3_01 Diff calc 1 blank
3_01 Diff calc 1 blank
Syllabus components
• Difference quotient, derivative at a point, derivability, geometric
meaning, equation of the tangent line
• Left and right derivative at a point
○ Corners
• The derivative function
• Derivatives of elementary functions
Marginal analysis
Consider a function
Geometric meaning
For the moment, we will consider a ‘smooth’ function. (For now, use your
intuition for defining smooth.)
Take another point an arbitrary non-zero distance to the right (or left)
of .
The line passing through the curve at both and is a secant of the
curve.
The slope of this secant line is equal to the average rate of change of the
function in question, over the interval .
increment of
increment of
Example
Derivative at a point
Definition
A function is derivable at a point if the limit
Tangent line
which becomes
Or,
tangent line
Example
Consider
Example
Consider .
Find, if it exists, .
Example
Consider .
Find, if it exists, .
Recall that in order for a limit to exist, the value obtained from the LHS
and the RHS must be finite and equal. Thus, a one-sided derivatives will be
defined as follows.
Definition
Given a function , and such that a right neighborhood
Theorem
Given , , exists if and only if:
1. exists.
2. exists.
Example
Consider .
Find , if it exists.
Thus, is a corner.
Differential calculus Page 14
Thus, is a corner.
Example
Consider .
Find , if it exists.
We can state (but will not prove) that a function will have a derivative at
any point in a domain if:
1. is smooth and
2. does not have any discontinuities
3. does not have any points with vertical tangents
Derivative function
Definition
Consider a function , with derivable
Example
Consider first the elementary function . Find
Given
Given , find