A derivative can be used to describe the rate of change at a single point, or the *instantaneous velocity*.
The formula used to calculate the average rate of change looks like this:
$$ \dfrac{f(b) - f(a)}{b - a} $$
Interpreting it, this can be described as the change in $y$ over the change in $x$.
- Speed is always positive
- Velocity is directional
As the distance between the two points $a$ and $b$ grow smaller, we get closer and closer to the instantaneous velocity of a point. Limits are suited to describing the behavior of a function as it approaches a point.
If we have the coordinate pair $(a, f(a))$, and the value $h$ is the distance between $a$ and another $x$ value, the coordinates of that point can be described as ($(a + h, f(a + h))$. With this info:
- The slope of the secant line can be described as $\dfrac{f(a + h) - f(a)}{a + h - a}$, which simplifies to $\dfrac{f(a + h) - f(a)}{h}$.
- The slope of the *tangent line* or the *instantaneous velocity* can be found by taking the limit of the above function as the distance ($h$) approaches zero:
$$\lim_{h \to 0}\dfrac{f(a + h) - f(a)}{h}$$
The above formula can be used to find the *derivative*. This may also be referred to as the *instantaneous velocity*, or the *instantaneous rate of change*.
# Line Types
## Secant Line
A **Secant Line** connects two points on a graph.
A **Tangent Line** represents the rate of change or slope at a single point on the graph.
# Notation
Given the equation $y = f(x)$, the following are all notations used to represent the derivative of $f$ at $x$:
- $f'(x)$
- $\dfrac{d}{dx}f(x)$
- $y'$
- $\dfrac{dy}{dx}$
- $\dfrac{df}{dx}$
- "Derivative of $f$ with respect to $x$"
# Functions that are not differentiable at a given point
Note that the coefficient follows the associated level of Pascal's Triangle (`1 3 3 1`), and $x$'s power decrements, while $h$'s power increments. The coefficients of each pair will always add up to $n$. Eg, $3 + 0$, $2 + 1$, $1 + 2$, and so on. The **second** term in the polynomial created will have a coefficient of $n$.
From here, you can take the limit of each fraction, therefore showing that to find the derivative of two values multiplied together, you can use the formula: