Unit 3: Calculus (Part 1)
Differentiation & Applications [Syllabus 3.1 – 3.5]
1. Derivatives up to Second Order
| Parametric Functions | If $$x = f(t)$$and$$y = g(t)$$, then: $$\frac{dy}{dx} = \frac{dy/dt}{dx/dt} = \frac{g'(t)}{f'(t)}$$(Provided$$f'(t) \neq 0$$) |
| Implicit Functions | When $$y$$cannot be expressed explicitly as$$y=f(x)$$(e.g.,$$x^2 + y^2 = a^2$$). Method: Differentiate both sides w.r.t $$x$$and group terms involving$$\frac{dy}{dx}$$. |
| Logarithmic Differentiation | Used for functions like $$y = [f(x)]^{g(x)}$$ or product of many functions. Step 1: Take $$\log$$ on both sides. Step 2: Differentiate w.r.t $$x$$. |
| Second Order Derivative | If $$y = f(x)$$, then $$\frac{dy}{dx} = f'(x)$$ (First Order) $$\frac{d}{dx}\left(\frac{dy}{dx}\right) = \frac{d^2y}{dx^2} = f”(x)$$ (Second Order) |
2. Rate of Change & Marginal Cost/Revenue
| Rate of Change | $$\frac{dy}{dx}$$represents the rate of change of$$y$$with respect to$$x$$. Value at $$x=x_0$$is denoted by$$\left(\frac{dy}{dx}\right)_{x=x_0}$$ |
| Marginal Cost (MC) | Instantaneous rate of change of Total Cost $$C(x)$$w.r.t output$$x$$. $$MC = \frac{d}{dx}(C(x))$$ |
| Marginal Revenue (MR) | Instantaneous rate of change of Total Revenue $$R(x)$$w.r.t sales$$x$$. $$MR = \frac{d}{dx}(R(x))$$ |
| Revenue Function | $$R(x) = p \times x$$ (where $$p$$is price per unit and$$x$$ is number of units) |
3. Increasing and Decreasing Functions
Let $$f$$be continuous on$$[a, b]$$and differentiable on$$(a, b)$$.
| Strictly Increasing | $$f'(x) > 0$$for all$$x \in (a, b)$$ |
| Increasing | $$f'(x) \ge 0$$for all$$x \in (a, b)$$ |
| Strictly Decreasing | $$f'(x) < 0$$for all$$x \in (a, b)$$ |
| Decreasing | $$f'(x) \le 0$$for all$$x \in (a, b)$$ |
4. Maxima and Minima
| Critical Points | Points where $$f'(x) = 0$$or$$f'(x)$$ is not defined. |
| Second Derivative Test | Find $$c$$such that$$f'(c)=0$$. Then find $$f”(c)$$: 1. If $$f”(c) < 0 \Rightarrow$$Local Maxima at$$c$$. 2. If $$f”(c) > 0 \Rightarrow$$Local Minima at$$c$$. 3. If $$f”(c) = 0 \Rightarrow$$ Test Fails (Use First Derivative Test). |
| Absolute Max/Min | To find absolute max/min in closed interval $$[a, b]$$: 1. Find critical points inside $$(a, b)$$. 2. Evaluate $$f(x)$$at critical points AND endpoints$$a, b$$. 3. Identify the largest and smallest values. |