Section 2.

3 Basic Dierentiation Formulas 2010 Kiryl Tsishchanka

Basic Dierentiation Formulas
DERIVATIVE OF A CONSTANT FUNCTION:
d
dx
(c) = 0 or c

= 0
Proof: Suppose f(x) = c, then
f

(x) = lim
h0
f(x + h) f(x)
h
= lim
h0
c c
h
= lim
h0
0
h
= lim
h0
0 = 0
EXAMPLES:
1

= 0, 5

= 0, 0

= 0, (7/9)

= 0,

= 0,
_
1 +

5
2
_

= 0, (x
3

x + 1 x
4/3
)

= 0
THE POWER RULE: If n is a positive integer, then
d
dx
(x
n
) = nx
n1
or (x
n
)

= nx
n1
Proof: Before we prove this result rigorously, let us consider cases n = 2, 3, 4.
If n = 2, then
f

(a) = lim
xa
f(x) f(a)
x a
= lim
xa
x
2
a
2
x a
= lim
xa
(x a)(x + a)
x a
= lim
xa
(x + a) = 2a
If n = 3, then
f

(a) = lim
xa
f(x) f(a)
x a
= lim
xa
x
3
a
3
x a
= lim
xa
(x a)(x
2
+ xa + a
2
)
x a
= lim
xa
(x
2
+ xa + a
2
) = a
2
+ a a + a
2
= 3a
2
If n = 4, then
f

(a) = lim
xa
f(x) f(a)
x a
= lim
xa
x
4
a
4
x a
= lim
xa
(x a)(x
3
+ x
2
a + xa
2
+ a
3
)
x a
= lim
xa
(x
3
+ x
2
a + xa
2
+ a
3
) = a
3
+ a
2
a + a a
2
+ a
3
= 4a
3
In general, we have
f

(a) = lim
xa
f(x) f(a)
x a
= lim
xa
x
n
a
n
x a
= lim
xa
(x a)(x
n1
+ x
n2
a + . . . + xa
n2
+ a
n1
)
x a
= lim
xa
(x
n1
+ x
n2
a + . . . + xa
n2
+ a
n1
) = na
n1
1
Section 2.3 Basic Dierentiation Formulas 2010 Kiryl Tsishchanka
EXAMPLES:
(a) If f(x) = x
2
, then f

(x) = (x
2
)

= [n = 2] = 2x
21
= 2x
1
= 2x.
(b) If f(x) = x
9
, then f

(x) = (x
9
)

= [n = 9] = 9x
91
= 9x
8
.
(c) If f(x) = x, then f

(x) = (x
1
)

= [n = 1] = 1 x
11
= 1 x
0
= 1 1 = 1.
THE POWER RULE (GENERAL VERSION): If n is any real number, then
d
dx
(x
n
) = nx
n1
or (x
n
)

= nx
n1
EXAMPLES:
(a) If f(x) = x
4
, then f

(x) = (x
4
)

= [n = 4] = (4)x
41
= 4x
5
.
(b) If f(x) =
1
x
, then f

(x) = (x
1
)

= [n = 1] = (1)x
11
= x
2
=
1
x
2
.
(c) If f(x) =

x, then f

(x) = (x
1/2
)

= [n = 1/2] =
1
2
x
1/21
=
1
2
x
1/2
=
1
2

x
.
(d) If f(x) = x
2 3

x, then
f

(x) = (x
2
x
1/3
)

= (x
2+1/3
)

= (x
7/3
)

= [n = 7/3] =
7
3
x
7/31
=
7
3
x
4/3
=
_
7
3

x
4
3
=
7
3

x
3+1
3
=
7
3

x
3
x
3
=
7
3

x
3

x
3
_
=
7x
3

x
3
or
=
_
7x
4
3
3
=
7x
3+1
3
3
=
7x
3
3
+
1
3
3
=
7x
3
3
x
1
3
3
_
=
7x
3

x
3
(e) If f(x) =
1
3

x
2
, then
f

(x) =
_
1
x
2/3
_

= (x
2/3
)

