Introduction to Differentiation

Chapter 5
Differentiating a linear function
A straight line has a constant gradient, or in other words,
the rate of change of y with respect to x is a constant.

Consider the straight line y = 3x + 2;


We can find the gradient of this line by taking two points
and calculating the change in y divided by the change in
x.



No matter which pair of points we choose the value of
the gradient is always 3.


3
1
3
(-1) - 0
(-1) - 2
Gradient The = = =




Above note that y increases as a rate of 3 units, for
every unit increase in x.

We say that the rate of change of y with respect to x is
3.

Observe that the gradient of the straight line is the same
as the rate of change of y with respect to x.

Key Point
For a straight line:

the rate of change of y with respect to x is
the same as the gradient of the line.

Differentiation from first principles of
some simple curves

Consider the curve y = x
2





Above for different pairs of points we will get different
lines, with very different gradients.






For a simple function like y = x
2
we see that y is not
changing constantly with x.

The rate of change of y with respect to x is not a
constant.

Calculating the rate of change at a
point
Calculating the rate of change at any point on a curve
y = f(x) is defined to be the gradient of the tangent drawn
at that point as shown below.





The rate of change at a point P is defined to be the
gradient of the tangent at P.

Key Point

The gradient of a curve y = f(x) at a given
point is defined to be the gradient of the
tangent at that point.

Consider the figure below which shows a fixed point P
on a curve y=x
2
.







The lines through P and Q approach the tangent at P
when Q is very close to P.

Calculate the gradient of one of these lines, and let the
point Q approach the point P along the curve, then the
gradient of the line should approach the gradient of the
tangent at P, and hence the gradient of the curve.
Consider a general point P which has coordinates (x, y).









Choose point Q to be close to P on the curve.
Because we are considering the graph of y = x
2
;






So the gradient of PQ is;

2 2
2
) ( ) ( 2
)
x x x x y y
x (x y y
o o + + = +
+ = +
2
2
) ( ) ( 2
;
x x x y
x y
o o + =
=
x x
x
y
x
x x x
x
y
x
x x x
x
y
o
o
o
o o
o
o
o o
o
+ =
+
=
+
=
2
) 2 (
) ( ) ( 2
2
As we let become zero we are left with just 2x, and
this is the formula for the gradient of the tangent at P.

Gradient of tangent =


We can do this calculation in the same way for lots of
curves. We have a special symbol for the phrase



This is again written as dy/dx and referred to as
derivative of y with respect to x.
x x x
x
y
x x
2 ) 2 (
lim lim
0 0
= + =

o
o
o
o o
x
y
x
o
o
o
lim
0
x o
Use of function notation
We often use function notation y = f(x).

Then, the point P has coordinates (x, f(x)). Point Q has
coordinates

So, the change in y, that is is . Then;



) ( ) ( x f x x f +o
y o
)) ( , ( x x f x x o o + +
x
x f x x f
dx
dy
x
x f x x f
x
y
x
x f x x f
x
y
x
x x
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
o o
) ( ) (
lim
) ( ) (
lim lim
) ( ) (
0
0 0
+
=
+
=
+
=

Key Point
Given y = f(x), its derivative, or rate of change
of y with respect to x is defined as;

x
x f x x f
dx
dy
x
o
o
o
) ( ) (
lim
0
+
=

Differentiation of y = x
n
when n is a
positive integer

Apply previous definition to the function y = x
n

We have;



And so;
n n n n
n
n
x x nx x x x
x x x x f
x x f
) ( ... ) (
) ( ) (
) (
1
o o o
o o
+ + + = +
+ = +
=

Then, from the formula for the derivative;

+ + =
+ +
=
+ +
=
+ + +
=
n n
x
n n
x
n n
x
n n n n
x
x nx
x
x nx x
x
x x nx
x
x x x nx x
dx
dy
o
o
o o
o
o o
o
o o
o
o
o
o
When n is a positive integer;

If y = x
n
then


The result is true when n is a negative integer
and when n is a fraction although we will not
prove this here.

1
=
n
nx
dx
dy
Key Point
Exercises
1.


2.


3.


4.
2
1
x y =
6 1 7
7 7 x x
dx
dy
= =

x x x
dx
dy
2 2 2
1 1 2
= = =

1
= x y
2
x y =
2 1 1
1

= = x x
dx
dy
2
1
1
2
1
2
1
2
1

= = x x
dx
dy
7
x y =
5. .


We obtain the result that the derivative of y = x is simply 1,
as we would expect since y = x is the equation of a straight
line with gradient 1.

6.


Note also that x
0
= 1 and so we are really considering the
constant function y = 1.

Because the graph of this function is a horizontal straight
line the result that its derivative is zero should come as no
surprise.

0 0
1 0
= =

x
dx
dy
x y =
0
x y =
1 1 1
0 1 1
= = =

x x
dx
dy
Exercises
Find the derivative of each of the following:

Linearity rules
If y = f(x) g(x)

then,

This means that we can differentiate sums (and differences)
of functions, term by term.

Also, if y = k f(x) where k is a constant

then,

This means that we can differentiate a constant multiple of a
function, simply by differentiating the function and multiplying
by the constant.
dx
dg
dx
df
dx
dy
=
dx
df
k
dx
dy
=
Exercises
1.




2.



5 12 6
4 3
+ = x x y
25 6 5
7 5
+ + = x x x y
6 4
42 25 1 x x
dx
dy
+ =
3 2 3 2
48 18 0 ) 4 ( 12 ) 3 ( 6 x x x x
dx
dy
= + =
Exercises
3.




