Lecture 3

Differentiation Rules/Formulas

This lecture will be focused on the standard formulas developed in order to address the necessity of
differentiating elementary algebraic functions effecting a great saving of time.

1.1 Derivative of a Constant

The derivative of a constant is zero.

dc
=0
dx

Proof.

Given

y=c

Step 1. y +∆ y =c

Step 2. ∆ y =c−c

∆ y =0

∆y
Step 3. =0
∆x

dy
Step 4. = lim 0
dx ∆ x→ 0

Therefore, the derivative of a constant is zero. Also, a constant never changes value, thus, its rate of
change is always zero.

1.2 Derivative of a Sum

The derivative of the sum of two functions is equal to the sum of their derivatives.

d du dv
( u+ v )= +
dx dx dx

Proof.
Given

y=u+ v

Then using step 1-4 in differentiating functions

y +∆ y =u+∆ u+ v +∆ v

∆ y =∆ u+ ∆ v

∆ y ∆u ∆ v
= +
∆x ∆ x ∆ x

dy ∆u ∆v
= lim (
+
dx ∆ x→ 0 ∆ x ∆ x )
Therefore,

dy du dv
= +
dx dx dx

1.3 Derivative of a Product

The derivative of the product of two functions is equal to the first function times the derivative of the
second plus the second function times the derivative of the first.

d dv du
( uv )=u + v
dx dx dx

Proof.

Given

y=uv

Then using step 1-4 in differentiating functions

y +∆ y =(u+ ∆ u)(v + ∆ v)

∆ y =u ∆ v + v ∆ u+∆ u ∆ v

∆y ∆v ∆u ∆v
=u +v + ∆u
∆x ∆x ∆x ∆x
dy ∆v ∆u ∆v
= lim u
dx ∆ x→ 0 ∆ x(+v
∆x
+∆ u
∆x )
Therefore,

dy dv du
=u +v
dx dx dx

As you can see, the third term becomes zero as ∆ x approaches to zero. Why? ∆ x , ∆ u and ∆ v are

∆u∆ v
infinitely small quantities and thus the numerator of the third term ( ) is a product of two infinitely
∆x
small quantities ∆ u∧∆ v , therefore approaches zero first compared to the denominator ∆ x .

1.4 Derivative of a Quotient

The derivative of the quotient of two functions is equal to the denominator times the derivative of the
numerator minus the numerator times the derivative of the denominator, all divided by the square of the
denominator.

du dv
v −u
d u dx dx
()
dx v
=
v 2

Proof.

Given

u
y=
v

Then using step 1-4 in differentiating functions

u+∆ u
y +∆ y =
v +∆ v

u+∆ u u
∆ y= −
v +∆ v v

uv + v ∆u−uv−u ∆ v
∆ y=
( v +∆ v)v
 ∆u ∆v
v
−u
∆y ∆x ∆x
=
∆x (v+ ∆ v ) v

∆u ∆v
dy
= lim
dx ∆ x→ 0 ( v
∆x
−u
∆x
(v + ∆ v ) v )
Therefore,

du dv
v −u
dy dx dx
=
dx v 2

1.5 Special Cases

When u=c , then

d dv
cv=c
dx dx

And

dv
−c
d c dx
=
dx v v2

1.6 Derivative of x n

Given

y=x n

Then

dy
=n x n−1
dx

Examples

For examples 1-5, differentiate the following.

1. y=2 x 3−7 x +1
Solution:

dy
=2 (3 ) x 3−1−7 ( 1 ) x 1−1 +0
dx

dy
=6 x 2−7
dx

2. y=3 x−1−4 x−2

Solution:

dy
=3 (−1 ) x−1−1−4 (−2 ) x−2−1
dx

dy
=−3 x−2+ 8 x−3
dx

3 5
3. y= −
x x2

Solution:

y=3 x−1−5 x−2

dy
=3 (−1 ) x−1−1−5 (−2 ) x−2−1
dx

dy −3 10
= +
dx x 2 x 3

1
4. y=
3 x−2

Solution:

dy ( 3 x−2 ) ( 0 ) −1(3)
=
dx ( 3 x−2 )2

dy −3
=
dx ( 3 x−2 )2

1+ v
5. F ( v )=
3−v 2
Solution:

' ( 3−v2 ) ( 1 )−(1+v )(−2 v )

3−v 2 +2 v +2 v 2
F' (v )= 2
( 3−v 2 )

3+2 v+ v 2
F' (v )= 2
( 3−v 2 )

1−3 x + x 3 1 3
6. Find the slope of the curve y= at ( ,− ).
x 2
2 2

Solution:

2 2 3
dy x (−3+3 x )−( 1−3 x + x ) ( 2 x )
= 2
dx ( x2 )

dy −3 x 2 +3 x 4−2 x+ 6 x2 −2 x 4
= 2
dx ( x2 )

dy x 4 + 3 x 2−2 x
=
dx x4

1 3
At ( ,− ),
2 2

1 4 1 2 1
dy
=
2() () ()
+3
2
−2
2
=−3
4
dx 1
() 2

Therefore, the slope of the curve at the given point is −3.

