1

First Semester Notes

Unit III
Teacher: W. Khyllep

Prescribed Books
• K. C. Maity and R. K. Ghosh: Differential Calculus, New Central Book Agency Pvt. Ltd.
• B. C. Das and B. N. Mukherjee: Calculus, UN Dhur and Sons Publisher.
• G. B. Thomas and R. L. Finney: Calculus and Analytic Geometry: Narosa Publishing House.

Assumed knowledge
Before introducing the concept of derivative it is assumed that should have the prior knowledge of the following
• Coordinate geometry
• Concepts of functions (to be done in detail on Unit I of the present syllabus)
• Limits and continuity of functions (to be done in detail on Unit I of the present syllabus)

Derivative of function

Derivative is most fundamental concept of Calculus and modern mathematics. The definition of the derivative
can be viewed into two different ways. One is geometrical (as a slope of a curve) and the other one is physical
(as a rate of change).

Geometrical Interpretation of derivative

We begin our study of calculus by recalling the notion of secant lines and tangent lines. Recall that the slope
of any secant line to a function f (x) at a point (a, f (a))is obtain by choosing a value of x near a and drawing
a line through the points (a, f (a)) and (x, f (x)), as shown in Figure 1(a). The slope of this line is given by an
equation:

f (x) − f (a)
m= (1)
x−a
If we replace x with a + h, where h is an increment, then Eqn. (1) becomes

(a) (b) (c)

FIG. 1. (a)Slope of a secant, (b) As x approaches a, (c) Slope of a tangent.

Credit: Strang, G. & Herman, E. “Jed,” 2021. Defining the Derivative https://math.libretexts.org/@go/page/2490

f (a + h) − f (a)
m= (2)
h
 2

As the values of x approach a, the slopes of the secant lines provide better estimates of the rate of change of the
function at a. Furthermore, the secant lines themselves approach the tangent line to the function at a, which
represents the limit of the secant lines (see Figs. 1(b), 1(c)). Thus,
the slope of tangent at (a, f (a)) = lim the slope of secant at (a, f (a))
x→a
f (x) − f (a)
= lim (3)
x→a x−a
f (a + h) − f (a)
= lim [As x → 0 ⇒ h → 0] (4)
h→0 h
This limit occurs so frequently in various applications that we give this value a special name: the derivative.
The process of finding a derivative is called differentiation. Hence, geometrically, derivative of a function f (x)
at x = a is represented by the slope of tangent to a curve y = f (x) at (a, f (a)).

Definition 1 Let f (x) be a function defined in an open interval containing a point x = a. The derivative of
the function f (x) at x = a , denoted by f 0 (a) or dx
d
f (x) , is defined by

x=a

f (x) − f (a)
f 0 (a) = lim (5)
x→a x−a
provided this limit exists.
Alternatively, we may also define the derivative of f (x) at a as
f (a + h) − f (a)
f 0 (a) = lim . (6)
h→0 h
Note 1 The above definition 1 is also known as the First principle of derivative or differentiation.
Note 2 We know that limit of a function at a point exists if and only if (iff ) the left hand limit and right hand
limit exist. Thus, f 0 (c) exists iff
f (x) − f (c) f (x) − f (c)
lim = lim
x→c− x−c x→c+ x−c

Theorem 1 (Fundamental Theorems on differentiation)

1. The derivative of the constant function is zero.
2. (Sum/Difference Rule) The derivative of the sum/difference of a function f and a function g is the
same as the sum/difference of the derivative of f and the derivative of g i.e.
d d d
(f (x) ± g(x)) = (f (x)) ± (g(x))
dx dx dx
3. Constant Multiple Rule The derivative of a constant k multiplied by a function f is the same as the
constant multiplied by the derivative of f i.e.
d d
(kf (x)) = k (f (x))
dx dx
4. Product Rule The derivative of the product of a function f and a function g is given by
d d d
(f (x)g(x)) = (f (x)) · g(x) + (g(x)) · f (x)
dx dx dx
5. Quotient Rule The derivative of the quotient of a function f and a function g is given by
d d
d

f (x)
 (f (x)) · g(x) − (g(x)) · f (x)
= dx dx
dx g(x) (g(x))2
provided g(x) 6= 0
 3

Proof 1: Let f (x) = c, a constant, then f (x + h) = c. We have

f (x + h) − f (x)
f 0 (x) = lim
h→0 h
c−c 0
= lim = lim = lim 0 = 0.
h→0 h h→0 h h→0

Proof 2: For differentiable functions f (x) and g(x) , let φ(x) = f (x) + g(x). Using the limit definition of the
derivative we have
φ(x + h) − φ(x)
φ0 (x) = lim .
h→0 h
By substituting φ(x + h) = f (x + h) + g(x + h) and φ(x) = f (x) + g(x), we obtain
(f (x + h) + g(x + h)) − (f (x) + g(x))
φ0 (x) = lim
h→0 h
 
f (x + h) − f (x) g(x + h) − g(x)
= lim + [Add and subtract f (x + h)g(x)]
h→0 h h
   
f (x + h) − f (x) g(x + h) − g(x)
= lim + lim
h→0 h h→0 h
d d d
(f (x) + g(x)) = (f (x)) + (g(x)) (7)
dx dx dx
Proof 4: For differentiable functions f (x) and g(x) , let φ(x) = f (x) · g(x). Using, the limit definition of the
derivative we have
φ(x + h) − φ(x)
φ0 (x) = lim .
h→0 h
By substituting φ(x + h) = f (x + h) · g(x + h) and φ(x) = f (x) · g(x), we obtain
(f (x + h) · g(x + h)) − (f (x) · g(x))
φ0 (x) = lim
h→0 h
 
(f (x + h) − f (x))g(x) f (x + h)(g(x + h) − g(x))
= lim +
h→0 h h
   
f (x + h) − f (x) g(x + h) − g(x)
= lim · g(x) + lim · f (x + h)
h→0 h h→0 h
   
f (x + h) − f (x) g(x + h) − g(x)
= g(x) · lim + lim · lim f (x + h)
h→0 h h→0 h h→0
d d d
(f (x) · g(x)) = g(x) · (f (x)) + f (x) · (g(x)) (8)
dx dx dx
[Proof of 3 & 5, Try by yourself!!!]