = \lim_{h \to 0} \frac{h[nx^{n-1} + h(\text{Stuff})]}{h} \) 

                 \( \displaystyle   = \lim_{h \to 0} nx^{n-1} + h(\text{Stuff}) = nx^{n-1}\) 

     


    Sum Difference and Constant Multiple Rules

     

    Theorem:  If f and g are differentiable then

    A)   \( [f + g]' = f ' + g'\)

    B)   \( [f - g]' = f ' - g' \)

    C)   \( [cf]' = c(f ') \)

     

    Proof of C)

           \( \displaystyle   = \lim_{h \to 0} \frac{cf(x + h) - cf(x)}{h}\) 

           \( \displaystyle   = \lim_{h \to 0} \frac{c[f(x + h) - f(x)]}{h}\) 

           \( \displaystyle   = c \lim_{h \to 0} \frac{f(x + h) - f(x)}{h}\)

           \( \displaystyle   = c f'(x)\) 

     

    Example  

    We know that if \(f(x) = x^2 \) then \(f'(x) = 2x \) and that if \( f(x) = x \) then \(f'(x) = 1\) so that if

            \(h(x) = 4x^2 -3x\)

    then

            \( h'(x)  =  4(2x) - 3(1)  =  8x - 1\)

     


     

    More Applications

    Example

    Find the derivatives of the following functions:

    1. \(f(x) = 4x^3 - 2x^{100} \) 

    2. \(f(x) = 3x^5 + 4x^8 - x + 2\)

    3.  \(f(x) = (x^3 - 2)^2 \)

    4.  \(f(x)  =  10\sqrt{x} \)

    5.  \(f(x)  =  \frac{6}{x^3}\)

    Solution  

    We use our new derivative rules to find

    1. \(12x^2 - 200x^{99} \)

    2.  \(15x^3 + 32x^7 - 1\)

    3. First we FOIL to get

              \( [x^6 - 4x^3 + 4]' \) 

      Now use the derivative rule for powers

              \(x^5 - 12x^2 \) 

    4. Begin by writing the square root sign as a fractional exponent

              1\( 10x^{1/2} \) 

      Now use the power rule to get

              \( f '(x)  =  10(1/2)x^{1/2} = 5x^{-1/2} \)

     

    Example:

    Find the equation to the tangent line to 

            y = 3x3 - x + 4 

    at the point (1,6)

    Solution:

            y' = 9x2 - 1 

    at x = 1 this is 8. Using the point-slope equation for the line gives

            y - 6 = 8(x - 1) 

    or 

            y = 8x - 2

    Example:

    Find the points where the tangent line to 

            \( y = x^3 - 3x^2 - 24x + 3 \) 

    is horizontal.

    Solution:

    We find 

            y\( y' = 3x^2 - 6x - 24 \)

    The tangent line will be horizontal when its slope is zero, that is, the derivative is zero.  Setting the derivative equal to zero gives:

            3\(3x^2 - 6x - 24 = 0\) 

    or

            \(x^2 - 2x - 8 = 0\) 

    or

            \( (x - 4)(x + 2) = 0 \)

    so that 

           \( x = 4 \text{  or  } x = -2 \)

     


    Back to the differentiation page

     

     

    Differentiation Rules is shared under a CC BY license and was authored, remixed, and/or curated by LibreTexts.

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