7. Find the rate at which the radius r of a sphere increases as the volume V increases.

Solution:
The problem seeks for an answer which relates the rate of change of the radius r with respect to the
change in volume V . The volume of the sphere is given by

4
V = π r3
3

In terms of radius r

1
3
r= ( 4π
V ) 3

1 1
dr 3
dV
=
4π( ) (V ) 3 3

1 1
dr 3 1 3 −1
dV
=
4π( )( ) 3
3
V

1 −2
dr 3 1
dV
=
4π( )( ) 3
3
V 3

−2
dr 3
=0.207 V
dV

1.7 The Chain Rule

In chain rule, y is a function of an auxiliary variable u, where in turn u is a function of x . That is,

y=f ( u )∧u=φ(x )

Then the derivative of y is,

dy dy du
= ∙
dx du dx

Example

1. Differentiate the function

y= √ x 2 +1

Solution:
Using the Chain Rule, we let u=x2 +1, then

y= √u
1
y=u 2

Then

dy dy du
= ∙
dx du dx

1
dy d 2 d 2
= (u ) ∙ ( x +1)
d x du dx

1 −1
dy 1 2 −1
=
dx 2 ()
u ∙ ( 2 x )=x u 2

Since u=x2 +1, then

dy x
= 2
d x √ x +1

1.8 The General Power Formula

Given

y=u n∧u=φ(x )

Then,

dy
=n un−1
du

And by the Chain Rule,

d n du
u =nu n−1
dx dx

Example

1. Find the derivative of

4
y=( 3 x 2 +1 )
Solution:

We let u=3 x 2 +1, then

y=u 4

dy
=( 4 ) ( u4−1 ) ( 3 ) ( 2 ) x
dx

dy
=24 x u 3
dx

Therefore

dy 3
=24 x ( 3 x 2 +1 )
dx

1.9 Higher Derivatives

The derivative of y with respect to x can still be differentiated. The derivative of y with respect to x is
called the first derivative. The derivative of the first derivative is called the second derivative, written as

d2 y d3 y d4 y
, and so on, for the third derivative , fourth derivative .
d x2 d x3 d x4

Example

1. Find the second derivative of the function

y= √ x 2 +1

Solution

From the previous example we have

dy x
= 2
dx √ x +1

Then the second derivative (using the derivative of quotient) is

x 2 +1−x 2
d2 y √ x 2+1
2
= 2
dx ( √ x 2 +1 )
Therefore

d2 y 1
=
d x2 3
( x 2+1 ) 2

1.10 Implicit Differentiation

So far, all of the functions above and in the previous lectures are explicitly defined which means that the
left side of the equation is pure y and the right side is pure x , that is

y=f (x )

However, some equations are implicitly defined like the example below,

x 2+ y 2=2 axy

The above example is called the implicit function of x . An implicit function relating x and y will be
written as

F ( x , y ) =0

The fundamental rule in differentiating an implicitly defined function is

Rule. Differentiate each term of the equation F ( x , y ) =0 with respect to x , bearing in mind that y is a
function of x .

n−1 dy
And also remember that the derivative of y n with respect to x is n y .
dx

Example

1. Find the derivative of y with respect to x of the function

Solution:

dy dy
2 x+ 4 ( 2 ) ( y ) =4 a
dx dx

dy
( 4 a−8 y ) =2 x
dx

dy 2x
=
dx 4 a−8 y

Therefore,

dy x
=
dx 2( a−2 y )

2. Find the derivative of y with respect to x of the function

x 2−2 xy+ y 2−6 x+ 2 y =0

Solution

dy dy dy
2 x−2 x ∙( dx )
+ y ( 1 ) + 2 y −6+2 =0
dx dx

dy dy dy
2 x−2 x −2 y +2 y −6+ 2 =0
dx dx dx

dy
(−2 x+ 2 y +2 ) =−2 x +2 y+ 6
dx

Therefore,

dy −x + y +3
=
dx −x+ y +1

2
3. If y=( x3 +1 ) , find dx /dy .

Solution

We let u=x3 +1, then

dy
=2u 2−1 ( 3 x 2 )
dx

dy
=2 ( x3 +1 ) ( 3 x 2 )
dx

Therefore

dx 1
= 2 3
dy 6 x ( x +1 )

4. If x 2+ y 2=a2, find y ' ' .

Solution

Since a is a constant,

2 x+2 y y ' =0

−x
y'=
y

Then,

2+2 ( y y ' ' + y ' y ' )=0

y y ' ' + y ' y ' =−1

y y'' + ( −xy )( −xy )=−1

2
x
y y ' ' =−1− () y

'' − y 2−x 2
yy =
y2

Since x 2+ y 2=a2
 '' −a2
y =
y3

5. Find the slope of the curve at the given point.

y ( 3 x− y 2 )=10 ,(3,2).

Solution

3 xy− y 3 =10

3 ( x y ' + y ) −3 y 2 y ' =0

3 x y ' +3 y−3 y 2 y' =0

( 3 x−3 y 2 ) y ' =−3 y

−3 y
y'=
3 x−3 y 2

Then at point (3,2)

−3 ( 2 )
y'= =2
3 ( 3 )−3 ( 2 )2

Therefore, the slope of the curve at point (3,2) is 2.

Exercises

Find the derivative of y with respect to x .

1. x 2+ y 2=a2
2. y 2 ( x +2 y )=c3 2
5. ( x 2− y 2 ) =4 a y 3

3. x 2+ 4 xy + y 2=1 2
6. ( x 2 + y 2 ) =a y 3
1 1 1
4. x 2 + y 2 =a 2 7. ( x + y )2=2 ay

2 2 2
8. x 3 + y 3 =a 3

3 2 dt
9. If x=t −3 t , find .
dx
2
10. If 4 c 2 θt =( θ2 −t 2 )

11. Find the slope of the curve at the given point.

x 2+ y 2−12 x + 4 y−5=0 , at (0,1)

12. Find the slope of the curve at the given point.

( x +2 y )2 =x+10 , at (−1,2)

13. Find the slope of the curve at the given point.

2 b2
y= at (0 , b)
2 x +b