Edexcel A level Maths Further differentiation
Section 1: Differentiating exponentials and logarithms
Notes and Examples
These notes contain subsections on
Differentiating the exponential functions
Differentiating other exponential functions
Differentiating logarithms
Differentiating exponential functions
You can learn something about the derivative of exponential functions like
y a x by trying to differentiate using first principles:
Suppose we increase x by a small change x, resulting in a small change in y
y:
y ax
y y a x x
Subtracting: y a x x a x
a x a x a x
a x (a x 1)
y a x (a x 1)
Dividing by x:
x x
dy a x 1
ka x where k is the limit of the expression as x 0.
dx x
y
Putting x = 0 into the expression for tells you that k is actually the gradient
x
of the graph y a x at the origin.
It follows that if you can find a value for a so that this gradient is 1 then, for
dy
this value of a, = a x . This value is just the constant e = 2.718…, which is
dx
the base of natural logarithms. You can verify this result numerically in your
e0.0001 1
calculator, by finding the value of .
0.0001
It follows that:
dy
y = ex ex
dx
This result can be extended to differentiate y ekx , where k is a constant,
using the chain rule:
1 of 5 14/07/17 © MEI
integralmaths.org
Edexcel A level Maths Further diff 1 Notes & Examples
y e kx
du
Let u kx k
dx
dy
y eu eu
du
Using the chain rule:
dy dy du
dx du dx
keu
ke kx
dy
y ekx kekx
dx
Example 1
Differentiate:
x2
(i) y xe (ii) y y ex
2
2x
(iii)
1 2e3 x
Solution
(i) Using the product rule with u = x and v = e2x
du
u x 1
dx
dv
v e2 x 2e2 x
dx
dy du dv
v u
dx dx dx
x 2e 1 e 2 x .
2x
(2 x 1)e 2 x
(ii) Using the quotient rule with u = x2 and v = 1 + 2e3x,
du
u x2 2x
dx
dv
v 1 2e3 x 6e3 x
dx
du dv
v u
dy
dx 2 dx
dx v
(1 2e3 x )2 x x 2 6e3 x
(1 2e3 x ) 2
2 x 4 xe3 x 6 x 2 e3 x
(1 2e3 x ) 2
2 of 5 14/07/17 © MEI
integralmaths.org
Edexcel A level Maths Further diff 1 Notes & Examples
(iii) Using the chain rule with u x 2
du
u x2 2x
dx
dy
y eu eu
du
dy dy du
dx du dx
eu 2 x
2 xe x
2
Differentiating other exponential functions
You may also need to differentiate other exponential functions, such as
y 2x .
You can do this by expressing the function in terms of the exponential
function:
y 2x eln 2 e x ln 2
x
Then you can use the chain rule:
dy
ln 2 e x ln 2 ln 2 eln 2 ln 2 2 x 2 x ln 2
x
dx
More generally:
dy
y ax a x ln a
dx
Differentiating logarithms
You can now differentiate the inverse function of y e x , which is y ln x :
y ln x x e y
dx
ey
dy
dy 1 1
.
dx e y x
dy 1
y ln x
dx x
Example 2
Differentiate:
ln x
(i) x ln x (ii) (iii) ln(1 x3 )
1 ln x
3 of 5 14/07/17 © MEI
integralmaths.org
Edexcel A level Maths Further diff 1 Notes & Examples
Solution
(i) Using the product rule with u x and v ln x
du 1 12 1
u x x2 2x
1
dx 2 x
dv 1
v ln x
dx x
dy du dv
v u
dx dx dx
1 1
x ln x
x 2 x
1 ln x
x 2 x
2 ln x
2 x
(ii) Using the quotient rule with u ln x and v 1 ln x
du 1
u ln x
dx x
dv 1
v 1 ln x
dx x
du dv
v u
dy
dx 2 dx
dx v
1 1
(1 ln x) ln x
x x
(1 ln x) 2
1 ln x ln x
x(1 ln x) 2
1
x(1 ln x) 2
(iii) Using the chain rule with u 1 x 3
du
u 1 x3 3x 2
dx
dy 1
y ln u
du u
dy dy du
dx du dx
1
3x 2
u
3x 2
(1 x 3 )
4 of 5 14/07/17 © MEI
integralmaths.org
Edexcel A level Maths Further diff 1 Notes & Examples
Using logarithms gives an alternative approach to finding the derivative of
y ax .
You can take logarithms of both sides:
ln y ln a x x ln a
Then rewrite as
ln y
x
ln a
and differentiate x with respect to y.
dx 1
dy y ln a
dy
So y ln a a x ln a
dx
5 of 5 14/07/17 © MEI
integralmaths.org
