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Differentiation of Transcendental Functions

This document outlines a Maple Lab for Calculus I focused on the differentiation of transcendental functions. It introduces three user interfaces for practicing differentiation skills: the Derivatives tutor, the Differentiation Methods tutor, and the DerivativeDrill maplet. The lab includes preparation activities and extended questions to enhance understanding of differentiation rules and their applications.

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Pera Erdir
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100% found this document useful (1 vote)
5 views2 pages

Differentiation of Transcendental Functions

This document outlines a Maple Lab for Calculus I focused on the differentiation of transcendental functions. It introduces three user interfaces for practicing differentiation skills: the Derivatives tutor, the Differentiation Methods tutor, and the DerivativeDrill maplet. The lab includes preparation activities and extended questions to enhance understanding of differentiation rules and their applications.

Uploaded by

Pera Erdir
Copyright
© All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd

Maple Lab for Calculus I Week 8

Differentiation of Transcendental Functions


Douglas B. Meade
Department of Mathematics

Overview
This lab uses Maple to help you practice your differentiation skills. Three different user interfaces are
introduced.
• The Derivatives tutor takes a user-specified function, finds its derivative and plots the function
and its derivative on a specified domain.
• The Differentiation Methods tutor shows the step-by-step application of the differentiation rules
involved in finding the derivative of a user-specified function.
• The DerivativeDrill maplet allows the user to select types of functions and rules and then generates
random problems of this type; the user has to enter the correct derivative. This maplet also
provides practice entering mathematical expressions in Maple syntax.
Used properly, these are excellent tools for helping students hone their understanding of derivatives
and their differentiation skills.

Maple Essentials
• The new Maple commands introduced in this lab are:
Command Description
exp exponential function, ex
ln (natural) logarithm function, ln x
log (natural) logarithm function, ln x
log[10] base 10 logarithm function, log10 x
• The Derivatives tutor is started from the Maple 9.5 user interface under the Tools menu:
Tools → Tutors → Calculus - Single Variable → Derivatives ...
This tutor plots a given function and its derivative. Be sure to specify a reasonable domain by entering
appropriate values in the boxes labelled a = and b =. The Display button displays the formula for the
derivative and plots the function and derivative on the specified domain. Look at the plot to see how the
derivative can be used to determine where the function is increasing, decreasing, concave up, and concave
down. This is a great tool to use when you need to check your answer to a problem in the text.
• The Differentiation Methods tutor is started from the Maple 9.5 user interface under the Tools
menu:
Tools → Tutors → Calculus - Single Variable → Differentiation Methods ...
This tutor is designed to help you practice the individual steps involved in finding the derivative of a given
function. Do not be afraid to use the Hint and Apply Hint — particularly when the hint suggests using
the Rewrite rule. Also, you might find it useful to mark the Constant, Constant Multiple, and Identity
rules as being understood (see the Understood Rules menu).
• The DerivativeDrill maplet is available from USC at the URL:
[Link]

This maplet generates random differentiation problems using the types of functions and differentiation
rules that you select and checks if you correctly find the derivative. Start slowly and build to more
complicated expressions as you gain confidence in your differentiation skills.

Version 2 (Fall 2004) Created 23 September 2004


Maple Lab for Calculus I Week 8

Preparation
Prior to the beginning of this lab, be sure you know the basic differentiation rules (including implicit
differentiation).

Activities
• Here are a few extended questions to get you started.
1. Use the DerivativeDrill maplet with polynomial, trigonometric, exponential, and logarith-
mic functions that utilize the power, product, quotient, chain rules. Start with only one rule
per problem. As you gain confidence, allow up to 2 rules in each problem.
2. For each of the functions listed below, find the derivative and plot the function and derivative
for −3 ≤ x ≤ 3.
(a) y = 3x
(b) y = 2x
(c) y = ex
(d) y = π x
How are these four functions related to their derivatives?
3. For each of the functions listed below, find the derivative and plot the function and derivative
for 0 < x ≤ A for an appropriate choice of A.
 