4.
4 3 2
18 5
3
4

= x x
dx
dy
3
3
1
6 5 4 x x x y + =
2
1
2
6 6 x x
dx
dy
+ =

8 4 6
1
2
3
+ + = x x
x
y
Exercises
Find the derivative of each of the following:

The Chain Rule
The chain rule, exists for differentiating a function of
another function.

Consider the expression (x
4
+x
2
-9)
10
. We can call such an
expression a function of a function.

Suppose, in general, that we have two functions, f(x) and
g(x). Then y = f(g(x)) is a function of a function.

g(x) = x
4
+x
2
-9 and f(x) = x
10

f(g(x)) = f(x
4
+x
2
-9) = (x
4
+x
2
-9)
10

Key Point
To differentiate y = f(g(x)), let u = g(x).

Then y = f(u) and

dx
du
du
dy
dx
dy
=
Exercise
Differentiate y = (2x-5)
10

Let u = 2x-5 so that y = u
10
. It follows that


9
10
2
u
du
dy
dx
du
=
=
9
9
) 5 2 ( 20
2 10
=
=
=
x
u
dx
du
du
dy
dx
dy
The Product Rule
The product rule: if y = uv then

dx
du
v
dx
dv
u
dx
dy
+ =
Exercise
Find the derivative of y = (3x 2x
2
) (5 +4x).
] 2 3 [ ) 4 5 ( ] 4 5 [ ) 2 3 (
2 2
x x
dx
d
x x
dx
d
x x
dx
dy
+ + + =
2
2 2
2
24 4 15
) 16 8 15 ( ) 8 12 (
) 4 3 )( 4 5 ( ) 4 )( 2 3 (
x x
x x x x
x x x x
+ =
+ =
+ + =

Exercise
1. differentiate.

Find the derivative of the following:

1.

2.

3.
The Quotient Rule
The quotient rule: if y = u then
v

2
v
dx
dv
u
dx
du
v
dx
dy

=
Exercise
Find the derivative of

3 2
1
+

=
x
x
y
2
) 3 2 (
) 3 2 ( ) 1 ( ] 1 [ ) 3 2 (
+
+ +
=
x
x
dx
d
x x
dx
d
x
dx
dy
2
2
3) (2x
5
3) (2x
1)(2) (x 3)(1) (2x
+
=
+
+
=
Exercise
1. Differentiate

2. Find the derivative of the following:
Higher- order derivatives
The derivative of f is the second derivative of f and is
denoted by f .



The derivative of f is the third derivative of f and is
denoted by f '.


) ( )] ( [
" '
x f x f
dx
d
=
Example
0 ) (
48 ) (
48 ) (
6 24 ) (
6 8 ) (
3 2 ) (
) 5 (
) 4 (
" '
2 "
3 '
2 4
=
=
=
=
=
=
x f
x f
x x f
x x f
x x x f
x x x f
Implicit differentiation
Sometimes functions are given not in the form y = f(x) but in a more
complicated form in which it is difficult or impossible to express y
explicitly in terms of x.

Such functions are called implicit functions.

Now we look at how we might differentiate functions of y with
respect to x.

Consider an expression such as;
x
2
+ y
2
4x + 5y 8 = 0

It would be quite difficult to re-arrange this so y was
given explicitly as a function of x.

Key Point
dx
dy
y f
dy
d
y f
dx
d
= )) ( ( )) ( (
Remember, every time we want to differentiate a function
of y with respect to x, we differentiate with respect to y and
then multiply by (dy/dx).

Example -
) 3 2 3 (
3
) 3 2 3 ( 3
3 2 3 3
3 3 3 2
) 3 ( 0 ) ( 3 ) (
) 3 ( ) 6 ( ) ( ) ( ) (
3 6
2
2
2 2
2 2
2 2
3 2 2
3 3 2
3 3 2
+
=
+ =
+ =
= +
= + +
= + +
= + +
y y
x
dx
dy
dx
dy
y y x
dx
dy
dx
dy
y
dx
dy
y x
dx
dy
dx
dy
y x
dx
dy
y
dx
dy
y
dy
d
dx
dy
y
dy
d
x
dx
dy
y
dy
d
y
dx
d
dx
d
y
dx
d
x
dx
d
y
dx
d
y y x y
Suppose we want to differentiate the implicit function
with respect to x.
We differentiate each
term with respect to x:

rearrange
Derivatives of exponential
functions
If f(x) = e
x

1. d[e
x
] = e
x
dx

2. d[e
u
] = e
u
.u

dx

Remember Chain Rule???
Example 1
Differentiate the following functions
-3x
3e f(x) 3. =
2x 2x
2e (2) e (x) f' = =
2x
e f(x) 1. =
-x
e f(x) 2. =
-x -x
-e (-1) e (x) f' = =
-3x -3x
9e (-3) e 3 (x) f' = =
Example 2
Differentiate the following functions
a. f(x)= xe
x
b. f(x)= e
x

x
c. f(x)= xe
x
- e
x

1) (x e
e xe
(1) e xe (x) f'
xe f(x)
x
x x
x x
x
+ =
+ =
+ =
=
x
xe =
+ =
+ =
=
x x x
x x x
x x
e e xe
e (1)] e [xe (x) f'
e xe f(x)
2
x
2
x x
x
x
1) (x e
x
(1) e xe
(x) f'
x
e
f(x)

=
=
Derivatives of the Natural Logarithmic
Function
1.


2.
x
1
x] [ln
dx
d
=
u'
u
1
u] [ln
dx
d
=
Example
Find the derivatives of the functions.
2x ln f(x) 1) =
4) (2x ln f(x) 2)
2
+ = x ln x f(x) 3) =
1) (x ln f(x) 4) + =
1) (2x
1) x(x
ln f(x) 5)
3
2 2
+
+
=