The Exponential Function

Presented by Dr Chris Tisdell

Chris Tisdell

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o9tD9K1M-_U&list=PLGCj8f6sgswnyu1woFWmYtT1N_
Kc8WCNw&index=45

Chris Tisdell (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o9tD9K1M-_U&list=PLGCj8f6sgswnyu1woFWmYtT1N_Kc8WCNw&index=45)

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 1 Where are we going?

2 Introducing the exponential function

3 Properties of e x

4 Examples

5 More Challenging Ideas

Chris Tisdell (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o9tD9K1M-_U&list=PLGCj8f6sgswnyu1woFWmYtT1N_Kc8WCNw&index=45)

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 Where are we going?

This section introduces the exponential function and includes

its relationship with the natural logarithm function
basic properties from calculus.
From previously, we saw that the natural log function y = ln x is an
increasing function and thus is one-to-one and invertible. Its inverse
function will be called the exponential function e x .

Chris Tisdell (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o9tD9K1M-_U&list=PLGCj8f6sgswnyu1woFWmYtT1N_Kc8WCNw&index=45)

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 Introducing the exponential function

An exponential function is of the type

f (x) = ax , a > 0.

The number a is called the base. The variable is x and is referred to as the
exponent.

We determine the value of a that makes f 0 (0) = 1 to give us an

exponential function whose derivative is the same as the original function,
ie
f 0 (x) = f (x)
that is,
d x
[a ] = ax
dx
for all x and a particular value of a > 0.

Chris Tisdell (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o9tD9K1M-_U&list=PLGCj8f6sgswnyu1woFWmYtT1N_Kc8WCNw&index=45)

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 It turns out that a particular value of a will give us what we want, that is
 h 
a −1
lim =1
h→0 h

when

a = 2.71828182845904523536028747135266249775724709369995 · · ·

we define this value to be the magic number e.

There are other ways of defining e that include
1 1 1
e = 1+ + + + ···
1!
 2! n3!
1
e = lim 1 + .
n→∞ n

Chris Tisdell (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o9tD9K1M-_U&list=PLGCj8f6sgswnyu1woFWmYtT1N_Kc8WCNw&index=45)

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 Some properties of e x

The graphs of e x and ln x are reflected in the line y = x. Note that

Dom(ln(x)) = (0, ∞) = Range(e x ), Range(ln(x)) = (−∞, ∞) = Dom(e x ).

We also have

e ln x = x, ln(e x ) = x

d x d f (x)
e = ex , e = f 0 (x)e f (x)
dx dx
Z Z
1
e x dx = e x + C , e ax+b dx = e ax+b + C
a

e x e y = e x+y .

Chris Tisdell (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o9tD9K1M-_U&list=PLGCj8f6sgswnyu1woFWmYtT1N_Kc8WCNw&index=45)

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 Examples

Evaluate or solve the following:

Z ln 4
d 2 3x
e 2x dx, 3x = 27, (x e ).
ln 3 dx

Chris Tisdell (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o9tD9K1M-_U&list=PLGCj8f6sgswnyu1woFWmYtT1N_Kc8WCNw&index=45)

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 Differentiating General Exponential Functions

Sometimes we face the challenge of differentiating a general exponential

function (with a different base from e). We can apply logarithmic
strategies to evaluate it.
Example: Differentiate 6x .

The ideas work for general exponential functions, so

Z
d x x 1 x
a = a ln a, ax dx = a .
dx ln a

Chris Tisdell (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o9tD9K1M-_U&list=PLGCj8f6sgswnyu1woFWmYtT1N_Kc8WCNw&index=45)

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 Examples

Evaluate
Z
d
100x , 5x dx
dx

Chris Tisdell (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o9tD9K1M-_U&list=PLGCj8f6sgswnyu1woFWmYtT1N_Kc8WCNw&index=45)

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 Examples

Differentiate
xx.

Chris Tisdell (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o9tD9K1M-_U&list=PLGCj8f6sgswnyu1woFWmYtT1N_Kc8WCNw&index=45)

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 Examples

Evaluate
lim x 1/x .
x→∞

Chris Tisdell (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o9tD9K1M-_U&list=PLGCj8f6sgswnyu1woFWmYtT1N_Kc8WCNw&index=45)

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