Derivative of sin x, Algebraic Proof

A specic derivative formula tells us how to take the derivative of a specic

function: if f (x) = xn then f (x) = nxn1 . Well now compute a specic
formula for the derivative of the function sin x.
As before, we begin with the denition of the derivative:
d
sin(x + x) sin(x)
sin x = lim
x0
x
dx
You may remember the following angle sum formula from high school:
sin(a + b) = sin(a) cos(b) + sin(b) cos(a)
This lets us untangle the x from the x as follows:
d
sin x cos x + cos x sin x sin(x)
sin x = lim
.
x0
x
dx
We can simplify this expression using some basic algebraic facts:

d
sin x cos x sin x cos x sin x
sin x =
lim
+
x0
x
x
dx

sin x(cos x 1) cos x sin x

=
lim
+
x0
x
x

cos x 1
sin x
=
lim sin x
+ cos x
x0
x
x

d
cos x 1
sin x
sin x =
lim sin x
+ lim cos x
x0
x0
x
x
dx
We now have two familiar functions sin x and cos x and two ugly looking
fractions to deal with. The fractions may be familiar from our discussion of
removable discontinuities.
cos x 1
x0
x
sin x
lim
x0 x
lim

1.

Using these (as yet unproven) facts,

cos x 1
sin x
lim sin x
+ lim cos x
x0
x0
x
x
simplies to sin x 0 + cos x 1 = cos x. We conclude:
d
sin x = cos x
dx

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18.01SC Single Variable Calculus

Fall 2010

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