MA101 Lab 1 - Review Differentiation

Text Reference: 4.1 - 4.10

Basic Rules of Differentiation

d
Constant Function Rule: [k] = 0, k ∈ R
dx
d
Constant Multiple Rule: [k · f (x)] = k · f 0 (x), k ∈ R
dx
d
Sum/Difference Rule: = [f (x) ± g (x)] = f 0 (x) ± g 0 (x)
dx
d n
Power Rule: [x ] = nxn – 1 , n ∈ R
dx
d
Product Rule: [f (x) · g (x)] = f 0 (x) · g (x) + f (x) · g 0 (x)
dx
f 0 (x) g (x) − f (x) g 0 (x)
 
d f (x)
Quotient Rule: = where g (x) 6= 0
dx g (x) [g (x)]2

The Chain Rule

When applying the Chain Rule, we often want to think of a given function as a composition of two or more functions.
For example, f (x) = 2 sin3 (4x) can be expressed as the composition r ◦ s ◦ t where t (x) = 4x, s (x) = sin x and
r (x) = 2x3 ; that is, f (x) = r (s (t (x))).
Expressions which can be thought of as the composition of two or more differentiable functions are differentiated
using the Chain Rule:
0 0
[f (g (x))] = f 0 (g (x)) · g 0 (x), and [f (g (h (x)))] = f 0 (g (h (x))) · g 0 (h (x)) · h0 (x), etc.

n n−1
Combining the Chain and Power rules, we arrive at: dx d
[f (x)] = n [f (x)] · f 0 (x), n ∈ R.
d 1/2 −1/2
= 12 x2 + 3x · (2x + 3) = 2√2x+3



Examples: dx x2 + 3x x2 +3x
3 3 2
d
dx 2 sin (4x) = d
dx 2 (sin (4x)) = 6 (sin (4x)) · (cos (4x) · 4) = 24 cos (4x) sin2 (4x)
An alternative statement of the Chain Rule is: When y is a differentiable function of u [i.e., y = f (u) ] and u
dy dy du dy
is a differentiable function of x [i.e., u = g (x) ], then dx = du · dx . Also note that dx is usually then expressed
in terms of the variable x only.

Derivatives of:
1. Trigonometric Functions:
d d d
sin x = cos x cos x = − sin x tan x = sec2 x
dx dx dx
d d d
csc x = − csc x cot x sec x = sec x tan x cot x = − csc2 x
dx dx dx
d
Note: By the Chain Rule, (sin(f (x)) = cos(f (x)) · f 0 (x), etc.
dx
2. Exponential Functions:
d x d x
[e ] = ex [a ] = ax · ln a
dx dx
d  f (x)  d  f (x) 
Note: By the Chain Rule, e = ef (x) · f 0 (x) and a = af (x) · ln a · f 0 (x)
dx dx

1
 3. Logarithmic Functions:
d 1 d 1
[ln x] = [loga x] =
dx x dx x ln a
d f 0 (x) d f 0 (x)
Note: By the Chain Rule, [ln(f (x))] = and [loga (f (x))] = .
dx f (x) dx f (x) · ln a

Implicit Differentiation
When the dependent variable [say y] is implicitly defined in terms of the independent variable [say x ], and it is not
dy
possible or convenient to find y explicitly in terms of x, we find y 0 = dx as follows: for the equation linking x and
y, differentiate both sides with respect to x as usual, except for expressions involving y. For such expressions, use
standard differentiation techniques, such as the product, quotient and Chain Rules, and known formulae, with the
additional formula
d dy
f (y) = f 0 (y) = f 0 (y) y 0 .
dx dx
For example, if xy = sin (x + y) , then differentiating with respect to x yields:
(1) (y) + (x) (1 · y 0 ) = (cos (x + y)) (1 + 1 · y 0 )
cos (x + y) − y
and finding y 0 in terms of x and y by simple algebra gives y 0 = .
x − cos (x + y)

Logarithmic differentiation
We have four cases to consider when differentiating exponential functions depending on whether each of the base
and the exponent consist of a constant or variable expression. If a and b denote constants, with a > 0, then
d  b d b b−1 d  h(x) 
a = 0, [g (x)] = b · [g (x)] · g 0 (x), a = ah(x) · h0 (x) · ln a.
dx dx dx
h(x)
The fourth case involves an exponential function of the form f (x) = [g (x)] . We can determine f 0 by logarithmic
differentiation or by first expressing f with base e and then differentiating.
Using logarithmic differentiation involves taking the “ln” of both sides of the equation (i.e. ln |f (x)| = ln g(x)h(x) ), us-
f 0 (x) d
ing properties of logarithms (i.e. ln |f (x)| = h(x) ln |g(x)|), using implicit differentiation (i.e. = (h(x) ln |g(x)|),
f (x) dx
0
and then solving for f (x).

Inverse Functions
d −1 1
If f (x) has an inverse, f −1 (x), then f (x) = 0 −1
dx f (f (x))
Ex: f (x) = cos(x) ⇒ f −1 (x) = arccos(x) and f 0 (x) = − sin(x).
d −1 1
So f (x) = .
dx − sin(arccos(x))

Finding Absolute Extrema

Recall that if f (x) ≤ f (c) for all x ∈ I then f attains an absolute maximum at (c, f (c)). Similarily, if f (x) ≥ f (c)
for all x ∈ I then f attains an absolute minimum at (c, f (c)).
To find absolute extrema use the Closed Interval Method:
Suppose f is a continuous function defined on [a, b] :
i) Find all critical values of f in (a, b).
ii) Evaluate f at all critical values in step i).
iii) Evaluate f (a) and f (b).

2
 iv) The largest value in steps ii) and iii) is the absolute maximum of f and the smallest is the absolute minimum
of f.
Example:
x3 x2
Suppose f (x) = + − 6x + 5. Find the absolute max. and absolute min. values of f on [0, 6].
3 2
Critical Values of f on (0, 6) : f 0 (x) = 0 ⇒ x2 + x − 6 = 0 ⇒ (x − 2)(x + 3) = 0 ⇒ x = 2 since x = −3 ∈
/ (0, 6)
7
f (2) = −
3
f (0) = 5
f (6) = 59
 
7
∴ f has an absolute maximum at (6, 59) and an absolute minimum at 2, − .
3

Lab Preparation
1. Complete Assigned Problems from Text.

2. Complete WeBWorK homework assignment (link found on MyLearningSpace). Due no later than the Monday
before the lab at 10:00 pm.