Abbey Auberle

7 March 2016
AP Calculus
Relationship between the Derivative and the Integral and the Graphs

Derivatives and integrals are the most commonly used concepts in all levels of calculus,
so it is very important that everyone have a basic understanding of these concepts.
According to Paul A. Foerster, author of Calculus Concepts and Applications Second
Edition, the derivative of a function f at x=c is the instantaneous rate of change of f(x) with
respect to x at x=c and the integral of f(x) is the antiderivative, g(x), if and only if the derivative
of g(x), g(x), is equal to f(x). In other words, the derivative is the rate of change of a function,
f(x) at any given point, and the integral is the function for which the derivative is equal to f(x),

also known as the antiderivative. Therefore, the integral of f(x), shown as

f (x)

, has a

derivative of f(x), which then has a derivative of f(x). The same concept works in reverse, where

the integral of f(x) is equal to f(x), and the integral of f(x) is equal to

f (x)

This can be described through real-life examples such as with velocity graphs. The
velocity, measured in meters per second, would be represented by f(x). The derivative of a
velocity graph, f(x) represents the acceleration, the rate of change of the velocity measured in
meters per second squared, of the velocity, since the derivative is the rate of change of the
velocity at a point. The integral of the velocity graph would then be displacement or position,
since velocity can be described as the rate of change in distance, measured in meters. These units
make sense because the displacement, measured in meters, is simply a measurement of distance.
The velocity is the rate of change of the displacement, or the change in distance over time, and is

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therefore represented by meters per second. The acceleration is the change in velocity over time,
and is represented by meters per second per second, or meters per second squared.
Another example is how the integration of a series of points creates a line, the integration
of a series of lines creates a rectangle, then the integration of a series of rectangles creates a box.
In this example the base function would be the rectangle with an area measured in, for example,
meters squared, the derivative would be the line measured in meters and the integral would be
the box with an area measured in meters cubed.
The derivative and integral can also be used to find critical points on a graph. Critical
points, such as maximums, minimums, roots, and points of inflection, on a graph can be found
using the graph of its derivative. A maximum, for example, on the original would be represented
by a zero on the derivative graph where the values change from positive to negative, which
represents the slope on the original graph. The same would be true for a minimum, except the
derivative graph would go from negative to positive. Points of inflection on the original graph
are represented by maximums and minimums on the derivative graph, because at that point the
original graph is changing concavity, and therefore is becoming less positive or less negative.
Similar methods can be used by finding the signs of the derivative and the derivative of
the derivative, or the second derivative. When the first derivative is negative, for example, the
slope of the original is negative, and when the second derivative is negative, the original is
concave down. This is true because the first derivative at this point is going from a maximum to
a minimum, which translates to simply a maximum on the original graph. The same is true when
the second derivative is positive, only the original is concave up instead. The zeroes on the first
derivative indicate a maximum or minimum, but the zeroes on the second derivative indicate a

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maximum or minimum on the first derivative graph, which translates to a point of inflection on
the original graph.
These concepts can be illustrated using the following graph of the derivative of f(x).

Given the derivative graph above, certain values for the original function can be found.
For example, given the information from the graph above, the maximums, absolute minimum,
and points of inflection can be determined. The maximums for the original function are indicated
by the zeroes from positive to negative in the derivative graph, shown at x=-3 and x=4. The
points of inflection are at the maximums and minimums of the derivative graph, at x=-4 and x=1. Since the maximum at x=2 is a cusp, not a true maximum, it is not counted. The absolute
minimum for this situation would occur after the period with the largest negative values, which
would be at the point x=1.
Other values can be found from the derivative graph, even something as specific as the
values for which the original graph is concave up and also has a positive slope. In this case, those
intervals are -5 < x < -4 and 1 < x < 2 because they are after the respective point of inflection and

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are above the x-axis, indicating the original function at that point has a progressively positive
slope after the point of inflection, indicating a concave up situation.
x

