Basic Calculus

Reviewer Course [Differential Calculus]

as the value of f(x) as x approaches to a value

L.

Topic: Introduction to Calculus

Remarks:
In finding lim f(x) we are considering
values approaching to a but not exactly a.
Thus, lim f(x) is not necessarily the same
as f(a).
A limit of a function may or may not exist.
If f(x) does not approach a particular real
number as x approaches to a then we may
say that the limit of the function does not
exist.

Calculus is the branch of mathematics

that deals with rate of change and area
problems. Gottfried Wilhelm von Leibniz
and Isaac Newton are considered as the
founders of todays calculus. Calculus is
divided into two major branches:
1.Differential Calculus -deals with slope
of a curve or the derivative function

lim f (x) L
x a

2.Integral Calculus - deals with area

under the curve and how is it applied to
mathematical problems.

lim H (x) 0
?,No
1
x0 H (x)

lim H (x) 1
?,No
0

Topic: Limits (an informal approach)

What is a limit?
Let f(x)be a function that is defined on an
open interval containing a, but possibly not
defined in a itself. The statement:

What are
the
x0
theorems
lim H (x) dne(doesnotexist)on limits?
x0
Listed
below are some important theorems on limits.

defines the limit of f(x) as x

approaches to a. (L be an element of real
number.) The limit of the function can be seen
Basic Calculus (Reviewer Course)

x 0
x 0

Page 1 of 4

1.If lim f(x)exists,thenit is unique.

x a

What are some special limits?

2.If c R, thenlim c c
x a

Problems:
Evaluate the following limits.

3.lim x a
x a

Let lim f (x) L1 andlim g(x) L2 ; c R, n N

x a

x a

4.lim[ f (x) g(x)] lim f (x) lim g(x) L1 L2

x a

x a

x a

5.lim[ f (x)g(x)] lim f (x) lim g(x) L1L2

x a

x a

x a

6.lim[cf(x)] clim f (x) cL1

x a

7.lim
x a

x a

lim f (x)

f (x) x a
L

1 , L2 0
g(x) lim g(x) L2

x a

8.lim( f (x)) lim f (x) n (L1 )n

n

x a

x a

If f(x)is a polynomialfunction,lim f (x) f (a).

x a

1. lim(2x2 3x 4)
x 1

3x2 4x 1
x1
x 1
2
x 16
lim xn 3
.
, n evennumber
lim
x
x 4 2 x
n
lim x , n odd number
2.lim

sin x
1
x0
x
1 cosx
lim
0
x0
x
x
1

lim 1 e; e 2.71828
...
x
x
* If the
a0xn a1xn1 a2xn 2 ... a0 limit
lim

x
b0xn b1xn1 ...
b0 results
lim

to 0/0,
it is called indeterminate. Techniques are
1 cosx applied to find
1.lim
the limit such as
x0
x2 factoring and
sin(3x) rationalization.
2.lim
x0 sin(5x) Problems:
Evaluate the
following limits.
Basic Calculus (Reviewer Course)

Topic: Continuity
A function f(x) may be continuous or
discontinuous at a point a. Before knowing the
criteria for determining the continuity of a
function, there are kinds of discontinuities of a
function.
Types of Discontinuities
1. Jump Discontinuity
2. Removable Discontinuity
3. Infinite Discontinuity

Page 2 of 4

(1)

(2)

(3)

The following conditions should be met for

us to say that f(x) is continuous at x = a.::

1. f(a)is defined.

Otherwise, it is
2.lim f(x)exists.
said
to
be x a

3. f(a) lim f(x)

x a

discontinuous at x=a.
Problem:
. Discuss
x2 x 2
Let
f
(
x
)

the
x 2
continuity of
f(x) at x=2.
Topic: The Derivative Function
What is a derivative?
The derivative of a function may be also
defined as the slope of the curve at a given
point. In formal definition,

f '(x) lim

x0

f (x x) f (x)
y dy
lim

x0 x
x
dx

Other notations of the derivative include:

y, if y=f(x) and Dx[f(x)].
Problems:
Find
using the dy definition
of
the
derivative.
dx

1. f (x) x

What are the 2.y x x 1

formulas
in
getting the derivatives of other functions?
It is not practical to find the derivative of
the function using its formal definition as a
limit. That is why there are existing
techniques on differentiation that was derived
from the definition of the derivative. Listed
below are the important formulas to be
remembered to find the derivative of a
function successfully.
2

Basic Calculus (Reviewer Course)

Page 3 of 4

Algebraic
Functions
1.Sum/DifferenceRule
d[ f (x)] d[g(x)]
d
[ f (x) g(x) ...]

