School of Computing, Information and

Mathematical Sciences

MA102: Mathematics for Science

Week 4: Lectures

TT 1
 Objectives:

1. Use the techniques of differentiation to find f’(x)

2. Differentiate the exponent and logarithmic function
3. Find the higher order derivatives

TT 2
 Techniques
of
differentiation

TT 3
 The Derivative function

Given a function f, the derivative of f is the

function f’ that at each point x returns the slope
of the tangent line to the graph of f at x.

In other words,
f ( x  h)  f ( x )
f '( x)  lim
h 0 h
The domain of f’ is the set of all x at which f is
differentiable.

TT 4
 Differentiation Rule of Constants

If 𝑓(𝑥) = 𝑐 (a constant), then 𝑓 ′ 𝑥 = 0.

Example 1: Compute the derivatives.

3
𝑎 𝑓 𝑥 = , 𝑓′ 𝑥 = 0
4
𝑑𝑦
𝑏 𝑦 = −500, =0
𝑑𝑥

TT 5
 Differentiation Rule of Powers

For any real number 𝑛, and 𝑓 𝑥 is defined,

If 𝑓 𝑥 = 𝑥 𝑛 then 𝑓 ′ 𝑥 = 𝑛𝑥 𝑛−1

Example 2: Compute the derivatives

𝑎) 𝑓 𝑥 = 𝑥 312 𝑓 ′ 𝑥 = 312𝑥 311

1 −2/3 1
𝑏) 𝑓 𝑥 = 3 𝑥 = 𝑥 1/3 ′
𝑓 𝑥 = 𝑥 𝑜𝑟 3
3 3 𝑥2
1 −4 𝑑𝑦 −4
𝑐) 𝑦 = =𝑥 = −4𝑥 −5 𝑜𝑟
𝑥4 𝑑𝑥 𝑥5

TT 6
 Differentiation Rule of Constant Multiples

If 𝑓 𝑥 = 𝑐𝑔 𝑥 , where 𝑐 is a constant,
Then 𝑓 ′ 𝑥 = 𝑐𝑔′ 𝑥 .

Example 3: Compute the derivatives

𝑎) 𝑓 𝑥 = −3𝑥 2 𝑓 ′ 𝑥 = −3 2𝑥 = −6𝑥
5 𝑑𝑦 15
𝑏) 𝑦 = 3 = 5𝑥 −3 = 5 −3𝑥 −4 = −15𝑥 −4 = − 4
𝑥 𝑑𝑥 𝑥
1 3 3
7 −2 𝑑𝑦 1 −2 7 −2 7
𝑐) 𝑦 = − = −7 𝑥 = −7 − 𝑥 = 𝑥 =
𝑥 𝑑𝑥 2 2 2 𝑥3

TT 7
 Differentiation Rule of Sum/ Difference
dy
If y  f ( x)  g ( x), then  f '( x)  g '( x)
dx

Example 4: Compute the derivatives

a) f ( x)  2 x3  5 x 2  x  10 f '( x)  6 x 2  10 x  1
10
b) h( x )  2  5 x 3  4 h '( x)  20 x 3  15 x 2
x

TT 8
 Example 5: Find the equation of the line tangent to 𝑦 = 𝑥 3
at the point (2,8).

If 𝑓 𝑥 = 𝑥 3 , 𝑡𝑕𝑒𝑛 𝑓 ′ 𝑥 = 3𝑥 2
Since 𝑓 ′ 𝑥 represents the gradient of the curve 𝑦 =
𝑓 𝑥 at 𝑥, 𝑓 𝑥 .
Thus the gradient of the curve at (2,8) is
𝑓 ′ 2 = 3(2)2 = 12
Note that 𝑓 2 = 8 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑠𝑜 2,8 𝑖𝑠 𝑜𝑛 𝑡𝑕𝑒 𝑐𝑢𝑟𝑣𝑒 𝑦 = 𝑥 3

Find the equation

𝑦 − 𝑦1 = 𝑚 𝑥 − 𝑥1 ⇒ 𝑦 − 8 = 12 𝑥 − 2
𝑦 = 12𝑥 − 16.

TT 9
 At what points on the graph of the function
f ( x)  x3  5 x 2  x  8 , is the gradient of the tangent -2?

f '( x)  3x 2  10 x  1
f '( x)  2
3x 2  10 x  1  2
3x 2  10 x  3  0
 3x  1 x  3  0
1
x  3 and x 
3
 1 22 
 3, 7  and  ,7 
 3 27 
TT 10
 Example 6: Under a set of controlled lab conditions,
the size of the population of a certain bacteria
culture at time t (in mins) is described by

P  f  t   3t  2t  1
2

Find the rate of population growth at 𝑡 = 10 min.

