Calculus For Dummies, 2nd Edition

Part IV

Differentiation

Check out my online article on integrating powers of the six trigonomic functions at www.dummies.com/extras/calculus.

In this part …

• The meaning of a derivative: It’s a slope and a rate — more specifically, a derivative tells you how fast y is changing compared to x.
• How to calculate derivatives with the product rule, the quotient rule, and the chain rule.
• Implicit differentiation, logarithmic differentiation, and the differentiation of inverse functions.
• What a derivative tells you about the shape of a curve: Local minimums, local maximums, steepness, inflection points, concavity, critical numbers, and so on.
• Differentiation word problems: Position, velocity, and acceleration, optimization, related rates, linear approximation, and tangent and normal lines.