Lesson 4

The Derivative
OBJECTIVES:
• to define the derivative of a function
• to find the derivative of a function by
increment method (4-step rule)
 Derivative of a
Function

The process of finding the derivative of a

function is called differentiation and the
branch of calculus that deals with this process
is called differential calculus. Differentiation
is an important mathematical tool in physics,
mechanics, economics and many other
disciplines that involve change and motion.
 Consider a point Q( x2 , f ( x2 )) on the curve
y  f (x), that is distinct from P( x1 , f ( x1 )),and
compute the slope mPQ of the secant line
through P and Q.
f ( x2 )  f ( x1 ) where : x  x2  x1
mPQ 
x and x 2  x1  x

f ( x1  x)  f ( x1 )
mPQ 
x
 If we let x2 approach x1, then the point Q
will move along the curve and approach
point P. As point Q approaches P, the value
of Δx approaches zero and the secant line
through P and Q approaches a limiting
position, then we will consider that position to
be the position of the tangent line at P.
 y
tangent line

P( x1 , f ( x1 )) Q( x 2 , f ( x 2 ))

secant line

y y  f (x)

x  x 2  x1
x 2  x1  x
Thus, we make the following definition.
DEFINITION:
Suppose that x1 is in the domain of the function f,
the tangent line to the curve y=f(x) at the point
P(x1,f(x1)) is the line with equation,
y  f ( x1 )  m( x  x1 )
f ( x1  x)  f ( x1 )
where m  lim
x 0 x
provided
P( x1 , f ( x1 ))
the limit exists and is the point of
tangency.
DEFINITION
The derivative of y = f(x) at point P on the curve
is equal to the slope of the tangent line at P, thus
the derivative of the function f given by y= f(x) with
respect to x at any x in its domain is defined as:

dy y f ( x  x)  f ( x)
 lim  lim
dx x0 x x0 x

provided the limit exists.

Other notations for the derivative of a
function are:
d
Dx y, Dx f ( x), y' , f ' , f ' ( x), and f ( x)
dx
Note:
To find the slope of the tangent line to the curve at
point P means that we are to find the value of the
derivative at that point P.
There are two ways of finding the derivative of a
function:
1. By using the increment method or the four-step
rule
2. By using the differentiation formulas
 THE INCREMENT METHOD OR THE FOUR-
STEP RULE
One method of determining the derivative of a
function is the increment method or more
commonly known as the four-step rule.

The procedure is as follows:

STEP 1: Substitute x + Δx for x and
y + Δy for y in y =
f(x)
STEP 2: Subtract y = f(x) from the result of
step 1 to obtain Δy in terms of x and
Δx
STEP 3: Divide both sides of step 2 by
Δx.
STEP 4: Find the limit of step 3 as Δx
approaches 0.
EXAMPLE
dy
1. Find u sin g the four  step rule given y  1  x 2 .
dx

a. y  y  1  x  x 2 d . lim
y
 lim  2 x  x 
x 0 x x 0
b. y  y  y  1  x  x 2  y dy
2  2 x
y  1  x  2 xx  x  y
2 dx
2

y  1  x  2 xx  x  1  x 2
2

2
y  1  x  2 xx  x  1  x 2
2

2
y  2 xx  x
y x 2 x  x 
c. 
x x
EXAMPLE
dy 2x 1
2. Find u sin g the four  step rule given y 
dx 1  2x

2( x  x)  1
a. y  y 
1  2( x  x)
2( x  x)  1 2 x  1
b. y  
1  2( x  x) 1  2 x

y 
2 x  2x  11  2 x   2 x  11  2 x  2x 
1  2 x  2x 1  2 x)
2 x  2x  1  4 x 2  4 xx  2 x  2 x  4 x 2  4 xx  1  2 x  2x
y 
1  2 x  2x 1  2 x)
y 4x
c. 
x x(1  2 x  2x)(1  2 x)
y 4 dy 4
d. lim  lim  
x 0 x x 0 (1  2 x  2x )(1  2 x ) dx (1  2 x) 2
EXAMPLE
dy
3. Find u sin g the four  step rule given y  x  1 when x  10
dx

a. y  y  x  x  1 y x  x  1  x  1 x  x  1  x  1
d. lim  lim 
x 0 x x 0 x x  x  1  x  1
b. y  x  x  1  x  1 x  x  1  x  1

c.
y

x  x  1  x  1
 lim

x 0 x x  x  1  x  1 
x x x
 lim

x 0 x x  x  1  x  1 
y 1
lim  lim
x 0 x x 0 x  x  1  x  1

dy 1
 
dx 2 x  1
when x  10,
dy 1 1 1
  
dx 2 10  1 2(3) 6