TT 11
 Product Rule for Differentiation

 If a function has an equation in the form of a

product

𝑦 = 𝑓(𝑥) · 𝑔(𝑥)

 Then its derivative is given by

𝑑𝑦
= 𝑓 ′ 𝑥 · 𝑔 𝑥 + 𝑓(𝑥) · 𝑔′(𝑥)
𝑑𝑥

TT 12
 Example 7:
 Differentiate y  ( x  1)( x 2  1)

y  ( x  1) ( x 2  1)
f ( x) g ( x)

f ( x)  x  1 g ( x)  x 2  1
f '( x)  1 g '( x)  2 x
dy
Thus  f ( x).g '( x)  f '( x).g ( x)
dx
 ( x  1)(2 x)  (1)( x 2  1)
 3x 2  2 x  1
TT 13
  Example8: Differentiatey  ( x  1)( x 2  10 x  1)
y  ( x  1) ( x 2  10 x  1)
f ( x) g ( x)

f ( x)  x  1 g ( x)  x 2  10 x  1
1 g '( x)  2 x  10
f '( x) 
2 x
dy
Thus  f ( x).g '( x)  f '( x).g ( x)
dx
 1  2
 
 x  1 (2 x  10)  
2 x 
 ( x  10 x  1)

TT 14
 Quotient Rule for differentiation

 If a function has an equation in the form of a

quotient
f ( x)
y
g ( x)
 Then its derivative is given by

dy g ( x)  f '( x)  f ( x)  g '( x)

dx  g ( x)2

TT 15
 x  2x 2
 Example 9: Differentiate y  4
x 1
f ( x)
x  2x
2
y 4
x 1 g ( x)
f ( x)  x 2  2 x g ( x)  x 4  1
f '( x)  2 x  2 g '( x)  4 x3
Therefore using the rules we have
dy g ( x)  f '( x)  f ( x)  g '( x)

dx  g ( x)2


 x 4
   
 1  2 x  2   x 2  2 x 4 x3
2
 x 4  1
TT
 
16
 x
Example 10: Differentiate y 
2x  1
f ( x)  x
1
f '( x)  dy g ( x). f '( x)  f ( x).g '( x)
2 x 
dx  g ( x) 2

g ( x)  2 x  1
g '( x)  2
 1 
 2 x  1 
 2 x
  x   2

 2 x  1 2

TT 17
 1
Example 11: Differentiate y
 3x  4  2 x  1
f ( x)  1 g ( x)   3 x  4  2 x  1
f '( x)  0 g '( x)   3x  4  .(2)  (2 x  1)(3)
 12 x  5

Thus we have dy g ( x). f '( x)  f ( x).g '( x )


dx  g ( x)2

 3 x  4  2 x  1   0   112 x  5 

 3 x  4  2 x  1 
2

 12 x  5 

 3 x  4  2 x  1 
2
TT 18
 Chain Rule

 This rule concerns the differentiation of

composite functions.
 i.e.
Outer part
Outer part

y  f g (x) y  x  3
2 3

Inner part Inner part

 two parts
TT
-- inner part -- outer part
19
 Formula for derivative
Outer

Derivative of the
If y  f  g ( x)  then outer function
evaluated at the
Inner
inside function, i.e.
Outer
leaving the inner
 f  g ( x)   g ( x)
dy function alone, times
the derivative of the
dx
inner function.
Inner

TT 20
 Example 12
 Differentiate the following:

y  3 x  2 .
2 6
(a)

(b) y  4 2x  x 1 2
 .

TT 21 July 29, 2018

 Method 2

If y  f  g ( x)  then
let u = g (x)
then y = f (u)

dy dy du
 
dx du dx

TT 22
 Example 13: Differentiate y  x  3  2

3

Solution:
Let 𝑦 = 𝑢3 and 𝑢 = 𝑥 2 − 3
The outer function is 𝑓 𝑢 = 𝑢3
The inner function is 𝑢 = 𝑔 𝑥 = 𝑥 2 − 3
dy
 f '( g ( x)) g '( x)
Thus, dx
 f '(u ) g '( x)
 (3u )(2 x)
2

 (3( x  3) )(2 x)
2 2

 6 x( x  3)
TT 23
2 2
 2/3 3
Example 14: Differentiate 𝑦 = 𝑥 −3

 3  x  3   x  3
dy 2/3 2 d 2/3
dx dx
2  2 1/3 
 3  x  3  x 
2/3

3 
 x  x  3
6 1/3 2/3 2

3
2 x  3
2/3 2


x1/3

TT 24
 Extended Power Rule

y   f ( x) 
n
If

 n f ( x)  f ' ( x)
dy n 1
Then
dx

TT 25
 Example 15: Differentiate 𝑦 = 𝑥 3 − 2 −3

 3  x  2   x  2
dy 3 4 d 3

dx dx
 3  x  2   3x 
3 4 2

 x  2
4
 9 x 2 3

9 x2

x  2
3 4

TT 26
 However,

We can have cases with three or more

functions in a composite function.

