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The definition of the natural logarithm function, its properties, and the rules for differentiating it. It includes examples of how to use these rules to compute derivatives of functions involving natural logarithms.
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Jim Lamb ers Math 2B Fall Quarter 2004- Le ture 13 Notes
These notes orresp ond to Se tion 7.2* in the text.
The Natural Logarithmi Fun tion
De nition of the Natural Logarithmi Fun tion
Re all that the p ower rule for integration, Z xn^ dx = x
n+ n + 1
do es not apply if n = 1, sin e then there is a division by zero. However, sin e 1 =t is ontinuous for all t > 0, then its de nite integral exists over any interval (a; b), where b > a > 0. We an therefore de ne a fun tion of x to b e the integral of 1 =t over an interval whose right endp oint dep ends on x.
De nition 1 (Natural Logarithmi Fun tion) The natural logarithmi fun tion ln x is de ned by
ln x =
Z (^) x
1
t
dt; x > 0 : (2)
Note that this fun tion an easily b e di erentiated using Part 1 of the Fundamental Theorem of Cal ulus: d dx
ln x = d dx
Z (^) x
1
t
dt = 1 x
From the hain rule, we obtain the following more general di erentiation rule.
Theorem 1 If g (x) is a positive, di erentiable fun tion, then
d dx
[ln g (x)℄ = g^
(^0) (x) g (x)
We now illustrate the usage of this rule with some examples.
Example 1 Compute the derivative of f (x) = ln(sin x) sin(ln x):
Solution Using the Pro du t Rule and Chain Rule, we obtain
f 0 (x) = sin(ln x)[ln(sin x)℄^0 + ln(sin x)[sin(ln x)℄^0 = sin(ln x) 1 sin x
os x + ln(sin x) os (ln x) 1 x = sin(ln x) ot x + ln(sin^ x)^ os^ (ln^ x) x
Example 2 Di erentiate f (x) = ln(xe^ + ln x):
Solution We have
f 0 (x) = 1 xe^ + ln x
(xe^ + ln x)^0 = 1 xe^ + ln x
exe ^1 + 1 x
Example 3 Di erentiate f (x) = ln(1 + x^2 ):
Solution From the Chain Rule, we have
f 0 (x) = (^1) +^1 x 2 (2x) = (^1) +^2 x x 2 : (7)
2
Prop erties of the Natural Logarithmi Fun tion
The natural logarithmi fun tion has some interesting prop erties, all of whi h an b e proven by applying the hain rule for di erentiation:
ln(xy ) = ln x + ln y (8)
ln
x y
= ln x ln y (9) ln(xr^ ) = r ln x (10)
In addition, ln x has the prop erties
xlim!1 ln^ x^ =^1 ;^ lim x! 0 +^
Furthermore, b e ause its derivative is always p ositive for x > 0, it an b e seen that ln x is one-to-one and therefore has an inverse fun tion.
This rule an b e used to address a onspi uous void in the list of integration rule we have develop ed. While we have simple rules for anti-di erentiating sin x and os x, we do not have su h rules for the other four basi trigonometri fun tions. We an now derive su h rules, as the following example illustrates.
Example 5 Compute (^) Z
tan x dx: (19)
Solution Writing tan x = sin x= os x and letting u = os x, we have du = sin x dx. It follows that Z tan x dx =
Z (^) sin x os x
dx
=
Z (^) du u = ln juj + C = ln j os xj + C = ln j os xj ^1 + C = ln 1 os x
= ln j se xj + C : (20)
As will b e seen in later le tures, similar integration rules an b e obtained for ot x, se x, and s x. 2
Logarithmi Di erentiation
The natural logarithmi fun tion an b e used to more easily di erentiate fun tions that are om- pli ated pro du ts or quotients, sin e logarithms of pro du ts and quotients are equal to sums and di eren es. For example, if f (x) = g (x)h(x), then
ln f (x) = ln g (x) + ln h(x): (21)
Di erentiating b oth sides, we obtain
f 0 (x) f (x)
= g^
(^0) (x) g (x)
(^0) (x) h(x)
whi h an then b e solved for f 0 (x).
Example 6 Given y = (sin x)x^2 +3x^ ; use logarithmi di erentiation to ompute y 0.
Solution Taking the natural logarithm of b oth sides of the ab ove equation, we have
ln y = ln(sin x)x^2 +3x^ = (x^2 + 3 x) ln(sin x): (23)
Di erentiating b oth sides impli itly with resp e t to x (i.e., treating y as a fun tion of x) yields, via the Pro du t Rule and the Chain Rule,
1 y
y 0 = ln(sin x)(x^2 + 3 x)^0 + (x^2 + 3 x)(ln(sin x))^0 = ln(sin x)(2x + 3) + (x^2 + 3 x) 1 sin x
os x: (24)
Multiplying through by y , we obtain
y 0 = y
h ln(sin x)(2x + 3) + (x^2 + 3 x) (^) sinos xx
i = (sin x)x^2 +3x^
ln(sin x)(2x + 3) + (x^2 + 3 x) ot x
Example 7 Compute the slop e of the tangent line to the graph of y = xx^ at x = e.
Solution To obtain the slop e of the tangent line, we need to ompute the derivative of xx^ at x = e. Taking the natural logarithm of b oth sides of the equation y = xx^ we obtain
ln y = ln xx^ = x ln x: (26)
Di erentiating b oth sides with resp e t to x (and rememb ering that y dep ends on x) yields, via the Pro du t Rule, 1 y y^
(^0) = ln x(x) (^0) + x(ln x) (^0) = ln x + x 1 x =^ ln^ x^ +^1 ;^ (27) and therefore y 0 = y (ln x + 1) = xx^ (ln x + 1): (28)
Substituting x = 1 into this equation yields y 0 = 11 (ln 1 + 1) = 1, and therefore the slop e of the tangent line at the p oint x = 1 is equal to 1. 2
The Inverse of The Natural Logarithmi Fun tion
It is interesting to note that the derivative of ln x is 1 =x, while the derivative of an inverse fun tion f ^1 (x) is equal to 1 =f 0 (f ^1 (x)). Supp ose that g (x) is the inverse fun tion of f (x) = ln x. Then, b e ause f 0 (x) = 1 =x, it follows that
g 0 (x) = (^11) g (x)
= g (x): (29)
In other words, the derivative of the inverse of ln x is equal to itself. This will b e dis ussed further in the next le ture.