Calculus Made Easier
by Angela Olson
Earth Image by NASA
Math Graphics by Douglas N.Arnold at
http://www.math.psu.edu/dna/graphics.html
Index The Derivative Integration Helpful Links And Resources
There are two components to calculus. One is the measure the rate of change at any given point on a curve. This rate of change is called the derivative. The simplest example of a rate of change of a function is the slope of a line. We take this one step further to get the rate of change at a point on a line. The other part of calculus is used to measure the exact area under a curve. This is called the integral. If you wanted to find the area of a semicircle, you could use integration to get the answer.
The two parts; the derivative and the integral are inverse functions of each other. That is, they cancel each other out.
Just as (x =x,
the derivative of (integral (x)) = x and
derivative of (integral (f (x)) = f(x). The derivative is a composite function. This means it is a function acting on another funcion. In fact, the function, is the input instead of just x. The derivative, then takes a type of formula and turns it into another simiilar type of formula. So, a polynomial will always yield a polynomial derivative. A trigonomic function will always yield a trigonomic derivative. There are a few exceptions, but this is generally the case. This is also true for the integral. Back To Top Geometrically, the derivative can be perceived as the slope of the tangent line to a curve at a given point. This is roughly how steep the curve is at a given point. We can easily find the rate of change of a line just by finding the slope. But, most formulas are not as simple as a line and they're usually curved. We use the basic formula of a line to get the derivative. If you remember the slope of a line is: | |
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