Common Functions
Function
Derivative
c
x
x2
x
ex
ax
ln(x)
loga(x)
sin(x)
cos(x)
tan(x)
sin-1(x)
cos-1(x)
tan-1(x)
0
1
2x
()x-
ex
ax(ln a)
1/x
1 / (x ln(a))
cos(x)
sin(x)
sec2(x)
1/(1x2)
1/(1x2)
1/(1+x2)
Rules
Function
Derivative
Multiplication by constant
Power Rule
Sum Rule
Difference Rule
Product Rule
Quotient Rule
Reciprocal Rule
Chain Rule
(as "Composition of Functions")
Chain Rule (in a different form)
cf
xn
f+g
f-g
fg
f/g
1/f
fg
cf
nxn1
f + g
f g
f g + f g
(f g g f )/g2
f/f2
(f g) g
f(g(x))
f(g(x))g(x)
Constant
Square
Square Root
Exponential
Logarithms
Trigonometry (x is in radians)
Inverse Trigonometry
Examples
Example: what is the derivative of sin(x) ?
From the table above it is listed as being cos(x)
It can be written as:
sin(x) = cos(x)
Or:
sin(x) = cos(x)
Power Rule
Example: What is
x3 ?
xn = nxn1
x3 = 3x31 = 3x2
Example: What is
(1/x) ?
xn = nxn1
x1 = 1x11 = x2
Multiplication by constant
Example: What is
5x3 ?
the derivative of cf = cf
the derivative of 5f = 5f
x3 = 3x31 = 3x2
So:
5x3 = 5
x3 = 5 3x2 = 15x2
Sum Rule
Example: What is the derivative of x2+x3 ?
The Sum Rule says:
the derivative of f + g = f + g
So we can work out each derivative separately and then add them.
Using the Power Rule:
x2 = 2x
x3 = 3x2
And so:
Difference Rule
It doesn't have to be x, we can differentiate with respect to, for example, v:
Example: What is
(v3v4) ?
the derivative of f g = f g
So we can work out each derivative separately and then subtract them.
Using the Power Rule:
v3 = 3v2
v4 = 4v3
And so:
z2 = 2z
z3 = 3z2
z4 = 4z3
And so:
(5z2 + z3 7z4) ?
Product Rule
Example: What is the derivative of cos(x)sin(x) ?
The Product Rule says:
the derivative of fg = f g + f g
In our case:
f = cos
g = sin
cos(x) = sin(x)
sin(x) = cos(x)
So:
Reciprocal Rule
Example: What is
(1/x) ?
So:
Chain Rule
Example: What is
sin(x2) ?
f(g) = sin(g)
g(x) = x2
f'(g) = cos(g)
g'(x) = 2x
So:
sin(x2) = cos(g(x)) 2x
= 2x cos(x2)
Example: What is
(1/sin(x)) ?
f(g) = 1/g
g(x) = sin(x)
f'(g) = 1/(g2)
g'(x) = cos(x)
So:
Example: What is
(5x2)3 ?
f(g) = g3
g(x) = 5x2
g'(x) = 5
So: