APPLICATION OF

6 DERIVATIVES

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KEY CONCEPTS INVOLVED
1. Rate of change of Quantities – Let y = f (x) be a function. If the change in one quantity y varies with
dy dy 
another quantity x, then or f  (x) denotes the rate of change of y with respect to x.  x  x
dx dx 0
or f (x0) represents the rate of change of y w.r.t. x at x = x0.
2. Increasing and Decreasing function at x0 A function f is said to be
(a) Increasing on an interval (a, b) if x1 < x2 in (a, b)  f (x1) < f (x2) for all x1 , x2  (a, b)
Alternatively, if f  (x)  0 for each x in (a, b)

3.
each x in (a, b)
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(b) Decreasing on (a, b) if x1 < x2 in (a, b)  f (x1)  f (x2) for all x1 , x2  (a, b) Alternatively, if f  (x)  0 for

Test : Increasing/decreasing/constant function – Let f be a continuous on [a, b] and differentiable in an

open interval (a, b), then.
(i) f is increasing on [a, b], if f (x) > 0 for each x  (a, b)
(ii) f is decreasing on [a, b], if f (x) < 0 for each x  (a, b)
(iii) f is constant on [a, b], if f (x) = 0 for each x  (a, b)
4. Tangent to a Curve – Let y = f (x) be the equation of a curve. The equation of the tangent at (x0, y0) is
dy
y – y0 = m (x – x0), where m = slope of the tangent   or f (x 0 )
dx  (x0 , y0 )
5. Normal to the Curve – Let y = f (x) be the equation of the curve Equation of the normal at (x0, y0) is
id
1
y – y0 = – (x – x0)
m
where m = Slope of the tangent at (x0, y0)
dy 
= or f (x 0 )
dx  (x 0 , y0 )
6. Approximation – Let y = f (x), x be a small increament in x and y be the increament in y corrseponding

to the increament in x, i.e., y = f (x + x) – f (x). Then approximate value of y =   dy

x
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dx
7. Maximum Value, Minimum value, Extreme Value – Let f be a function defined in the interval I, then
(i) Maximum Value – If there exists a point c in I such that f (c) f (x), for all x  I then f (c) is called
maximum value of f in I. The point c is known as a point of maximum value of f in I.
y

f (c)

x
O c

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 (ii) Minimum Value – If three exists a point c in I such that f (c)  f (x),  x  I, then f (x) is called the
minimum value of f in I. The point c is called as a point of minimum value of f in I
y

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f (c)

x
O c

(iii) Extreme Value – If there exists a point c in I such that f (c) is either a maximum value or a minimum
value of f in I, then f (c) is the extreme value of f (x) in I.
The point c is said to be an extreme point.
y

c
ya
x
O a b

8. Absolute Maxima and Minima – let f be a continuous function on an interval I = [a, b]. Then f has the
absolute maximum value and f attains it at least once in I. Similarly, f has the absolute minimum value and
attains at least once in I
y
id
f (a) f (b) f (c)
f (d)
x
O x=a b c d

At x = b , there is a local minima

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At x = c, there is a local maxima

At x = a, f (a) is the greatest value or absolute max. value.
At x = d, f (d) is the least value or absolute min. value.
9. Local Maxima and Minima – let f be a real valued function and c be an interior point in the domain of
f, then
(a) Local Maxima – c is a point of local maxima if there is an h > 0, such that f (c)  f (x) for all
x  [c – h, c + h)
The value f (c) is called local maximum value of f.
(b) Local Minima – c is a point of local minima if there is an h > 0, such that f (c)  f (x) for all
x  (c – h c + h)
The value of f (c) is known as the local minimum value of f.
Geometrically – If x = c is a point of local maxima of f, then

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 y y
f (c) = 0

Inc ) > 0
f (x sing
Dec

g
Dec
asing

sin

i
)<

f (x
rea
>0

f (x)

re a
r

0
Incre
f (x)

<0

rth
f (c) = 0
x x
O c O c

f is increasing (i.e., f  (x) > 0) in the interval (c – h, c) and decreasing (i.e., f  (x) < 0) in the interval
(c, c + h)
 f  (c) = 0
Similarly, if x = c is a point of local minima of f, then f is decreasing (i.e., f  (x) < 0) in the interval
(c – h, c) and increasing (i.e., f  (x) > 0) in the interval (c, c + h).
 f  (c) = 0
10. Test of Local Maxima and Minima –
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(i) Let f be a differentiable function defined on an open interval I and c  I be any point. f has a local
maxima or a local minima at x = c, f  (c) = 0
y
f (
Dec

x) <
reas

0
ing

Inc
re a
f (
x) >
s in
g
0

f (c)
x
id
O C
(ii) If f  (x) changes sign from positive to negative as x increases from left to right through c i.e.,
(a) f  (x) > 0 at every point in (c – h, c)
(b) f  (x) < 0 at every point in (c, c + h)
Then c is called a point of local maxima of f and f (c) is local maximum value of f.
(iii) If f  (x) changes sign from negative to positive as x increase from left to right through c i.e.,
(a) f  (x) < 0 at every point in (c – h, c)
(b) f  (x) > 0 at every point in (c, c + h)
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Then c is called a point of local minima of f and f (c) is a local minimum value of f.
(iv) If f  (x) does not change sign as x increases through c, then c is neither a point of local maxima nor a
point of local minima. Such a point is called point of inflection.
11. Second Derivative Test of Local Maxima and Minima – let f be a twice differentiable function defined on
an interval I and c  I and f be differentiable at c  I, then,
(i) x = c is a local maxima,
if f  (c) = 0 and f  (c) < 0.
f (c) is the local maximum value of f
(ii) x = c is a local minima, if f  (c) = 0 and f  (c) > 0
f (c) is the local minimum value of f.
(iii) Point of inflection If f  (c) = 0 and f  (c) = 0
Test fails. Then we apply first derivative test and find whether c is a point of local maxima, local
minima or a point of inflexion.

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 12. To find absolute maximum value or absolute minimum value –
(i) Find all the critical points where f  (x) = 0
(ii) Consider the end point also.
(iii) Calculate the functional values at all the points found in step (i) and (ii)

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(iv) Identify the maximum and minimum values out of the values calculated in step (iii). These are absolute
maximum and absolute minimum values.

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CONNECTING CONCEPTS
1. Increasing Function – f is said to be increasing on I, if x1 < x2 on I, then f (x1)  f (x2). for all x1, x2  I.
y

2.
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Strictly Increasing function – f is said to be strictly increasing on I, if x1 < x2 in I then f (x1) < f (x2) for all
x1, x2  I.
y

x
id
O
3. Decreasing function – f is said to be decreasing function on I, if x1 < x2 in I, then f (x1)  f (x2) for all x1, x2  I.
y
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x
O

4. Strictly Decreasing function – f is said to be strictly decreasing function on I, if x1 > x2 in I then f (x1)  f
(x2) for all x1, x2  I.
y

x
O

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 5. Particular case of tangent – Let m = tan 
If  = 0, m = 0
Equation of tangent is y – y0 = 0 i.e., y = y0


i
If  = , m is not defined.
2
1

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 (x – x0) = (y – y0)
m
 
when  = , cot  0
2 2
 Equation of tangent is x – x0 = 0 or x = x0

ya
id
eV

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