Derivatives of Logarithmic Functions

d 1
(loga x) =
dx x ln a

Proof.
Let y = loga x. Then
ay = x
Using implicit differentiation we get:
d y d
a = x =⇒ ln a · ay · y 0 = 1
dx dx
1 1
=⇒ y0 = y
=
ln a · a x ln a

From the formula it follows that

d 1
(ln x) =
dx x
Derivatives of Logarithmic Functions

d 1 d 1
(loga x) = (ln x) =
dx x ln a dx x

Differentiate
y = ln(x 3 + 1)
We have
1
y0 = · 3x 2
x3 + 1

Differentiate
y = ln(sin x)
We have
1
y0 = · cos x = cot x
sin x
Derivatives of Logarithmic Functions

d 1 d 1
(loga x) = (ln x) =
dx x ln a dx x

Differentiate
√
y= ln x
We have
1 1
y0 = √ ·
2 ln x x

Differentiate
y = log10 (2 + sin x)
We have
1
y0 = · cos x
(2 + sin x) ln 10
Derivatives of Logarithmic Functions

d 1 d 1
(loga x) = (ln x) =
dx x ln a dx x

Differentiate
f (x) = ln |x|
We have

ln x for x > 0
f (x) =
ln(−x) for x < 0
Thus

1
for x > 0
f 0 (x) = x
1 1
−x · (−1) = x for x < 0
Hence
d 1
ln |x| = for all x 6= 0
dx x
Derivatives of Logarithmic Functions

d 1 d 1
(loga x) = (ln x) =
dx x ln a dx x

Differentiate
x +1
y = ln √
x −2
We have
1 d x +1
y0 = ·√
√x+1 dx x − 2
x−2
√ √ d
√
x − 2 1 · x − 2 − (x + 1) · dx x −2
= · √
x +1 ( x − 2)2
√ √
x −2 x − 2 − (x + 1) · 2√1x−2 · 1
= · √
x +1 ( x − 2)2
1
x − 2 − (x + 1) · 2 x −5
= =
(x + 1)(x − 2) 2(x + 1)(x − 2)
Derivatives of Logarithmic Functions

d 1 d 1
(loga x) = (ln x) =
dx x ln a dx x

Differentiate
x +1
y = ln √
x −2
We have
√
y = ln(x + 1) − ln x − 2
1
= ln(x + 1) − ln(x − 2)
2
Thus
1 1 1
y0 = − ·
x +1 2 x −2
Logarithmic Differentiation
The following method is called logarithmic differentiation.

Differentiate
3 √
x 4 · x2 + 1
y=
(3x + 2)5
We take logarithms on both sides:
3 √
x 4 · x2 + 1 3
p
ln y = ln = ln x 4 + ln x 2 + 1 − ln(3x + 2)5
(3x + 2)5
3 1
= ln x + ln(x 2 + 1) − 5 ln(3x + 2)
4 2
We use implicit differentiation:
d 3 d 1 d d
ln y = ln x + ln(x 2 + 1) − 5 ln(3x + 2)
dx 4 dx 2 dx dx
1 0 3 1 1 1 1
y = · + · 2 · 2x − 5 ·3
y 4 x 2 x +1 3x + 2
Logarithmic Differentiation
The following method is called logarithmic differentiation.

Differentiate
3 √
x 4 · x2 + 1
y=
(3x + 2)5
We have:
1 0 3 1 1 1 1
y = · + · 2 · 2x − 5 ·3
y 4 x 2 x +1 3x + 2

Solving for y 0 yields:

 
0 3 x 15
y =y + 2 −
4x x + 1 3x + 2
Hence
3 √
x2 + 1
 
x 4 · 3 x 15
0
y = · + 2 −
(3x + 2)5 4x x + 1 3x + 2
Logarithmic Differentiation

Steps of Logarithmic Differentiation:

I Take natural logarithms on both sides of y = f (x).
I Use laws of logarithms to simplify.
I Differentiate implicitly with respect to x.
I Solve the resulting equation for y 0 .
Logarithmic Differentiation

Differentiate
√
x
y =x
The power rule does not apply: the exponent contains x!
We use logarithmic differentiation:
 √  √
ln y = ln x x = x · ln x
d d √

ln y = x · ln x
dx dx
1 0 √ 1 1
y = x · + ln x · √
y x 2 x
√
     
1 ln x 2 + ln x 2 + ln x
y0 = y √ + √ =y √ =x x √
x 2 x 2 x 2 x

√ √ √
Alternative: x x = (eln x ) x = eln x· x now use chain rule
The Number e as a Limit
Let f (x) = ln x. We know that
1
f 0 (x) = and hence f 0 (1) = 1
x
By definition of the limit
f (1 + h) − f (1) ln(1 + h) − ln(1)
1 = f 0 (1) = lim = lim
h→0 h h→0 h
 
1 1
= lim · ln(1 + h) = lim ln(1 + h) h
h→0 h h→0

As a consequence we get
1 1
0 (1) 1
e = e1 = ef = elimh→0 ln(1+h) h = lim eln(1+h) h = lim (1 + h) h
h→0 h→0

1 n
 
1
e = lim (1 + h) h = lim 1 +
h→0 n→∞ n