5

Exponential and Logarithmic Functions

 Exponential Functions
 Logarithmic Functions
 Compound Interest
 Differentiation of Exponential Functions
 Exponential Functions as Mathematical
Models
5.4
Differentiation of the Exponential Function

1
 1
2
, e 1/2   1
2
, e 1/2 
22
f ( x)  e x
x
–1 1
 Rule 1
Derivative of the Exponential Function

 The derivative of the exponential function with

base e is equal to the function itself:

d x
dx
 e   ex
 Examples
 Find the derivative of the function f ( x )  x 2e x
Solution
 Using the product rule gives

d 2 x 2 d x d
f ( x ) 
dx
 x e   x
dx
 e x
  e
dx
 x2 

 x 2e x  e x (2 x )
 xe x ( x  2)

Example 1, page 362

 Examples
 
3/2
 Find the derivative of the function g (t )  e  2 t

Solution
 Using the general power rule gives

3 t 1/2 d
g (t )   e  2   et  2 
2 dt
3 t
 e  2  e
1/2 t

2
3 t t
 e e  2 
1/2

Example 1, page 362

 Rule 2
Chain Rule for Exponential Functions

 If f(x) is a differentiable function, then

d f ( x)
dx
 e   e f ( x)
f ( x )
 Examples
 Find the derivative of the function f ( x )  e 2 x
Solution
d
f ( x )  e2x
2 x 
dx
 e 2 x (2)
 2e 2 x

Example 2, page 363

 Examples
 Find the derivative of the function y  e 3x
Solution
dy 3 x d
e ( 3 x )
dx dx
 e 3 x ( 3)
 3e 3 x

Example 2, page 363

 Examples
2
t
 Find the derivative of the function g (t )  e 2 t
Solution
d
  2t 2  t 
2 t 2 t
g (t )  e
dt
2 t 2 t
 (4t  1)e

Example 2, page 363

 Examples
 Find the derivative of the function y  xe 2 x
Solution
dy d 2 x 2 x d
 x e   e x
dx dx dx
 d 
 x  e 2 x  2 x   e 2 x (1)
 dx 
 xe 2 x ( 2)  e 2 x
 2 xe 2 x  e 2 x
 e 2 x (1  2 x )

Example 3, page 363

 Examples
et
 Find the derivative of the function g (t ) 
et  e  t
Solution
t d t d
 e t
 e  dt   dt 
e t
 e e t
 e t

g (t ) 
e  e 
t t 2


 e  e  e  e e  e 
t t t t t t

e  e  t t 2

e2t  1  e2t  1

e  e 
t t 2

2

e  e 
t t 2

Example 4, page 364

 Examples
 x2
 Find the inflection points of the function f ( x)  e
Solution
 Find the first and second derivatives of f :
 x2
f ( x )  2 xe
 x2  x2
f ( x )  ( 2 x )( 2 xe )  2e
 x2
 2e (2 x 2  1)
2
 Setting f″ = 0 gives e– x = 0, and 2x2 – 1 = 0.
2
 Since e– x never equals zero for any real value of x, the only
candidates for inflection points of f are
x  1 / 2
 Testing values around these numbers we conclude that
they are indeed inflection points.
Example 6, page 364
 Examples
 x2
 Find the inflection points of the function f ( x)  e
Solution

1
 1
2
, e 1/2   1
2
, e 1/2 
 x2
f ( x)  e
x
–1 1

Example 6, page 364

5.5
Differentiation of Logarithmic Functions

y  x 2 ( x  1)( x 2  4)3
ln y  ln[ x 2 ( x  1)( x 2  4) 3 ]
 ln( x 2 )  ln( x  1)  ln( x 2  4) 3
 2 ln x  ln( x  1)  3ln( x 2  4)
 Rule 3
Derivative of the Natural Logarithm

 The derivative of ln x is

d 1
ln x  ( x  0)
dx x
 Examples
 Find the derivative of the function f ( x )  x ln x
Solution
d d
f ( x )  x  (ln x )  ln x  ( x )
dx dx
1
 x     ln x  (1)
x
 1  ln x

Example 1, page 372

 Examples
ln x
 Find the derivative of the function g ( x ) 
x
Solution
d d
x (ln x )  ln x  ( x )
g ( x )  dx dx
x2
1
x   ln x  (1)
 x
x2
1  ln x

x2

Example 1, page 372

 Rule 4
Chain Rule for Logarithmic Functions

 If f(x) is a differentiable function, then

d f ( x )
ln f ( x )  [ f ( x )  0]
dx f ( x)
 Examples
 Find the derivative of the function f ( x )  ln( x 2  1)
Solution
d 2
 x  1
f ( x )  dx 2
x 1
2x
 2
x 1

