Derivative Definition and 1000 Threads

  1. Joseph Nechleba

    Second Derivative of Circle Not a Constant?

    Using the standard equation of a circle x^2 + y^2 = r^2, I took the first and second derivatives and obtained -x/y and -r^2/y^3 , respectively. I understand that the slope is going to be different at each point along the circle, but what does not make sense to me is that the rate of change of...
  2. M

    Rates associated calculus - derivative

    Homework Statement Growth is observed for a cubic crystal. Initially the height of the cube is 1 cm . the surface of the cube increases at a rate of 6 cm2 / hour. Question: Calculate dh/dt Homework Equations ds/dt = ds/dh * dh/dt The Attempt at a Solution ds/dt = 6 cm2 / hour ds/dh = h*h =...
  3. P

    Is continuity of the second derivative necessary for the second derivative test?

    According to this link: http://tutorial.math.lamar.edu/Classes/CalcI/ShapeofGraphPtII.aspx The second derivative test can only be applied if ##f''## is continuous in a region around ##c##. But according to this link...
  4. R

    Evaluating a derivative by partial differentiation proof

    Homework Statement Suppose we have an equation, ex + xy + x2 = 5 Find dy/dx Homework Equations Now I know all the linear differentiation stuff like product rule, chain rule etc. Also I know partial differentiation is differentiating one variable and keeping other one constant. The Attempt at...
  5. E

    Time derivative of 3D Spherical Coordinate

    When we obtain the velocity vector for position vector (r, θ, φ) Why do we take the time derivative of the radial part in the 3D Spherical Coordinate system only? Don't we need to consider the polar angle and azimuthal angle part like (dr/dt, dθ/dt, dφ/dt)?
  6. N

    Why Is the Derivative Uniqueness Proof Important?

    Hello. In the proof of uniqueness of ( multi-variable ) derivative from Rudin, I am a little stuck on why the inequality holds. Rest of the proof after that is clear .
  7. C

    Calculating Derivative of cos(xy)+ye^x Near (0,1) and Level Curve f(x,y)=f(0,1)

    Homework Statement f(x,y)=cos(xy)+ye^{x} near (0,1), the level curve f(x,y)=f(0,1) can be described as y=g(x), calculate g'(0). Homework Equations N/A Answer is -1. The Attempt at a Solution If you do f(0,1)=cos((0)(1))+1=2, do you have to use linear approximation or some other method?
  8. DavideGenoa

    Derivative of angular momentum

    Hi, friends! Let the quantity ##I\boldsymbol{\omega}## be given, where ##I## is an inertia matrix and ##\boldsymbol{\omega}## a column vector representing angular velocity; ##I\boldsymbol{\omega}## can be the angular momentum of a rigid body rotating around a static point or around its -even...
  9. A

    Velocity Derivative of a Sinusoidal Wave (Counter-Intuitive)

    What's the matter: So, I think I have some skills when it comes to differentiation after taking calculus 2 last semester, but when it starts to intertwine with physics, and interpreting physical phenomenon through equations, It appears I could use some help. Anyway, the problem that I got hung...
  10. R

    Tension on a Rope Deflected by a Pulley: Differentials

    Hi all, first post here. I'm a junior Physics/Math double major at UMass Amherst, playing with some problems over the summer. I'll get right into it. A rope with constant tension T is deflected through the angle 2\theta_{0} by a smooth, fixed pulley. What is the force on the pulley? It is...
  11. Chrono G. Xay

    'Wheel-like' Mathematics (Modulating Trig Functions?)

    As part of a personal musicology project I found myself with the mathematical model of a geometry which utilizes the equation a*(a/b)sin(pi*x) The only problem with this is that I need to take the integral from -1/2 <= x <= 1/2, and according to Wolfram Alpha no such integral exists. I can...
  12. S

    Doubt in Partial derivative of complex variables

    Today, I had a class on Complex analysis and my professor wrote this on the board : The Laplacian satisfies this equation : where, So, how did he arrive at that equation?
  13. P

    Foundations What's a good book for last year of A levels Maths?