If, given the above situation, a function g was introduced where g(x)=

f ( t ) dt
1

, the

value g(3) would be 1.5 un, since the slope of the lines from 1 to 3 are 2 and -1, so the integral of
the graph at that point can be found through either counting the squares underneath the lines, or
finding the integral for the area underneath each of those lines and add them together. G1(x) in
this situation, would then be the derivative of the integral of the function, which is simply the
function itself. In this case g(3) would be equal to 1. G(x), then, would be the derivative of the
function at x, which for g(x) equals -1, the slope of the line at 3.
In order to completely understand integrals and derivatives, however, there are certain
theorems that have to be known. First are the Fundamental Theorems of Calculus. The first
theorem states that, if a function is continuous on a closed interval from a to b, then

f (x)dx= f ( b ) f (a)
a

. This theorem sets the rule for calculating definite integrals step

by step, and furthers the understanding of integrals. This also means that
since the equations would have opposite signs.

f ( x ) dx f ( x ) dx
a

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The second Fundamental Theorem of Calculus states that, for any continuous function on

an open interval when F(x)=

f ( t ) dt
a

then F(x)=f(x). In other words, when there is a variable

on one end of the closed interval, then the derivative of the integral is equal to the integral of the
function with the dependent variable replaced by the variable in the interval.
Another important theorem is the Mean Value Theorem. This simply states that from any
continuous function on a closed interval there is a tangent line to the function that is parallel to
the line that crosses both end points in the interval. This, by extension, means that there is at least
one point on the derivative that is equal to the slope between the end points.
Lastly there is the Intermediate Value Theorem, which says that if the function f is
continuous on a closed interval and c is within that interval, then there is at least one number x in
the closed interval that x=c. In other words, if a function is continuous, then there is a x value for
every point in the interval.
The theorems above can be used, for example, to describe phenomenon in real-life
situations. One illustration of this can be shown using the following table given that a function H
is given by H(x)=F(G(x))-6.
X

F(x)

F(x)

G(x)

G(x)

10

-4

-1

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Using the information above, some aspects of the function H can be assumed. For
example, according to the Intermediate Value Theorem, there must be a value r for 1<r<3 such
that H(r)= -5. Using the function given it can be ascertained that H(1)=3 and H(3)=-7. According
to the Intermediate Value Theorem, there must be a value for x that corresponds to every y value
between the endpoints of the interval, so it follows that, since r is standing in for x, and -5 is
between 3 and -7, there must be a value for which y is equal to -5.
Relatedly, using the given information, there must also be a value c for 1<c<3 such that
H(c)= -5. According to the Mean Value Theorem, given the slope between the endpoints of the
interval, there must be a value for which the tangent line is parallel. This also corresponds to a
value for the derivative that is equal to the slope between the endpoints. Since H(1)=3 and
H(3)=-7, the slope between the two points is -5. Thus, according to the above theorem, there
must be a point on the derivative H1(x) that is equal to -5 for the interval.
Another example of these theorems can be illustrated to demonstrate the Second

G (x)

Fundamental Theorem of Calculus. For a function w given by w(x)=

f ( t ) dt , the value of

w(3)=4. According to the Second Fundamental Theorem, as explained above, w(x)=G(x), so it

therefore follows that w(3)=G(3), which is equal to 4.
If, according to the problem above, G-1(x) is the inverse function of G, then the line
tangent to the graph y=G-1(x) at x=2 can be found using the table. Using a table, the inverse of
any function is found by swapping the x and y values, resulting in the table below.

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X
G(x)
2
1
3
2
4
3
6
4

From this table it can be derived that the coordinate point at x=2 would be (2,1). From
that information the equation can be formed in point-slope form, such that the equation would be
written as (y-y1)=m(x-x1), where y1 and x1 indicate the values of the coordinate point and m
represents the slope. By switching the G(x) column with the X column on the table, the
derivative of the inverse function is found, and the slope of G(x) at x=2 is found to be 3.
Therefore the equation of the tangent line for G-1(x) at x=2 would be (y-1)=3(x-2).
Finally, if H(x)=xB(x) where B(x)=F-1(x), the table can be used to find H(3). First, to
find the derivative of H(x), the product rule must be used by the model of H(x)=fg+fg.
Following that rule the derivative of H(x) is equal to 1*B(x)+x*B(x). Therefore, using the
method above, the equation would be calculated as 1*1+3*4, which equals 13.
Derivatives and integrals are infinitely useful in any math related area of study, in
everything from physics to architecture to finances, and therefore everyone should have a basic
understanding of these concepts.

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Works Cited
Foerster, Paul A. Calculus: Concepts and Applications. 2nd ed. Berkeley, CA: Key Curriculum,
1998. Print.