Differentiation Rules

Warm up
Use the limit definition of the derivative to calculate the following
derivatives.
d d

1. dx (5x + 2) = 5 4. dx (5x +2)(3x 1)]= 30x + 1
d
2. dx (3x 1) = 3 5. d 2
dx 15x = 30x
d

3. dx (5x + 2) + (3x 1) =8 6. d 2
dx (15x +x 2) = 30x + 1
d a
Remember the power rule says dx x = ax a 1 .
Based on your calculations above, which of the following statements
seem to be true and which seem to be false?
(a) If you multiply a function f (x) by a number c and then take a
derivative, you get the same thing as taking the derivative f 0 (x) and
then multiplying by c. (try comparing 5 to the power rule) true?
(b) If you add two functions f (x) and g (x) and take a derivative, you
get the same answer as taking the derivatives f 0 (x) and g 0 (x) and
then adding those together. (try comparing 1-3, and then 6 to the power rule) true?
(c) If you multiply two functions f (x) and g (x) and take a derivative,
you get the same answer as taking the derivatives f 0 (x) and g 0 (x)
and then multiplying those together. (try comparing 1, 2, and 4) false!
Multiplying by constants: whats going on?
Take another look at f (x) = 15x 2 . Before, we just expanded and
canceled, and were surprised to find something nice happened:

Lets try again, only pay closer attention to that 15:

Lets try again, only pay closer attention to that 15:

But now suppose you have any differentiable function f (x) and a
number c. [Think: f (x) = x 2 and c = 15]. Then in general
Multiplying by constants

Theorem (Scalars)
If y = f (x) is a differentiable function and c is a constant, then

d d
(c f (x)) = c f (x).
dx dx

Example
d 2 d 2
Since dx x = 2x, we have dx 15x = 15 2x = 30x.
Taking sums: whats going on?
Take another look at f (x) = (5x + 2) + (3x 1). Before, we just
simplified first, and were surprised:

Lets try again, only pay closer attention to either part of the sum:
Now, suppose you have any differentiable functions f (x) and g (x)
[Think: f (x) = 5x + 2 and g (x) = 3x 1]. Then in general

Theorem (Sums)
If f and g are differentiable functions, then
d
(f (x) + g (x)) = f (x) + g (x)
dx
Example
Use the three rules we have so far

d a d d
x = ax a 1
, c f (x) = c f (x) ,
dx dx dx

d d d
and (f (x) + g (x)) = f (x) + g (x)
dx dx dx
to calculate the derivatives:
d 3
1. dx (x 7x 2 + 6x 15 )

d 3 d 2 d 15
= dx x 7 dx x + 6 dx x = 3x 2 7 2x + 6( 15)x 16

d 17 3 d
2. dx x + 100 x3
x 19
= dx x 1/2 + 100x 3/17 3x 19

d 1/2 d 3/17 d
= dx x + 100 dx x 3 dx x 19
1 1/2 + 100 3 x 14/17
= 2x 17 3 ( 19)x 20

[hint: rewrite everything from 2 as powers before you do anything]

Products: Whats going on?

Take another look at f (x) = (5x + 2) (3x 1). Before, we just

simplified first, and were. . . not surprised:

We didnt get that the derivative of the products is the product of

the derivatives! So what is going on here?
To understand how to deal with products, were going to have to
unpack the formula

d f (x + h) g (x + h) f (x) g (x)
f (x) g (x) = lim
dx h0 h
So
So
Theorem (Products)
If f (x) and g (x) are differentiable functions, then

d
(f (x) g (x)) = f (x) g (x) + g (x) f (x).
dx

d

Example: Calculate dx (5x + 2)(3x 1) :

d
(5x + 2)(3x 1) = (5x + 2) 3 + (3x 1) 5 = 30x+1
dx
f g
f g + g f
Last rule: Compositions.
d
Example: Calculate dx (5x + 2)100 .
If f (x) = x 100 and g (x) = 5x + 2, then f (g (x)) = (5x + 2)100 .
So since f (x) = 100x 99 and g (x) = 5, if everything were right

and just in the world, we would hope that

d
(5x + 2)100 = 100(5)99
dx
But its not!! d
dx (5x + 2)100 = 100(5)99
Theorem (Chain rule)
If f (x) and g (x) are differentiable functions, then

d d
((f g )(x)) = f (g (x)) = f (g (x)) g (x).
dx dx
Last rule: Compositions.
Theorem (Chain rule)
If f (x) and g (x) are differentiable functions, then

d d
((f g )(x)) = f (g (x)) = f (g (x)) g (x).
dx dx

We wont prove this identity, but we can kind of see where its coming from:
Last rule: Compositions.
We wont prove this identity, but we can kind of see where its coming from:

In Leibniz notation:
d df dg
f (g (x)) =
dx dg dx
 d
Chain rule: f (g (x)) = f (g (x)) g (x).
dx
Example
Calculate d
dx (5x + 2)100 .

Here,
f (x) = x 100 and g (x) = 5x + 2.

So
f (x) = 100x 99 and g (x) = 5
and so

d
(5x + 2)100 = 100(5x + 2)99 5.
dx
 d
Chain rule: f (g (x)) = f (g (x)) g (x).
dx
Example
d
Calculate dx x7 + 5 .

Here,
f (x) = x = x 1/2 and g (x) = x 7 + 5.

So
1 1
f (x) = x 1/2
= and g (x) = 7x 6
2 2 x
and so

d 1
x7 + 5 = 7x 6 .
dx 2 x7 + 5
Derivative rules

In summary, the derivative rules we have now are

d a
1. Power rule: dx x = ax a 1

d d
2. Scalar rule: dx c f (x) = c dx f (x)

d d d
3. Sum rule: dx (f (x) + g (x)) = dx f (x) + dx g (x)

d d d
4. Product rule: dx (f (x) g (x)) = f (x) dx g (x) + g (x) dx f (x)

d
5. Chain rule: dx f (g (x)) = f (g (x)) g (x)
Examples
Use everything you know to calculate the derivatives of

1. (3x 2 + x + 1)(5x + 1) x2 x
2 2 5.
2. (3x + x + 1)(5x + 1) x +x 1
3. (5x + 1)10 1
6. 3
4. (3x 2 + x + 1)(5x + 1)10 x + 7x 1/2
2

Use the derivative rules (not limits) to prove the identities

d 1 f (x)
a. Reciprocal identity: =
dx f (x) f 2 (x)
d f (x) f (x)g (x) g (x)f (x)
b. Quotient identity: =
dx g (x) g 2 (x)
c. Many products identity:
d
(f (x) g (x) h(x) k(x))
dx
= f (x)g (x)h(x) k (x) + f (x)g (x)k(x) h (x)

+ f (x)h(x)k(x) g (x) + g (x)h(x)k(x) f (x)
!"
!"#$%&'
(