    I'm looking for a book to self-study this summer before my last course of Bachillerato (A Levels or High School in other countries). My performance in Mathematics has only improved and I've just been given the maximum mark this last term (10/10 or A+). This has motivated me a lot to keep...
  14. R

    The derivative of function under constraint

    Homework Statement If f(x+y) = f(x)f(y) for all x and y and f(5) = 2, f'(0)=3, then f'(5) is a) 5 b) 6 C) 0 d) None of these Homework Equations Don't know which equation to apply. I was thinking of Rolle's Theorem and mean value theorem here but it is not helping. The Attempt at a Solution...
  15. R

    Derivatives and Linear transformations

    Let G be a non-empty open connected set in Rn, f be a differentiable function from G into R, and A be a linear transformation from Rn to R. If f '(a)=A for all a in G, find f and prove your answer. I thought of f as being the same as the linear transformation, i.e. f(x)=A(x). Is this true?
  16. B

    MHB Vectors and their derivative proof

    The question suggests that r(t) = (x(t),y(t),z(t)) is a position vector along some curve where t goes from negative to positive infinity. Now suppose t has been chosen so that 1 = the dot product of dr/dt and dr/dt. Show that 0 = the dot product of dr/dt and d^2r/dt^2. I have attempted to...
  17. leafjerky

    Deriving formulas used for vectors in physics.

    Hey guys and gals, I'm taking an online physics course just to kind of learn the basics before I take the real thing this summer. The course is from OpenYale for those interested (oyc.yale.edu). Anyways, the professor was talking about some formulas for finding ##\vec{r}(t) = r(i(cos\omega t) +...
  18. A

    Functional Derivative: Evaluating & Understanding

    In my textbook (see attached picture) there appears a functional derivative, but I honestly don't know how to evaluate a quantity like this. What should I do? I have tried to google but all I could find was how to take functional derivatives, where polynomials appeared under the integral, while...
  19. L

    Can I pull a time derivative outside of a curl?

    Homework Statement For the equation ∇ x E = -∂B/∂t I took the curl of both sides to get ∇ x (∇ x E) = ∇ x -∂B/∂t I feel like it'd be very wrong to pull out the time derivative. Am I correct?
  20. M

    What Is the Term for the Slope Transition Point in Calculus?

    I have attached an image of a function that I fit to a scatter plot, and I would like to know if there is a term for the point on the function at which the slope transitions from being less than -1 to greater than -1. I have highlighted this point approximately in yellow...
  21. Prof. 27

    Linear Ordinary Differential Equation: Definition

    Homework Statement The website says this: "It is Linear when the variable (and its derivatives) has no exponent or other function put on it. So no y2, y3, √y, sin(y), ln(y) etc, just plain y (or whatever the variable is). More formally a Linear Differential Equation is in the form: dy/dx +...
  22. AdityaDev

    Finding y=f(x) with Tangents and Equal Abscissae Intersection

    Homework Statement Given two curves y=f(x) passing through (0,1) and ##g(x)=\int\limits_{-\infty}^xf(t)dt## passing through (0,1/n). The tangents drawn to both curves at the points with equal abscissae intersect on the x-axis. Find y=f(x). Homework Equations None The Attempt at a Solution...
  23. B

    Derivative of metric with respect to metric

    I'm hoping someone can clarify for me, I have seen the following used: \frac{\partial}{\partial g^{ab}}\left( g^{cd} \right) = \frac{1}{2} \left( \delta_a^c \delta_b^d + \delta_b^c \delta_a^d\right) I understand the two half terms are used to account for the symmetry of the metric tensor...
  24. D

    Richardson Extrapolation with 3 steps?

    Homework Statement [/B] use richardson extrapolation to estimate the first derivative y=ln(x), x=5 using steps of 2, 1, 0.5. Four decimal points. obtain true relative error for the last estimate and comment on its value. Homework Equations [/B] deriv ln(x)=1/xThe Attempt at a Solution I know...
  25. B

    Two Functions with the Same Derivative

    Homework Statement I am trying to prove without using the mean value theorem that two different functions with the same derivative differ only by a constant. Is it possible to do this without the mean value theorem? If so, would someone help guide me towards the right solution. Homework...
  26. D

    MHB What is the directional derivative of F at point P(1,2,1) with given direction?

    For a direction determined by $dx=2dy=-2dz$, find the directional derivative of $F=x^2+y^2+z^2$ at P(1,2,1) I had no problem getting the gradient of F and evaluating it at P but when I take the directional derivative I'm stuck! I don't know how come up with a unit vector that should be dotted...
  27. C

    Functional derivative of normal function

    I can't convince myself whether the following functional derivative is trivial or not: ##\frac \delta {\delta \psi(x)} \big[ \partial_x \psi(x)\big],## where ##\partial_x## is a standard derivative with respect to ##x##. One could argue that ## \partial_x \psi(x) = \int dx' [\partial_{x'}...
  28. B

    Differentiate time derivative w/ respect to generalized var.