y  f g hx 

TT 27
 Method

If 𝑦 = 𝑓 𝑔 𝑕 𝑥 then

Let 𝑢 = 𝑕 𝑥
𝑣=𝑔 𝑢
then 𝑦 = 𝑓(𝑣)

dy dy dv du
  
d x d v du d x
TT 28
 Example 16: Differentiate
10
𝑦 = 10 + 𝑥 2 + 1

   
10   x  1
9
dy d 1/2
 10 10  x  1
2 2

dx dx

 
1 2 1/2  d
 10 10  x  1   x  1   x 2  1
9
2

2  dx

 
1 2 1/2 
 10 10  x  1   x  1   2 x 
9
2

2 

 x  1
9
10 x 10  2


x2  1
TT 29
 Derivative of exponential

d
dx
 e e
x x

TT 30
 Example 20: Differentiate
a) 𝑓 𝑥 = 𝑥 3 𝑒 𝑥
Apply Product Rule
𝑓 ′ 𝑥 = 𝑥 3 𝑒 𝑥 + 3𝑥 2 𝑒 𝑥

𝑒𝑥
b) 𝑦 = 𝑥3
Apply Quotient Rule
𝑑𝑦 𝑒 𝑥 (𝑥 − 3)
=
𝑑𝑥 𝑥4

c) 𝑔 𝑥 = 𝑒 𝑥 − 3𝑥 −2
𝑔′ 𝑥 = 𝑒 𝑥 + 6𝑥 −3
𝑥 6
TT
=𝑒 + 3 31

𝑥
 But what if ...
d f ( x) d
e f ( x)
e f ( x)
dx dx
Example 21: Differentiate

𝑓 𝑥 = 𝑒 −3𝑥
′ −3𝑥 𝑑
𝑓 𝑥 =𝑒 −3𝑥
𝑑𝑥
= 𝑒 −3𝑥 −3
=−3𝑒 −3𝑥
TT 32
 Example 22: Find

i)
 e 
d 2 x
dx

ii)
dx

d x2  2 x
e 

TT 33
 Derivative of logarithms

d 1
ln x  ln x  log e x
dx x

d 1 du d f ' ( x)
(ln u )  or [ln f ( x)] 
dx u dx dx f ( x)

TT 34
 Example 24: Differentiate 𝑦 = ln 𝑥 3 + 1 .

let u  x3  1
y  ln u
dy d
  ln u  
dx dx
1 du 1 d 3

u dx u dx
 x  1

 3  3x 
1 2

x 1
3x 2
 3
x 1

TT 35
 𝑑
Example 25: Find l𝑛(𝑥 2 + 3𝑥 + 1)
𝑑𝑥

d
dx
ln( x  3x  1)  2
2 1
( x  3x  1) dx
d
 ( x 2
 3x  1) 

1
 2  2 x  3
( x  3 x  1)


 2 x  3
( x 2  3 x  1)

TT 36
 Example 26: Differentiate 𝑔 𝑥 = 𝑥 2 ln 𝑥 2 − 1 .

let f ( x)  x 2 h( x)  ln  x 2  1
2x
f '( x)  2 x h '( x)  2
x 1
Apply Product Rule
g '( x)  f '( x)h( x)  f ( x)h '( x)

   2x 
  2 x  ln  x  1   x   2 
2 2

 x 1 
3
 2 x ln  x 2  1  2
2 x
x 1
TT 37
 Activity:

Differentiate 𝑔 𝑥 = ln 𝑒 2𝑥 𝑥 3 .

TT 38
 Recall – Higher Order Derivatives

dy
1st derivative f '( x)
dx
2
d y
2nd derivative f ''( x) 2
dx
3
d y
3rd derivative f '''( x) 3
dx
4
4 d y
4th derivative f ( x) 4
dx
TT 39
 Example 23: Show that if 𝑦 = 𝑒 𝑥 + 𝑒 −3𝑥 , then
d2y dy
2
 2  3y  0
dx dx
Solution:
y  e x  e 3 x
dy
 e x  e 3 x (3)  e x  3e 3 x
dx
d2y 3 x 3 x
 e x
 3 e ( 3)  e x
 9 e
dx 2
d2y
dx 2
 2
dy
dx
 3 y   e x
 9 e 3 x
 
 2 e x
 3e 3 x
 
 3 e x
 e 3 x

 e x  9e 3 x  2e x  6e 3 x  3e x  3e 3 x
  e x  2e x  3e x    9e 3 x  6e 3 x  3e 3 x 
 e x 1  2  3  e 3 x  9  6  3
0
TT 40