1
(a) y = ln
x
1
(b) y = (where is the vertical asymptote?)
ln x 
(c) y = ln x2
2
(d) y = (ln x)
ln x
(e) y = .
x
(f) y = x ln x.
4. List the rules involved in finding the derivative of each of the following:
(a) y = xπ
(b) y = π x
(c) y = xx
(d) y = π π .
F (x)
5. Let F (x) = x3 + 3x2 + 7 and G(x) = tan(x2 + 1). Find the derivatives of F (x)G(x), ,
G(x)
and (F ◦ G)(x).
Suppose F and G have been defined as Maple expressions. The composition, F ◦ G, can be obtained
with FoG := eval( F, x=G );.
d100 y
6. Find the first five derivatives of y = xex . What is ?
dx100

Assignment
There is no assignment for this lab.
Any calculus textbook will have hundreds more differentiation exercises. In addition, use your imagi-
nation to create your own examples.
Remember to use the ideas presented in this lab to help you check derivatives that you compute
manually.

Version 2 (Fall 2004) Created 23 September 2004

Common questions

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The recommended approach for transitioning from single-rule problems to those involving multiple rules in the DerivativeDrill maplet involves incremental complexity in problem-solving. Initially, students should focus on mastering the application of a single differentiation rule. As proficiency and confidence are developed, students are then encouraged to tackle problems requiring the combination of up to two rules, such as product and chain rules. This gradual increase in complexity helps in building a comprehensive understanding of differentiation techniques and enhances problem-solving capabilities .

The Derivatives tutor in Maple provides interactive plotting of a function alongside its derivative, allowing students to visually analyze the derivative's role in describing the function's behavior. By observing where the derivative is positive or negative, a student can determine intervals where the function is increasing or decreasing. Additionally, changes in concavity are visible, helping to identify points of inflection. The interactive nature of plotting facilitates a deeper understanding of how derivatives influence the shape and features of the original function .

Using function composition F ◦ G in Maple facilitates the exploration of combined function derivatives by automating the substitution of one function into another, streamlining the calculation process for composite functions. This feature allows for the examination of how the derivative of a composition reacts to changes in the input and the interaction of underlying functions. Such exploration is crucial for understanding complex relationships in mathematics, leading to deeper insights into derivative behavior in composite scenarios .

When using the Differentiation Methods tutor, it is recommended to utilize the Hint and Apply Hint functions, especially when the hint suggests using the Rewrite rule. This encourages understanding the steps and logic involved in differentiation. Furthermore, marking Constant, Constant Multiple, and Identity rules as understood can help focus on more complex rules. Progressive practice with these strategies aids in the mastery of derivative derivation .

Maple's DerivativeDrill maplet contributes to a student's understanding of differentiation rules by generating random differentiation problems using a selection of function types and rules, allowing the student to practice and reinforce their skills. It provides immediate feedback on the correctness of their derivative calculations, which helps in identifying areas needing improvement. As students gain confidence, the complexity of expressions can be gradually increased, aiding in deepening their understanding of the differentiation process .

Identifying the vertical asymptote in the function y = 1/ln x reveals critical insights into the function's behavior near points where the natural logarithm approaches zero, resulting in a division by zero in the derivative. Specifically, this typically occurs around x = 1 in natural logarithmic contexts. This understanding informs the domain restrictions and the necessity to consider asymptotic behavior within relevant calculus applications, significantly affecting the function's graph and derivative interpretation .

The sequential use of differentiation rules such as power, product, and quotient enhances problem-solving capability by fostering a methodological approach to tackling complex functions. This systematic application not only solidifies understanding of individual rules but also equips students with strategies to decompose and manage multifaceted problems by combining rules efficiently. As students become adept, they can handle non-trivial composite functions encountered in advanced calculus problems .

To differentiate y = x ln x, the product rule must be applied because this function is a product of x and ln x. Using the formula where the derivative of uv is u'v + uv', we set u = x and v = ln x. Therefore, u' = 1 and v' = 1/x. The derivative is then 1(ln x) + x(1/x) = ln x + 1. This illustrates the product rule application and highlights how successive rules are applied to obtain the derivative of combined functions effectively .

Plotting a function and its derivative between specific bounds aids in understanding fundamental calculus concepts by visually demonstrating the relationship between a function's graph and its rate of change. This graphical representation allows for the observation of intervals of increase or decrease, understanding local maxima and minima, and examining concavity and points of inflection. It serves as an intuitive bridge between the algebraic and graphical interpretations of calculus concepts, reinforcing the theoretical fundamentals with visual evidence .

Finding the first five derivatives of y = xex extends understanding of higher-order differentiation and the recursive nature of derivative calculations. Each new derivative showcases related expressions' growth in complexity, exemplifying fundamental understanding necessary for differential calculus. This acts as a precursor to learning Taylor series expansions and provides a foundation for tackling real-world problems requiring gradient information, including advanced solutions in physics and engineering .

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