...
dx
dx
dx
2. ProductRule
d[g(x)]
d[ f (x)]
d
[ f (x)g(x)] f (x)
g(x)
dx
dx
dx
3.QuotientRule
d
d
g
(
x
)
[
f
(
x
)]

f
(
x
)
[ g(x)]

d f (x)
dx
dx

dx g(x)
( g(x))2
4.Power Rule
d n
[x ] nxn1
dx
5. ConstantRule
d
[c] 0
dx
6.ConstantMultiple Rule
d
d
[cf(x)] c [ f (x)]
dx
dx
7. ChainRule
d
d
d
[ f (g(x))] [ f ( g(x))] [ g(x)]
dx
dx
dx
dy dy du

; y f (u) & u g(x)

dx du dx

Trigonomet
ricFunctions

There are also other functions such as

hyperbolic functions and its inverses. Here
listed below are their properties and
derivatives.

Let u f (x)
d
du
1. [sinu] cosu
dx
dx
These important formulas are used to
d
du
2. [cosu] sinu
differentiate functions of these kinds.
dx
dx
Problems:
d
du
Find.
2
dy
3. [tanu] sec u
1
1.y sinhdx
(1 x)
dx
dx
d
du
2.y log3(x2 1)
4. [cotu] csc2 u
dx
dx
sin2 x cos2 x
d
du
3.y
5. [secu] secu tanu
sin2 x
dx
dx
Hyperbolic
Functions
4.y e2x 1
d x x
du
6. e[csc
eu] cscu cot
exu ex
sinhx
5.y sin(2x) cos(2x)
sinhxdx

; coshx
dx ; tanhx
2
2
cosh
x
Logarithmi
candExponentia
l Functions
3x2 1
6.y 3
Identities:
x 2
d
u
u du
12. x [sinh
e ] 2ex 1
cosh
7.y tanh(3x 1)
dx
dx
2
2
1 tanh
d x sech x du
2
2. [au ] au (ln a)
8.y 3x2 4x6 x7
2
2
dxx -csch x dx
3
1 coth
2x2 1
log
e
d
du
a
9.y 2
Let u
x) a u]
3. f ([log
dx
u dx
d
du
10.y tan1(sin(x))
1. [sinh
u
d u] cosh
1 du
dx4. [ln u]
dx
dx
u dx
d
du
2. Inverse
[coshu]Trigonomet
sinhu
ricFunctions
dx
dx
1 du
d1. d [sin1 u] 2 du
3. [tanh
u] sech u
1dx
u2 dx
dx dx
1 du
d . d [cos1 u] 2 du
4. 2[coth
u] csch u 2
dx dx
1dx
u dx
d d
1 du du
5. 3[.sech
u] 1
u
[tan
usech
] u tanh
dx dx
1 u2 dx dx
d d 2 1
1 du du
6. 4[.csch
u] u]csch
u
[cot
u coth
dx dx
1 u2 dx dx
Inverse
Functions
d Hyperbolic
1
du
5. [sec1 u]
2
d dx
1 du dx
1. [sinh1 u] u u 1
2
dx d
u 11dx du
6. [csc1 u]
d dx
1 2 du dx
2. [cosh1 u] u2 u 1
dx
u 1 dx
d
1 du
3. [tanh1 u]
,u 1
dx
1 u2 dx
d
1 du
4. [coth1 u]
,u 1
dx
1 u2 dx
d
1 du
5. [sech1u]
dx
u 1Course)
u2 dx
Basic Calculus (Reviewer
Page 4 of 4
d

1
du
6. [csch1u]
dx
u u2 1 dx