From 3dcc07703a9c73df4ba89770849787965c4aef31 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001 From: Kai Stevenson Date: Wed, 2 Aug 2023 07:08:47 -0700 Subject: wrote more calculus, fixed latex positioning problem --- src/writing/derivative.php | 99 ---------------------------------------------- 1 file changed, 99 deletions(-) delete mode 100644 src/writing/derivative.php (limited to 'src/writing/derivative.php') diff --git a/src/writing/derivative.php b/src/writing/derivative.php deleted file mode 100644 index aad4332..0000000 --- a/src/writing/derivative.php +++ /dev/null @@ -1,99 +0,0 @@ - -

- Calculus is often used as the complete name of a branch of mathematics dealing with - rates of change and very small numbers. In fact, a calculus is a specific discipline - or method for the analysis of some set of problems. The fact that the calculus of infinitesimals - has come to be known in this way is a testament to its importance. -

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- To understand calculus, it is critical to understand the derivative. Let us begin with - the definition of a function. -

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- This expression defines a relation between two quantities x and y. It can be said that - y is given in terms of x. Specifically, we have defined a function f that provides - a mapping for values of x. The actual mapping of a given function varies; what follows is - one example. -

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- In this example, the value of the function is said to be equal to the product of its argument and - a constant a. Take note of the fact that this is a constant multiple, as it means that - the function is said to be linear--an important property. Evidently, - by the transitive property. - Here, the relation between y and x becomes clear; y is greater than x by a multiple a. - Observe the pattern that forms when evaluating f at various x. -

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- As x increases by increments of 1, y increases by increments of a. This gives rise to - the familiar slope-intercept form of a line, - . m, here, is the slope of the line, - the ratio between the growth of y and x, or the rate of change of the function mapping - the two. Since b is a constant term, it has no impact on the rate of change of the function. - It is this understanding that we will build upon. Consider two points in the form (x, y): - (0, 0) & (3, 9). As x increases by 3, y increases by 9. We refer to these as delta x - and delta y. We obtain the rate of change as follows: -

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- The implication of this is that a line drawn between the two points would have a slope - of 3. We note two functions upon whose graphs these points fall: - , and . If graphed, - the path of would appear identical to a straight line drawn - between the points, except - that its line would continue infinitely in either direction. Recall that it is a linear - function, and so every segment of its path has the same inclination as the whole. Compare - this to , a parabolic curve. Though both points fall upon - its graph, the path it takes between them is not linear, but curved. It appears to follow a - much less direct route. However, as each function has a slope of 3 over the interval [0, 3], - we say that they share the same average rate of change over that interval. The linear - function appears to move towards its destination faster in the start, but as the parabola - steepens, it catches up, such that both functions reach (3, 9). If we continued observing - this competition, the parabola would continue accelerating more and more rapidly, its value - rapidly eclipsing the straight line. -

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- Suppose we wish to know the slope of a function not over an interval but at a point. - This is easily accomplished with a linear function--it is observed that the slope of a - linear function is the same over any interval, and so it is reasonable to extend that - to a single point. It is more difficult, however, with non-linear functions. - Take on [0, 1]: -

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Compare to the interval [0, 0.5]:

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Or to [0, 0.25]:

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- As the interval becomes smaller, m decreases. One could use a computer to perform this - calculation with increasingly small values, and would find that m gets very close to 2. - As we can see, when moving from [0, 1] to [0, 0.5], m moved half of the way to 3. - On the next interval, it moved half of the distance that remains, again. - This would continue infinitely, with m never reaching 2. A new calculus is needed - to precisely describe the slope of non-linear functions at a point. This value, - the rate that the function will change over the next infinitesimally small interval, - is known as its instant rate of change at a point. -

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