Derivatives The Easy Way (2024)

Derivatives The Easy Way

Constant Rule and Power Rule

We have seen the following derivatives:

  1. If f(x) = c, then f'(x) = 0

  2. If f(x) = x, then f'(x) = 1

  3. If f(x) = x2, then f '(x) = 2x

  4. If f(x) = x3, then f '(x) = 3x2

  5. If f(x) = x4, then f '(x) = 4x3

This leads us the guess the following theorem.

Theorem

d
xn = nxn-1
dx

Applications

Example

Find the derivatives of the following functions:

  1. f(x) = 4x3 - 2x100

  2. f(x) = 3x5 + 4x8 - x + 2

  3. f(x) = (x3 - 2)2

Solution

We use our new derivative rules to find

  1. 12x2 - 200x99

  2. 15x3+32x7-1

  3. First we FOIL to get

    [x6 - 4x3 + 4] '

    Now use the derivative rule for powers

    6x5 - 12x2

Example:Find the equation to the tangent line to

y = 3x3 - x + 4

at thepoint (1,6)

Solution:

y' =9x2 - 1

at x = 1 this is 8. Using the point-slope equation for the line gives

y - 6= 8(x - 1)

or

y =8x - 2

Example:

Find the points where the tangent line to

y = x3 -3x2- 24x + 3

is horizontal.

Solution:

We find

y' =3x2 - 6x - 24

The tangent line will be horizontal when its slope is zero, that is, thederivative is zero. Setting the derivative equal to zero gives:

3x2 - 6x - 24= 0

or

x2 - 2x - 8= 0

or

(x - 4)(x + 2)= 0

so that

x = 4or x = -2

Derivative of f(x) = sin(x)

Theorem

d
sin(x) = cos(x)
dx


Proof:

Derivatives The Easy Way (1)

d/dx cos(x)

Theorem

d
cosx = -sin x
dx

Back toMath 105 Home Page

e-mail Questions andSuggestions

Derivatives The Easy Way (2024)

FAQs

How to learn derivatives easily? ›

Constant Rule and Power Rule
  1. If f(x) = c, then f '(x) = 0.
  2. If f(x) = x, then f '(x) = 1.
  3. If f(x) = x2, then f '(x) = 2x.
  4. If f(x) = x3, then f '(x) = 3x. ...
  5. If f(x) = x4, then f '(x) = 4x.

What are derivatives easily explained? ›

The derivative of a function describes the function's instantaneous rate of change at a certain point. Another common interpretation is that the derivative gives us the slope of the line tangent to the function's graph at that point.

How to do derivatives the short way? ›

The ddx d d x operator (read as 'dee dee x') is an instruction to 'take the derivative with respect to x of whatever comes next'. For example, ddx(x2) d d x ( x 2 ) denotes the derivative with respect to x of x2. x 2 . Similarly, ddt(t2) d d t ( t 2 ) denotes the derivative with respect to t of t2.

Are derivatives hard to learn? ›

Derivatives can be difficult, and it may take some time for students to understand the concepts fully. Derivative tutors who are patient will give every student the time they need to understand derivatives without rushing them through the material.

What makes derivatives hard? ›

Derivatives are difficult to value because they are based on the price of another asset. The risks for OTC derivatives include counterparty risks that are difficult to predict or value.

What are the 4 main derivatives? ›

There are four main types of derivatives: forward contracts, futures contracts, options contracts, and swap contracts.

Do you need to memorize derivatives? ›

Blindly memorizing trig derivatives doesn't teach you much. The deeper intuition: Trig derivatives are based on 3 effects: the sign, the radius (scale), and the other function. So instead of tan ′ = sec 2 , think of it as tan ′ = ( + ) ( sec ) ( sec ) , aka ( sign ) ( scale ) ( swapped function ) .

How do derivatives work for dummies? ›

A derivative is a financial instrument whose value derives from an underlying asset such as a stock, a bond, interest rates, a commodity, an index, or even a basket of cryptocurrencies such as spot ether ETFs. Derivatives can be complex financial instruments that subject novice users to increased risk.

What is a derivative in layman's terms? ›

A derivative is a financial instrument whose value is derived from an underlying asset, commodity or index. A derivative comprises a contract between two parties who agree to take action in the future if certain conditions are met, most commonly to exchange an item of value.

What are the 5 examples of derivatives? ›

Five of the more popular derivatives are options, single stock futures, warrants, a contract for difference, and index return swaps.

How to solve derivatives easily? ›

The Sum Rule states that the derivative of a sum of functions is equal to the sum of their derivatives. To find the derivative of each separate function, we can use the Power Rule and the Constant Multiple Rule for the first term, and the Chain Rule, trigonometry rules, and the exponential rule for the second term.

How do you easily understand derivatives? ›

The derivative is "better division", where you get the speed through the continuum at every instant. Something like 10/5 = 2 says "you have a constant speed of 2 through the continuum". When your speed changes as you go, you need to describe your speed at each instant. That's the derivative.

What is the basic knowledge of derivatives? ›

A derivative is a contract between two or more parties whose value is based on an already-agreed underlying financial asset, security, or index. Derivatives can be used in two ways, either to Manage Risks (hedging) or assume risks with the expectation of equal returns (speculation).

Is there a formula for derivatives? ›

Definition: Derivative Function

f′(x)=limh→0f(x+h)−f(x)h. A function f(x) is said to be differentiable at a if f′(a) exists. More generally, a function is said to be differentiable on S if it is differentiable at every point in an open set S, and a differentiable function is one in which f′(x) exists on its domain.

What is the 3-step rule in derivatives? ›

It then provides examples of using the three-step process of finding the derivative: 1) write the expression for change in output, 2) divide by change in input, 3) take the limit as change in input approaches zero. Several examples demonstrate applying this process to find the derivatives of various functions.

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