t.

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Quantities that keep changing in our daily life:

Distance travelled by any moving body changes

with respect to time.

Let us denote ‘Distance travelled’ by variable ‘y’

& the ‘time taken’ by variable ‘x’.

Now, y is depending on ‘x’

The possible independent variables could be:

y→ Distance travelled x→ time

y→ Weather changes x→ ?

y→ Test score x→ ?

y→ Value of a car x→ ?

y→ Calories burnt x→ ?
The possible independent variables could be:

y→ Distance travelled x→ time

y→ Weather changes x→ time/place

y→ Test score x→ time spent studying

y→ Value of a car x→ age of the car

y→ Calories burnt x→ number of miles ran

● The independent variable is the cause. Its
value is independent of other variables in
our study.
● The dependent variable is the effect. Its
value depends on changes in the
independent variable.
● It can be said that y is a function of x
[y=f(x)]. y changes as x changes.
● In various fields of applied mathematics,
one has the quest to know the rate at
which one variable is changing, with
respect to another.

● The rate of change naturally refers to time.

But we can have a rate of change with
respect to other variables also.

● Studying the change in y, when the change

in x is very very small is called the
Derivative.
Why should we study the change in ‘y’, when the
change in ‘x’ is so small?

Now consider the role of derivative in studying

weather.
For example: the direction & speed of the storm
varies instantaneously.

Using derivatives, we can find the change in the

speed & direction of the storm at any instant.
● The profitability and revenues of virtually
every industry—agriculture, energy,
entertainment, construction, travel, and
others—depend to a great extent on the
vagaries of temperature, rainfall, and
storms.

● Studying weather derivatives give

businesses the ability to protect
themselves from any weather-related
losses.
MORE EXAMPLES:

● An economist may want to study the

change in investment with respect to the
change in interest rates.

● A physician may want to know how small

changes in dosage can affect the body's
response to a drug.

To study the population growth during the

spread of a disease.
Consider a car that moves along a track with
varying terrain.

As the car moves, it has to adjust its speed

and direction to navigate the bumps and
curves smoothly.

Steepness is the ratio of change in elevation to

the change in horizontal distance.
This ratio, a number is called the slope.
For Ex, suppose the elevation increases to 20
m every 100 m.

Vertical distance = 20 m & Horizontal distance

is 100 m. Therefore, the slope is 20/100 = 0.2

A hill with a slope of 0.4, is twice as steep as

one with a slope of 0.2.

The bigger the slope, the steeper the hill.

When the slope is large, its not easy to get to
the top.

When the slope is almost zero, the path is

almost straight & its easy to go..

And when the slope is negative, its downhill all

the way, at any given point.
To determine the slope at a particular point,
consider another point on the hill very close to
the first point.

The line joining the 2 points is called the

chord.

Slope of the chord = small change in y

small change in x
If we consider the second point even more
closer, such that the chord becomes a tangent.

Then the slope of the tangent line at that point

is the slope of the hill, which is nothing but the
derivative.

Derivative is
Slope of the tangent =
Derivative tells us how fast and in what
direction a function is changing at a specific
point.

If the slope of the function is steep, the

derivative is large, indicating rapid change.

If the slope is flat, the derivative is small,

indicating slow change.

And if the slope is negative, the derivative

indicates that the function is decreasing.
#1 Derivative of a constant is zero.
#1 Derivative of a constant is zero.
#1 Derivative of a constant is zero.
#2

Let us see how?

#2

Consider a square of side

length ‘x’.
Let y be the area function, then
y = x2.

x
#2
Let dx be the small change in x.
Let us find the change in y.

x
#2

Since dx is really small → dx2 is ignorable

#2

xdx

xdx
x

Change in y→ xdx + xdx = 2xdx

Similarly,

Image source: nagwa.com

Similarly,

Image source: nagwa.com

Similarly,

Change in y→ 3x2dx

[The rest are very very small & ignorable]

Image source: nagwa.com
Power Rule
#3 Derivative of √x: Consider a
square of side
length √x; the
area function is
given by ‘x’

Image source: nagwa.com

#3
#3
#4
t.me/vedantumath1
8th Jan 2020-(Shift 1)