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Class XII: Mathematics
Chapter 6: Application of Derivatives
Chapter Notes
Key Concepts
1. Derivatives can be used to (i) determine rate of change of
quantities(ii)to find the equation of tangent and normal(iii)to find
turning points on the graph of a function(iv) calculate nth root of a
rational number (v) errors in calculations using differentials.
2. Whenever one quantity y varies with another x satisfying some rule
dy
y =f(x), then or f’(x) represents the rate of change of y with
dx
respect to x.
dy
3. is positive if y and x increases together and it is negative if y
dx
decreases as x increases.
4. The equation of the tangent at (x0, y0) to the curve y = f (x) is:
y – y0 = f ′(x0)(x – x0)
dy
Slope of a tangent = tan
dx
5. The equation of the normal to the curve y = f (x) at (x0, y0) is:
(y-y0)f’(x0)+(x-x0)= 0
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Slope of Normal =
slope of the tangent
6. The angle of intersection of two curves is defined to be the angle
between the tangents to the two curves at their point of intersection.
7. Let I be an open interval contained in domain of a real valued function
f. Then f is said to be:
i. Increasing on I if x1 <x2 in I
f(x1) f(x2) for all x1,x2
ii. Strictly increasing on I if x1 <x2 in I
f(x1) < f(x2) for all x1,x2
iii. Decreasing on I if x1 <x2 in I
f(x1) f(x2) for all x1,x2
iv. Strictly decreasing on I if x1 <x2 in I
f(x1) > f(x2) for all x1,x2
8.Let f be a continuous function on [a,b] and differentiable on (a,b).Then
(a)f is increasing in[a,b] if f’(x)>0for each x(a,b)
(b) f is decreasing in[a,b] if f’(x)<0 for each x(a,b)
(c) f is constant in[a,b] if f’(x)=0 for each x(a,b)
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9. Let f be a continuous function on [a,b] and differentiable on (a,b).Then
(a) f is strictly increasing in (a,b) if f’(x)>0for each x(a,b)
(b) f is strictly decreasing in (a,b) if f’(x)<0 for each x(a,b)
(c) f is constant in (a,b) if f’(x)=0 for each x(a,b)
10. A function which is either increasing or decreasing is called a monotonic
function
11. Let f be a function defined on I.Then
a f is said to have a maximum value in I, if there exists a point c in I such
that f (c) > f (x), for all x I.
The number f (c) is called the maximum value of f in I and the point c
is called a point of maximum value of f in I.
b. f is said to have a minimum value in I, if there exists a point c in I
such that f (c) < f (x), for all x I.
The number f (c), in this case, is called the minimum value of f in I
and the point c, in this case, is called a point of minimum value of f in
I.
c. f is said to have an extreme value in I if there exists a point c in I such
that f (c) is either a maximum value or a minimum value of f in I.
The number f (c) , in this case, is called an extreme value of f in I and
the point c, is called an extreme point.
12. Every monotonic function assumes its maximum/ minimum value at the
end points of the domain of definition of the function.
13. Every continuous function on a closed interval has a maximum and a
minimum value
14. Derivative of a function at the point c represents the slope of tangent to
the given curve at a point x=c.
15.If f’(c)=0 i.e. derivative at a point x=c vanishes, which means slope of
the tangent at x=c is zero. Geometrically, this will imply that this tangent is
parallel to x axis so x=c will come out to be a turning point of the curve.
Such points where graph takes a turn are called extreme points.
16.Let f be a real valued function and let c be an interior point in the domain
of f. Then
a. c is called a point of local maxima if there is h > 0 such that
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f (c) > f (x), for all x in (c – h, c + h)
The value f (c) is called the local maximum value of f.
b. c is called point of local minima if there is an h > 0 such that
f (c) < f (x), for all x in (c – h, c + h)
The value f (c) is called the local minimum value of f.
17. Let f be a function defined on an open interval I. Suppose c I be any
point. If f has a local maxima or a local minima at x = c, then either f’ (c) =
0 or f is not differentiable at c.
18. I Derivative Test: Let f be a function defined on an open interval I. Let f
be continuous at a critical point c in I. Then
i. If f ′(x) > 0 at every point sufficiently close to and to the left of c & f
′(x) < 0 at every point sufficiently close to and to the right of c, then c
is a point of local maxima.
ii. If f ′(x) < 0 at every point sufficiently close to and to the left of c, f
′(x) > 0 at every point sufficiently close to and to the right of c, then c
is a point of local minima.
iii. If f ′(x) does not change sign as x increases through c, then point c is
called point of inflexion.
19. II Derivative Test: Let f be a function defined on an interval I & c I.
Let f be twice differentiable at c. Then
i. x = c is a point of local maxima if f ′(c) = 0 & f ″(c) < 0.
ii. x = c is a point of local minima if f′(c) = 0 and f ″(c) > 0
iii. The test fails if f ′(c) = 0 & f ″(c) = 0.
By first derivative test, find whether c is a point of maxima, minima or
a point of inflexion.
20. Working Rule to find the intervals in which the function f(x) increases or
decreases
a) Differentiate f(x) first i.e. find f’(x)
b) Simplify f’(x) and factorise it if possible in case of polynomial
functions.
c) Equate f’(x) to zero to obtain the zeroes of the polynomial in case of
polynomial functions and angles in the given interval in case of
trigonometric functions.
d) Divide the given interval or the real line into disjoint subintervals and
then find the sign f’(x) in each interval to check whether f(x) is
increasing or decreasing in a particular interval.
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21. Let f be a continuous function on an interval I = [a, b]. Then f has the
absolute maximum attains it at least once in I. Also, f has the absolute
minimum value and attains of a function it at least once in I.
22. Let f be a differentiable function on a closed interval I and let c be any
interior point of I. Then
a. f’ (c) = 0 if f attains its absolute maximum value at c.
b. f’ (c) = 0 if f attains its absolute minimum value at c.
23. Working Rule for finding the absolute maximum and minimum values
in the interval [a,b]
Step 1: Find all critical points of f in the interval, i.e., find points x where
either
f’ (x) = 0 or f is not differentiable
Step 2: Take the end points of the interval.
Step 3: At all these points (listed in Step 1 and 2), calculate the values of f.
Step 4: Identify, the maximum and minimum values of f out of the values
calculated in Step 3. This maximum and minimum value will be the absolute
maximum (greatest) value f and the minimum value will be the absolute
minimum (least) value of f.
24. Let y =f(x),x be small increments in x and y be small increments in y
corresponding to the increment in x, i.e., y = f(x+x)-f(x).
Then
dy dy
y x or dy x y dy and x dx
dx dx
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