    Homework Statement Solve ∂v/∂θ and ∂v/∂r. (refer to attached image for equations) Homework Equations Refer to attached image. note that the velocity is expressed in cylindrical coordinates and attention must be paid to the directional unit vectors eθ and eρ.[/B] The Attempt at a Solution...
  29. U

    Covariant Derivative - where does the minus sign come from?

    I was reading through hobson and my notes where the covariant acts on contravariant and covariant tensors as \nabla_\alpha V^\mu = \partial_\alpha V^\mu + \Gamma^\mu_{\alpha \gamma} V^\gamma \nabla_\alpha V_\mu = \partial_\alpha V_\mu - \Gamma^\gamma_{\alpha \mu} V_\gamma Why is there a minus...
  30. T

    Covariant and partial derivative of metric determinant

    Homework Statement is this statement is true : ##\nabla_\mu \nabla_\nu \sqrt{g} \phi = \partial_\mu \sqrt{g} \partial_\nu \phi## Homework EquationsThe Attempt at a Solution well we know ##\nabla_\mu \sqrt{g} =0## so it moves back : ## \nabla_\mu \sqrt{g} \nabla_\nu \phi =\sqrt{g} \nabla_\mu...
  31. Albo1125

    Using the derivative of the formula of the number of nuclei

    Hi all, I have a question concerning the derivative of the formula of the number of nuclei. I hope I've posted this in the right section, I'm new here :P. Anyway, in the question, the given values are: At a certain time t, there is an amount of radioactive Br-82. The activity A is 7.4*1014 Bq...
  32. binbagsss

    Valence Tensor of "DVu/Du" Acting on Vector: Analyzing 1 to 1

    Acting upon a vector say, so it is defined as: ##\frac{d}{d\lambda}V^{u}+\Gamma^{u}_{op}\frac{dx^{o}}{d\lambda}V^{p}=\frac{DV^{u}}{D\lambda}## And this can also be written in terms of the covariant derivative, ##\bigtriangledown_{k}## by ##\frac{DV^{u}}{D\lambda}=\frac{d x^{k}}{d \lambda}...
  33. Mr Davis 97

    Question about derivative of an integral

    What does it mean to say that ##\displaystyle\frac{d }{d x}\int f(x)dx = f(x)##? Does this somehow relate to the fundamental theorem of calculus? If so, how?
  34. Emmanuel_Euler

    Understanding the Derivative of x: A Scientist's Perspective

    what is the derivative of x! ??
  35. H

    Hermite Interpolation extended to second derivative

    SOLVED 1. Homework Statement Find polynomial of least degree satisfying: p(1)=-1, p'(1)=2, p''(1)=0, p(2)=1, p'(2)=-2 Homework Equations In general, a Hermite Polynomial is defined by the following: ∑[f(xi)*hi(x)+f'(xi)*h2i(x)] where: hi(xj)=1 if i=j and 0 otherwise. Similarly with h'2...
  36. A

    Treating the derivative notation as a fraction?

    Homework Statement I was working on a physics problem that involves integrals and I stumbled upon this: m*g*sin θ − k*x = m*dv/dt =m*v*dv/dx → (m*g*sin θ − k*x)/m =v*dv/dx →∫[(m*g*sin θ − k*x)/m]dx =∫v*dv Notice that we multiplied by dx on both sides and dx has been canceled from the right...
  37. I

    Quick directional derivative question -- help please

    Homework Statement [/B] find directional derivative at point (0,0) in direction u = (1, -1) for f(x,y) = x(1+y)^-1The Attempt at a Solution grad f(x,y) = ( (1+y)^-1, -x(1+y)^-2 ) grad f(0,0) = (1, 0) grad f(x,y) . u = (1,0).(1,-1) = 1. seems easy but markscheme says I am wromg. It says...
  38. M

    Derivative of P(x) = 0.2 -0.125e^(0.005x) for X=1

    Homework Statement Derivative of P(x) = 0.2 -0.125e^(0.005x) for X=1 P(x) is the population in Millions and X is the year where 0 = 2000 I have to explain the answer I am getting at the end. Homework EquationsThe Attempt at a Solution d/dx (0.2 -0.125e^(0.005x)) I find -0.000625*(1,00501)^x...
  39. T

    How can you maximize the volume of a box made from a rectangular sheet?

