Derivative of logarithmic and exponential function

A specific class of smooth functions f (x), defined on the whole real line, which grows
(decay) more rapidly than polynomials as x grows towards infinity. This class is known
as the class of exponential functions. On the other hand, there is a specific class of
smooth functions f (x), defined on the positive real line, which grows (decay) more
slowly than polynomials as x grows towards infinity. This class is known as the class
of logarithmic functions. The derivatives of these two classes will be discussed in full
detail in this section.
  The system of natural logarithm has the number called e as its base; it is the system
we use in all theoretical work. (In this lesson we will see that e is approximately 2.718.)
The system of natural logarithms is in contrast to the system of common logarithms,
which has 10 as its base and is used for most practical work.
We denote the logarithmic function with base e as "ln x."
ln x  =  logex.
In other words, this logarithm function --
y = ln x
-- has for its inverse the exponential function,
y = ex.
Here are the inverse relations
ln ex = x   and   eln x = x.
And the logarithm of the base itself is always 1:
ln e = 1.
The function y = ln x  is continuous and defined for all positive values of x.  It will obey
the usual laws of logarithms:

1. ln ab = ln a +ln b
2. ln a/b = ln a - ln b
3. ln an= n ln a

We start this section with the following theorem which shows how to differentiate a
logarithmic function.
 

Let b> 0 and b  ≠1, Then

d/dx [logb x] = = 1/ xlnb for x > 0.
 
In special case where b = e , we have ln b = ln e = 1, and hence we get that
d/dx [lnx] = 1/x for x> 0
Now, let us consider some examples
 
Example 1
Differentiate each of the following functions.

 
Solution
a. Using the chain rule. we get that

b.  Using the chain rule, we get that

d y d x = 2 log 3 ⁡ x ( 1 x l n 3 ) = 2 ( log 3 ⁡ x ) x l n 3
c. Using Product Rule

d y d x = x 3 ( 1 x ) + 3 x 2 ln ⁡ x
d. Using chain rule

d y d x = − sin ⁡ x ( ln ⁡ x ) x
 
 

The generalized logarithmic rule

Suppose that g(x) is a differentiable function such that g(x) > 0  ∀ x  ∈ Dom(g) ,

and suppose that b > 0 with b ≠ 1.Then

 d d x [ log b ⁡ ( g ( x ) ) ] = g ′ ( x ) g ( x ) ln ⁡ b
In the special case where b = e, we have ln b = ln e = 1, and hence we get that
d d x = [ ln ⁡ ( g ( x ) ) ] = g ′ ( x ) g ( x )
In the next example, we use the generalized logarithmic rule on several functions.
 
Example 2

 
Solution

a.   d y d x = 2 x ln ⁡ 3 ( x 2 + 1 )
b. d y d x = [ x ⋅ 1 x + ln ⁡ x ] x l n x = 1 + ln ⁡ x x l n x
c. d y d x = sec ⁡ x sec 2 ⁡ x + tan ⁡ sec ⁡ x t a n x ln ⁡ 5 ( sec ⁡ x t a n x ) = sec 3 ⁡ x + sec ⁡ x t 
a n 2 x ln ⁡ 5 ( sec ⁡ x t a n x )

               = sec 2 ⁡ x + tan 2 ⁡ x ln ⁡ 5 ( tan ⁡ x )
d. d y d x = sec ⁡ x tan ⁡ x + sec 2 ⁡ x sec x + tan x = sec x

e.  First note that 

Sometimes, it is useful to simplify a function before differentiating it as we see in

the following example.