S5 CALCULUS - DIFFERENTIATION

Consider the points Px , y  and Qx  x , y  y  , very close together on a curve y  f x  ,
where x and y are small changes in x and y respectively.

y y  f x 

Grad PQ 
 y  y   y 
y
.
x
 x  x   x x

The gradient function of the curve at the point Px , y  is obtained by taking the point Q move
so close to the point P. This gives the derivative of the function y  f x  at Px , y  .

dy y  f  x  x   f  x  
Thus  lim  lim   …….. (*)
dx  x  0 x  x  0  x 

Differentiation from first principles

We shall illustrate this using some examples.
Find the derivatives of the following functions from first principles.

(a) y  2x  3

Let x and y be small changes in x and y respectively.

y  f x  x  f x  2x  x  3  2 x  3  2 x

y 2 x
 2
x x

dy y
 lim 2
dx  x  0 x

(b) y  x2

Let x and y be small changes in x and y respectively.

y  f x  x  f x  x  x  x 2  x 2  2 x x  x  x2x  x

2 2

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 y x2 x  x 
  2 x  x
x x

dy
 lim 2 x  x  2 x  0  2 x (this is got by substituting x with 0)
dx  x  0

(c) y  x3  3

Let x and y be small changes in x and y respectively.

y  f x  x  f x  x  x  3  x 3  3  3


 x3  3 x3 x  3xx  x  3  x 
3
2 3 3


 x 3 x 2  3 x x  x 
2



y x 3 x 2  3 x x  x 
2
  3x 2
 3 x x  x 
2

x x

 lim 3x 2  3x x  x   3x 2  3x 0  0  3x 2

dy 2 2

dx  x  0

1
(d) y
x

Let x and y be small changes in x and y respectively.

1 x  x  x x
y  f  x  x   f  x  
1
  
x  x x x x  x  x x  x 

y x 1 1
  
x x  x  x  x x  x  x 

dy  1  1
 lim      2
dx  x  0  xx  x   x

1
(e) y
x2

Let x and y be small changes in x and y respectively.

1 x 2  x  x 
2
y  f x  x   f x  
1
 2  2
x  x 2 x x x  x 
2



x 2  x 2  2 xx  x 
2
   x 2 x  x
x x  x  x 2 x  x 
2 2 2

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 y x 2 x  x  1 2 x  x 
 2   2
x x x  x  x x x  x 
2 2

dy  2 x  x   2
 lim   2  3

dx  x  0  x x  x 2  x

(f) y x

Let x and y be small changes in x and y respectively.

x  x  x
y  f x  x   f x   …….. (**)
1

Here multiply top and bottom of equation (**) by the conjugate of x  x  x .

y 
 x  x  x  x  x  x  x  x  x

x
x  x  x x  x  x x  x  x

y x 1 1
  
x x  x  x x x  x  x

dy  1  1 1
 lim   
dx  x  0  x  x  x  x  x 2 x

1
(g) y
2 x

Let x and y be small changes in x and y respectively.

2 x  2 x  x
y  f x  x   f x  
1 1
  …….. (***)
2 x  x 2 x 2 x  2 x  x

Here multiply top and bottom of equation (***) by the conjugate of x  x  x .

y 
2 x  2 x  x

 x  x  x  x  x  x  x  x  x
2 x  2 x  x 
2 xx  x  x  x  x  
2 xx  x  x  x  x 
 x


2 xx  x  x  x  x 

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 y  x 1 1
  
 
x 2 x x  x  x  x  x x 2 x x  x  x  x  x  
dy  1  1
 lim  
dx  x  0  
 2 xx  x  x  x  x   
 2 x x  0  x  x  0 
1 1
 
2 x 2 x 2
  4x
3
2

Note:

(i) In all cases, y is a multiple of x .

(ii) In examples (d), (e) and (g) above, you do not need to expand the denominator
when obtaining y .
is termed as the gradient function of y  f x  or it is the first derivative of
dy
(iii)
dx
y  f x  with respect to x .

ACTIVITY I
Differentiate the following from first principles.

(a) y  3 x (b) y  x2  2 (c) y  x 2  5x

(d) y  2  x2 (e) y  x  x3 (f) y2 x

3 1 1
(g) y (h) y (i) y
3 x x 1
2
1 x

1 x 2x
(j) y (k) y (l) y
1  x2 1  x2 1 x

1
(m) y (n) y  x 3  2x  5
2 x

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The rule for differentiation
dy
(a) Suppose that y  x n , then  n x n 1 ; that is to say “multiply by the power and reduce the
dx
power by 1”
Example

dy
Find in each of the cases below:
dx

dy
(i) y  x2 ;  2 x 2 1  2 x
dx
dy
(ii) y x7 ;  7 x 7 1  7 x 6
dx
dy 1
(iii) y x 1 ;   x 1  1   x  2   2
dx x
1 dy 3
(iv) y 3
 x 3 ;   3 x 3  1   3 x  4   4
x dx x
1 1 1
dy 1 2  1 1  2
(v) y x2 ;  x  x
dx 2 2
3 3 5
1  dy 3  2 1 3 2
(vi) y 3
x ; 2  x  x
2
dx 2 2
x
dy
(vii) y  4 x5 ;   20 x 5  1   20 x 4
dx

dy
(b) Given that y  k (a constant), then  0.
dx

Proof:

For y  k  k x 0

dy
Applying the rule from above,  0  k x 0 1  0 .
dx

dy
For example, if y   3 , then  0.
dx

Example

dy
1. Find in each of the following cases;
dx

dy
(a) y  2 x2  3 ,  4 x  0  4x .
dx

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 dy
(b) y  1  x4 ,  0  4 x3   4 x3 .
dx

dy
(c) y  x 3  3x 2  5 x  2 ,  3 x2  6 x  5.
dx

1 dy 2
(d) y  5x  2
, 5 3.
x dx x

dy
2. Find the value of fr the following curves at the given points.
dx

(a) y  2 x 2  3x  4; 1 , 3

dy
 4x  3
dx

At 1 , 3 ,
dy
 4 1  3  1
dx

; 1 , 0 
1
(b) y  x2 
x

dy 1
 2x  2
dx x

At 1 , 0 ,
dy 1
 2 1  2  3
dx 1

dy
3. Determine the values of x for which  0.
dx

(a) y  x3  2 x2  4

dy
 3 x2  4 x  0
dx

x 3 x  4  0

4
x  0 or x 
3

4 3
(b) y x x5
3

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 dy
 4 x2  1  0
dx

2x  1 2x  1  0
1
x
2

1
(c) y  2x 
x

dy 1
2 2 0
dx x

2 x2  1  0

2
x
2

ACTIVITY II

dy
1. Determine the values of to the curves below at the given – values.
dx

(a) y  x 4  2 x  3 , x 1 (b) y  3x 2  3 x  4 , x  2

(c) y  1  x3 , x  1 (d) y  xx 1x 1 , x  0

y  5  2 x  x2 , x  1 y  1  x  , x 1
2
(e) (f)

1
(g) y 1 , x  1 (h) y  x3  2 x2  4 , x  2
x2
2. Find the value of the gradient function to the curve at the given value of x.

1
(a) y x  x , x4 (b) y  2 x , x 1
x

(c) y  x2  4 x  3 , x 0 (d)  
y  1  x  x 2  3 , x  2

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