    Suppose someone gives you a rectangular sheet of length a and width b (so b ≤ a). You make a topless box by cutting out a square with length x out of each corner and folding up the sides. How should you cut the sheet so as to maximize the volume of your box?
  40. H

    Derivative Help with f(x)= 1/x +1/(x+1)

    Homework Statement [/B] I have to derivate f(x) f(x) = 1/x +1/(x+1) Answer is = -1/x2 - 1/(x+1)2 I can't seem to get to that answer :( thank you Homework EquationsThe Attempt at a Solution f(x) = (1/x +1/(x+1))' = (2x+1)/x(x+1)' = ((2x+1)' * (x(x+1)-(2x+1)*(x(x+1)')/x2(x+1)2...
  41. S

    Natural log differentiation question

    Homework Statement f(x) = 1/ln (10-x) -- I would assume it to be a fairly simple equation, but I am screwing it upHomework Equations What is f'(x)?The Attempt at a Solution f'(x) = (ln (10-x))^-1 = -(ln (10-x))^-2 * -1 * 1/(10-x) -- 2 negatives cancel out = 1/(10-x) (ln(10-x))2 --...
  42. ME_student

    Taking the derivative (no numbers)

    Homework Statement So I'd rather not type out the whole equation I am differentiating with respect to t... Sorry admins. My written work is on the image. I just want to make sure my work is correct. Homework Equations The equation is a differential characteristic equation with cos and sin...
  43. binbagsss

    Proving Total Covariant/Total Partial Derivative EFE Derivation

    I'm trying to prove that ##\sqrt{-g}\bigtriangledown_{\mu}v^{\mu}=\partial_{\mu}(\sqrt{-g}v^{\mu}) ## So i have ##\sqrt{-g}\bigtriangledown_{\mu}v^{\mu}=\sqrt{-g}(\partial_{\mu}v^{mu}+\Gamma^{\mu}_{\mu \alpha}v^{\alpha}) ## by just expanding out the definition of the covariant derivative...
  44. J

    Verifying a Power Series Solution for y''-4y=0

    Homework Statement substitute the given power series below into ODE y'' -4y=0 to verify it is a solution Homework Equations y=∑ 2n xn / n! n=0 y''-4y=0 The Attempt at a Solution I have absolutely no idea how start.
  45. gracy

    Derivative of displacement with respect to time

    What's the difference between derivative of displacement with respect to time and derivative of position with respect to time ?I have read derivative of displacement with respect to time is velocity and derivative of position with respect to time is also velocity,so what's the difference? I...
  46. Ondina

    Complex derivative of x: ((x)^(1/x))'

    <<Moderator note: Remember that filling in the complete homework template is mandatory in the homework forums. This thread has not been deleted due to containing relevant replies.>> 1. Homework Statement ((x)^(1/x))' Homework Equations This probably isn't overly dificult, but it has got me...
  47. S

    Derivative of natural log function questions

    Homework Statement Hello, I had a few derivative of the natural logarithm functions questions. It seems like it should be fairly straightforward, but I am turning it into a pig’s ear.On my honor, none of these are problems on an assessment per se, however, they are not materially different than...
  48. binbagsss

    Hilbert-Einstein action, total derivative vanish

    I'm looking at the deriviation of Einstein's equation via applying the principle of least action to the Hilbert-Einstein action. I'm trying to understand the vanishing of a term because it is a total derivative: http://www.tapir.caltech.edu/~chirata/ph236/2011-12/lec33.pdf, equation 19. My...
  49. Chacabucogod

    Control Theory State-Space method with derivative input

    Hi, I'm reading Ogata's Modern Control Engineering, and when he talks about the representation of a differential equation in state space he divides the method in two. The first one is when the input of the differential equation involves no derivative term, for example: x'(t)+x(t)=u(t) The...
  50. N

    First Derivative of Periodic Tube Profile | Get Help Now

    Hi, I have some points say, 100 points which come from a periodic tube profile, i.e., (z,r), where z and r are the axial and radial coordinates, respectively. Now, I need to calculate the first derivative at each point. Could you please help me in this regard? Cheers
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