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Differentiation of Functions Defined in Real Number Space 📂Analysis

Differentiation of Functions Defined in Real Number Space

Definition1

If in some EE containing aa, ff is defined and the limit

f(a):=limh0f(a+h)f(a)h=limxaf(x)f(a)xa f^{\prime} (a) := \lim_{h \to 0} {{ f (a + h ) - f(a) } \over { h }}=\lim \limits_{x\rightarrow a}\frac{f(x)-f(a)}{x-a}

exists, then ff is said to be differentiable at aa, and f(a)f^{\prime} (a) is called the derivative of ff at aa.

If ff is differentiable at every point aEa \in E, then ff is said to be differentiable on EE. When ff is differentiable on EE, ff^{\prime} defined on EE is called the derivative of ff.

Description

The most welcome concept when studying analysis is differentiation. This is because, unlike sequences or integrals that reveal their complexity, differentiation retains its original essence. Despite the introduction of multiple integrals and partial derivatives, it remains relatively easy and straightforward compared to other concepts. The specific mention of ‘real space’ and partial derivatives in the context of differentiation hints at its potential expansion into multidimensional spaces.

Theorem

(a) Continuity: If ff is differentiable at aEa \in E, then it is continuous at aEa \in E.

(b) Chain Rule: (gf)(a)=g(f(a))f(a)( g \circ f)' ( a ) = g ’ ( f (a) ) f '(a)

(c) Inverse Function Theorem: Suppose f:ERf : E \to \mathbb{R} is a one-to-one continuous function on an open interval EE. (i) If for some aEa \in E, b=f(a)b = f(a) and (ii): f(a)0f ' (a) \ne 0 exists, then f1f^{-1} is differentiable at aa, and

(f1)(b)=1f(a) \left( f^{-1} \right)' (b) = {{ 1 } \over { f '(a) }}


  1. William R. Wade, An Introduction to Analysis (4th Edition, 2010), p98-99 ↩︎