Example 2, page 373

 Examples
 Find the derivative of the function y  ln[( x 2  1)( x 3  2) 6 ]
Solution
y  ln[( x 2  1)( x 3  2)6 ]
 ln( x 2  1)  ln( x 3  2)6
 ln( x 2  1)  6ln( x 3  2)

d 2 d 3
( x  1) ( x  2)
dy dx dx
  6
dx x2  1 x3  2
2x 3x 2
 6 3
x 1
2
x 2
2x 18 x 2
  3
x 1 x  2
2

Example 3, page 373

 Logarithmic Differentiation
 We have seen how finding derivatives of logarithmic
functions becomes easier when applying the laws of
logarithms.
 These laws can also be used in a process called logarithmic
differentiation to permit the differentiation of functions
that would be difficult to differentiate or even not be
differentiable through other means.
 Examples
 Use logarithmic differentiation to find the derivative of
y  x ( x  1)( x 2  1)
Solution
 Take the natural logarithm of both sides of the equation:

ln y  ln[ x ( x  1)( x 2  1)]

 Use the laws of logarithms to rewrite the equation:

ln y  ln( x )  ln( x  1)  ln( x 2  1)

 Differentiate both sides of the equation:
d d d d
ln y  ln( x )  ln( x  1)  ln( x 2  1)
dx dx dx dx
1 1 2x
   2
x x 1 x 1
Example 5, page 374
 Examples
 Use logarithmic differentiation to find the derivative of
y  x ( x  1)( x 2  1)
Solution
 On the left side, note that y is a function of x, therefore:

y  f ( x)
ln y  ln[ f ( x )]
d d
ln y  ln[ f ( x )]
dx dx
f ( x )

f ( x)
y

y

Example 5, page 374

 Examples
 Use logarithmic differentiation to find the derivative of
y  x ( x  1)( x 2  1)
Solution
 Thus, we have:
d 1 1 2x
ln y    2
dx x x 1 x 1
y 1 1 2x
   2
y x x 1 x 1

Example 5, page 374

 Examples
 Use logarithmic differentiation to find the derivative of
y  x ( x  1)( x 2  1)
Solution
 Finally, solving for y′ we get:

1 1 2x 
y y   2 
 x x  1 x  1 
1 1 2x 
 x ( x  1)( x  1)  
2
 2 
 x x  1 x  1 

Example 5, page 374

 Logarithmic Differentiation

 To find dy/dx by logarithmic differentiation:

1. Take the natural logarithm on both sides of the
equation and use the properties of logarithms
to write any “complicated expression” as a sum
of simpler terms.
2. Differentiate both sides of the equation with
respect to x.
3. Solve the resulting equation for dy/dx.
 Examples
 Use logarithmic differentiation to find the derivative of
y  x 2 ( x  1)( x 2  4)3
Solution
1. Take the natural logarithm of both sides of the equation
and use the laws of logarithms to rewrite the equation:
ln y  ln[ x 2 ( x  1)( x 2  4) 3 ]
 ln( x 2 )  ln( x  1)  ln( x 2  4) 3
 2 ln x  ln( x  1)  3ln( x 2  4)

Example 6, page 375

 Examples
 Use logarithmic differentiation to find the derivative of
y  x 2 ( x  1)( x 2  4)3
Solution
2. Differentiate both sides of the equation:

d d d d
ln y  2 ln x  ln( x  1)  3 ln( x 2  4)
dx dx dx dx
1 1 2x
 2   3 2
x x 1 x 4
2 1 6x
   2
x x 1 x  4

Example 6, page 375

 Examples
 Use logarithmic differentiation to find the derivative of
y  x 2 ( x  1)( x 2  4)3
Solution
3. Solve for dy/dx:
d 2 1 6x
ln y    2
dx x x 1 x  4
y 2 1 6x
   2
y x x 1 x  4

 2 1 6x 
y  y    2 
 x x  1 x  4 
3 2 1 6x 
 x ( x  1)( x  4)  
2 2
 2 
 x x  1 x  4 
Example 6, page 375
 Examples
 Use logarithmic differentiation to find the derivative of
f ( x)  x x ( x  0)
Solution
1. Take the natural logarithm of both sides of the equation
and use the laws of logarithms to rewrite the equation:

ln f ( x )  ln x x
 x ln x

Example 7, page 376

 Examples
 Use logarithmic differentiation to find the derivative of
f ( x)  x x ( x  0)
Solution
2. Differentiate both sides of the equation:

d d d
ln f ( x )  x  (ln x )  ln x  ( x )
dx dx dx
1
 x   ln x  (1)
x
 1  ln x

Example 7, page 376

 Examples
 Use logarithmic differentiation to find the derivative of
f ( x)  x x ( x  0)
Solution
3. Solve for dy/dx:

d
ln f ( x )  1  ln x
dx
f ( x )
 1  ln x
f ( x)

f ( x )  f ( x )(1  ln x )
 x x (1  ln x )

