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Derivative of cos x.

What is the specic formula for the derivative of the function cos x?
This calculation is very similar to that of the derivative of sin(x). If you get
stuck on a step here it may help to go back and review the corresponding step
there.
d
As in the calculation of dx sin x, we begin with the denition of the derivative:

d cos(x + x) cos(x)
cos x = lim
dx x0 x
Use the angle sum formula cos(a + b) = cos(a) cos(b) sin(a) sin(b) and then
simplify:
d cos x cos x sin x sin x cos x
cos x = lim
dx x0
x
cos x cos x cos x sin x sin x
= lim +
x0 x x

cos x(cos x 1) sin x sin x
= lim +
x0 x x

cos x 1 sin x
= lim cos x + ( sin x)
x0 x x

d cos x 1 sin x
cos x = lim cos x + lim ( sin x)
dx x0 x x0 x

Once again we use the following (unproven) facts:

cos x 1
lim = 0 (A)
x0 x
sin x
lim = 1. (B)
x0 x

And we conclude:

d cos x 1 sin x
cos x = lim cos x + lim ( sin x)
dx x0 x x0 x
= cos x 0 + ( sin x) 1
d
cos x = sin(x).
dx

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18.01SC Single Variable Calculus


Fall 2010

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