= [n = 2/3] =
2
3
x
2/31
=
2
3
x
5/3
=
_

2
3x
5/3
=
2
3
3

x
5
=
2
3
3

x
3+2
=
2
3
3

x
3
x
2
=
2
3
3

x
3

x
2
_
=
2
3x
3

x
2
or
=
_

2
3x
5
3
=
2
3x
3+2
3
=
2
3x
3
3
+
2
3
=
2
3x
3
3
x
2
3
_
=
2
3x
3

x
2
(f) Find f

(x) if f(x) =
4

x
x
1

x
5
.
2
Section 2.3 Basic Dierentiation Formulas 2010 Kiryl Tsishchanka
(f) If f(x) =
4

x
x
1

x
5
, then
f

(x) =
_
x
1/4
x
1
x
5/2
_

=
_
x
1/4
x
1+5/2
_

=
_
x
1/4(1+5/2)
_

=
_
x
1/4+15/2
_

=
_
x
5/4
_

= [n = 5/4]
=
5
4
x
5/41
=
5
4
x
9/4
=
_

5
4
4

x
9
=
5
4
4

x
8+1
=
5
4
4

x
8
x
=
5
4
4

x
8

x
_
=
5
4x
2 4

x
or
=
_

5
4x
9
4
=
5
4x
8+1
4
=
5
4x
8
4
+
1
4
=
5
4x
8
4
x
1
4
_
=
5
4x
2 4

x
THE CONSTANT MULTIPLE RULE: If c is a constant and f is a dierentiable function, then
d
dx
[cf(x)] = c
d
dx
f(x) or (cf(x))

= cf

(x) or (cf)

= cf

Proof: We have
(cf(x))

= lim
h0
cf(x + h) cf(x)
h
= lim
h0
c[f(x + h) f(x)]
h
= c lim
h0
f(x + h) f(x)
h
= cf

(x)
EXAMPLE: If f(x) =
2
3
5

x
, then
f

(x) =
_
2
3
x
1/5
_

=
2
3
_
x
1/5
_

=
2
3
_

1
5
_
x
1/51
=
2
15
x
6/5
EXAMPLE: Find equations of the tangent line and normal line to the curve y = 2x
3

x at
the point (1, 2).
Solution: A point-slope equation of a line is
y y
0
= m(x x
0
)
where m is the slope. Since x
0
and y
0
are given (x
0
= 1 and y
0
= 2), we only have to nd the
slope. We have
f

(x) = (2x
3
x
1/2
)

= (2x
3+1/2
)

= 2(x
7/2
)

= 2
7
2
x
7/21
= 7x
5/2
therefore the slope of the tangent line at (1, 2) is f

(1) = 7 1
5/2
= 7. So, an equation of the
tangent line is
y 2 = 7(x 1)
The normal line is perpendicular to the tangent line, so its slope is the negative reciprocal
of 7, that is,
1
7
. From this it follows that an equation of the normal line is
y 2 =
1
7
(x 1)
3
Section 2.3 Basic Dierentiation Formulas 2010 Kiryl Tsishchanka
THE SUM/DIFFERENCE RULE: If f and g are both dierentiable functions, then
d
dx
[f(x) g(x)] =
d
dx
f(x)
d
dx
g(x)
or
(f(x) g(x))

= f

(x) g

(x) or (f g)

= f

Proof: We have
(f(x) g(x))

= lim
h0
(f(x + h) g(x + h)) (f(x) g(x))
h
= lim
h0
[f(x + h) f(x)] [g(x + h) g(x)]
h
= lim
h0
f(x + h) f(x)
h
lim
h0
g(x + h) g(x)
h
= f