Example 7, page 376

5.6
Exponential Functions as Mathematical Models

1. Growth of bacteria
2. Radioactive decay
3. Assembly time
 Applied Example: Growth of Bacteria

 Under a laboratory, the number of bacteria in a culture

grows according to
Q (t )  Q0e kt
where Q0 denotes the number of bacteria initially present
in the culture, k is a constant determined by the strain of
bacteria under consideration, and t is the elapsed time
measured in hours.
 Suppose 10,000 bacteria are present initially in the culture
and 60,000 present two hours later.
a. How many bacteria will there be in the culture at the
end of four hours?
b. What is the rate of growth of the population after four
hours?
Applied Example 1, page 380
 Applied Example: Growth of Bacteria
Solution
a. We are given that Q(0) = Q0 = 10,000, so Q(t) = 10,000ekt.
At t = 2 there are 60,000 bacteria, so Q(2) = 60,000, thus:
Q (t )  Q0e kt
60,000  10,000e 2 k
e2k  6
Taking the natural logarithm on both sides we get:
ln e 2 k  ln 6
2k  ln 6
k  0.8959
So, the number of bacteria present at any time t is given by:
Q (t )  10,000e0.8959 t
Applied Example 1, page 380
 Applied Example: Growth of Bacteria
Solution
a. At the end of four hours (t = 4), there will be

Q (4)  10,000e0.8959(4)
 360,029
or 360,029 bacteria.

Applied Example 1, page 380

 Applied Example: Growth of Bacteria
Solution
b. The rate of growth of the bacteria at any time t is given by
Q (t )  kQ (t )
Using the result from part (a), we find that the rate of
bacterial growth at the end of four hours is

Q (4)  kQ (4)
 (0.8959)(360,029)
 322,550

or approximately 322,550 bacteria per hour.

Applied Example 1, page 380

 Applied Example: Radioactive Decay
 Radioactive substances decay exponentially.
 For example, the amount of radium present at any time t
obeys the law
Q(t )  Q0e  kt (0  t  )
where Q0 is the initial amount present and k is a suitable
positive constant.
 The half-life of a radioactive substance is the time
required for a given amount to be reduced by one-half.
 The half-life of radium is approximately 1600 years.
 Suppose initially there are 200 milligrams of pure radium.
a. Find the amount left after t years.
b. What is the amount after 800 years?

Applied Example 2, page 382

 Applied Example: Radioactive Decay
Solution
a. The initial amount is 200 milligrams, so Q(0) = Q0 = 200, so

Q(t) = 200e–kt
The half-life of radium is 1600 years, so Q(1600) = 100, thus
100  200e 1600 k
1600 k 1
e 
2

Applied Example 2, page 382

 Applied Example: Radioactive Decay
Solution
a. Taking the natural logarithm on both sides yields:
1600 k 1
ln e  ln
2
1
1600k ln e  ln
2
1
1600k  ln
2
1 1
k ln  0.0004332
1600 2
Therefore, the amount of radium left after t years is:
Q (t )  200e 0.0004332 t
Applied Example 2, page 382
 Applied Example: Radioactive Decay
Solution
b. In particular, the amount of radium left after 800 years is:

Q (800)  200e 0.0004332(800)

 141.42

or approximately 141 milligrams.

Applied Example 2, page 382

 Applied Example: Assembly Time
 The Camera Division of Eastman Optical produces a single
lens reflex camera.
 Eastman’s training department determines that after
completing the basic training program, a new, previously
inexperienced employee will be able to assemble
Q (t )  50  30e 0.5t
model F cameras per day, t months after the employee
starts work on the assembly line.
a. How many model F cameras can a new employee assemble
per day after basic training?
b. How many model F cameras can an employee with one
month of experience assemble per day?
c. How many model F cameras can the average experienced
employee assemble per day?
Applied Example 5, page 384
 Applied Example: Assembly Time
Solution
a. The number of model F cameras a new employee can
assemble is given by
Q (0)  50  30  20
b. The number of model F cameras that an employee with
1, 2, and 6 months of experience can assemble per day is
given by
Q (1)  50  30e 0.5(1)  31.80

or about 32 cameras per day.

c. As t increases without bound, Q(t) approaches 50.
Hence, the average experienced employee can be expected
to assemble 50 model F cameras per day.

Applied Example 5, page 384

 End of
Chapter