(x) g

(x)
EXAMPLE: If f(x) =
3x
2
5

x
6x
4
, then
f

(x) =
_
3x
2
5

x
6x
4
_

=
_
3x
2
6x
4

5x
1/2
6x
4
_

=
_
3
6
x
24

5
6
x
1/24
_

=
_
1
2
x
2

5
6
x
7/2
_

=
_
1
2
x
2
_

_
5
6
x
7/2
_

=
1
2
_
x
2
_

5
6
_
x
7/2
_

=
1
2
(2)x
3

5
6

_

7
2
_
x
7/21
= x
3
+
35
12
x
9/2
REMARK: We can combine two previous rules in one. If c
1
, c
2
are constants and f, g are both
dierentiable functions, then
d
dx
[c
1
f(x) c
2
g(x)] = c
1
d
dx
f(x) c
2
d
dx
g(x)
or
(c
1
f(x) c
2
g(x))

= c
1
f

(x) c
2
g

(x) or (c
1
f c
2
g)

= c
1
f

c
2
g

EXAMPLE: If f(x) =
3x
2
5

x
6x
4
, then
f

(x) =
_
3x
2
5

x
6x
4
_

=
_
3x
2
6x
4

5x
1/2
6x
4
_

=
_
3
6
x
24

5
6
x
1/24
_

=
_
1
2
x
2

5
6
x
7/2
_

=
1
2
_
x
2
_

5
6
_
x
7/2
_

=
1
2
(2)x
3

5
6

_

7
2
_
x
7/21
= x
3
+
35
12
x
9/2
4
Section 2.3 Basic Dierentiation Formulas 2010 Kiryl Tsishchanka
THE DERIVATIVE OF THE SINE AND COSINE FUNCTIONS: We have
d
dx
(sin x) = cos x or (sin x)

= cos x
and
d
dx
(cos x) = sin x or (cos x)

= sin x
Proof: We have
(sin x)

= lim
h0
sin(x + h) sin x
h
[We use sin( + ) = sin cos + cos sin ]
= lim
h0
sin xcos h + cos xsin h sin x
h
= lim
h0
_
sin xcos h sin x
h
+
cos xsin h
h
_
= lim
h0
_
sin x(cos h 1)
h
+ cos x
sin h
h
_
= sin x lim
h0
cos h 1
h
+ cos x lim
h0
sin h
h
=sin x 0 + cos x 1 = cos x
In the same way we prove that (cos x)

= sin x.
EXAMPLE: If f(x) = 3 sin x 4 cos x, then
f

(x) = (3 sin x 4 cos x)

= 3(sin x)

4(cos x)

= 3 cos x + 4 sin x
EXAMPLE: If f(x) = sin x, then
f

(x) = cos x
f

(x) = (cos x)

= sin x
f

(x) = (sin x)

= cos x
f

(x) = (cos x)

= (sin x) = sin x
Therefore
f(x) = f
(4)
(x) = f
(8)
(x) = f
(12)
(x) = f
(16)
(x) = . . . = sin x
f

(x) = f
(5)
(x) = f
(9)
(x) = f
(13)
(x) = f
(17)
(x) = . . . = cos x
f

(x) = f
(6)
(x) = f
(10)
(x) = f
(14)
(x) = f
(18)
(x) = . . . = sin x
f

(x) = f
(7)
(x) = f
(11)
(x) = f
(15)
(x) = f
(19)
(x) = . . . = cos x
For instance, it immediately follows from here that
f
(2010)
(x) = f
(2008+2)
(x) = f
(4502+2)
= f

(x) = sin x
5
Section 2.3 Basic Dierentiation Formulas 2010 Kiryl Tsishchanka
Appendix
lim
h0
cos h 1
h
=
_
0
0
_
A
= lim
h0
(cos h 1)(cos h + 1)
h(cos h + 1)
A
= lim
h0
cos
2
h 1
h(cos h + 1)
A
= lim
h0
(1 cos
2
h)
h(cos h + 1)
T
= lim
h0
sin
2
h
h(cos h + 1)
A
= lim
h0
_
sin h
h

sin h
cos h + 1
_
C
= lim
h0
sin h
h
lim
h0
sin h
cos h + 1
C
=
_
lim
h0
sin h
h
= 1
_
= lim
h0
sin h
cos h + 1
DSP
=
sin 0
1 + cos 0
=
0
1 + 1
= 0
6