GENERAL DERIVATIVE RULES

𝑑
Constant Rule [𝑐] = 0
𝑑𝑥
𝑑
Constant Multiple Rule [𝑐𝑓(𝑥)] = 𝑐𝑓 ′ (𝑥)
𝑑𝑥
𝑑
Sum Rule [𝑓(𝑥) + 𝑔(𝑥)] = 𝑓 ′ (𝑥) + 𝑔′ (𝑥)
𝑑𝑥
𝑑
Difference Rule [𝑓(𝑥) − 𝑔(𝑥)] = 𝑓 ′ (𝑥) − 𝑔′ (𝑥)
𝑑𝑥
𝑑
Product Rule [𝑓(𝑥) ∙ 𝑔(𝑥)] = 𝑓 ′ (𝑥)𝑔(𝑥) + 𝑓(𝑥)𝑔′ (𝑥)
𝑑𝑥
𝑑 𝑓(𝑥) 𝑔(𝑥)𝑓 ′ (𝑥) − 𝑓(𝑥)𝑔′ (𝑥)
Quotient Rule [ ]=
𝑑𝑥 𝑔(𝑥) [𝑔(𝑥)]2
𝑑
Chain Rule [𝑓(𝑔(𝑥))] = 𝑓 ′ (𝑔(𝑥))𝑔′ (𝑥)
𝑑𝑥

DERIVATIVE RULES FOR PARTICULAR FUNCTIONS

FUNCTION BASIC RULE CHAIN RULE
𝑑 𝑛 𝑑 𝑛
Power [𝑥 ] = 𝑛𝑥 𝑛−1 [𝑢 ] = 𝑛𝑢𝑛−1 ∙ 𝑢′
𝑑𝑥 𝑑𝑥
TRIGONOMETRIC FUNCTIONS
𝑑 𝑑
Sine [sin(𝑥)] = cos(𝑥) [sin 𝑢] = cos(𝑢) ∙ 𝑢′
𝑑𝑥 𝑑𝑥
𝑑 𝑑
Cosine [cos(𝑥)] = −sin⁡(𝑥) [cos 𝑢] = −sin(𝑢) ∙ 𝑢′
𝑑𝑥 𝑑𝑥
𝑑 𝑑
Tangent [tan(𝑥)] = sec 2 (𝑥) [tan(𝑢)] = sec 2 (𝑢) ∙ 𝑢′
𝑑𝑥 𝑑𝑥
𝑑 𝑑
Cosecant [csc(𝑥)] = ⁡ − csc(𝑥) cot⁡(𝑥) [csc(𝑢)] = ⁡ − csc(𝑢) cot⁡(𝑢) ∙ 𝑢′
𝑑𝑥 𝑑𝑥
𝑑 𝑑
Secant [sec(𝑥)] = ⁡ sec(𝑥) tan⁡(𝑥) [sec(𝑢)] = ⁡ sec(𝑢) tan⁡(𝑢) ⁡ ∙ 𝑢′
𝑑𝑥 𝑑𝑥
𝑑 𝑑
Cotangent [cot(𝑥)] = − csc 2 (𝑥) [cot(𝑢)] = − csc 2 (𝑢) ∙ 𝑢′
𝑑𝑥 𝑑𝑥
INVERSE TRIGONOMETRIC FUNCTIONS
𝑑 1 𝑑 1
Arcsine sin−1 (𝑥) = ⁡ sin−1 (𝑢) = ⁡ ∙ 𝑢′
𝑑𝑥 √1 − 𝑥 2 𝑑𝑥 √1 − 𝑢2
𝑑 −1 𝑑 −1
Arccosine cos −1 (𝑥) = ⁡ cos −1 (𝑢) = ⁡ ∙ 𝑢′
𝑑𝑥 √1 − 𝑥 2 𝑑𝑥 √1 − 𝑢2
𝑑 1 𝑑 1
Arctangent tan−1 (𝑥) = ⁡ tan−1 (𝑢) = ⁡ ∙ 𝑢′
𝑑𝑥 1 + 𝑥2 𝑑𝑥 1 + 𝑢2
𝑑 −1 𝑑 −1
Arccosecant csc −1 (𝑥) = ⁡ csc −1 (𝑢) = ⁡ ∙ 𝑢′
𝑑𝑥 |𝑥|√𝑥 2 − 1 𝑑𝑥 |𝑢|√𝑢2 − 1
𝑑 1 𝑑 1
Arcsecant sec −1 (𝑥) = ⁡ sec −1 (𝑢) = ⁡ ∙ 𝑢′
𝑑𝑥 |𝑥|√𝑥 2 − 1 𝑑𝑥 |𝑢|√𝑢2 − 1
𝑑 −1 𝑑 −1
Arccotangent cot −1 (𝑥) = ⁡ cot −1 (𝑢) = ⁡ ∙ 𝑢′
𝑑𝑥 1 + 𝑥2 𝑑𝑥 1 + 𝑢2
EXPONENTIAL FUNCTIONS
𝑑 𝑥 𝑑 𝑢
Exponential (base e) [𝑒 ] = 𝑒 𝑥 [𝑒 ] = 𝑒 𝑢 ∙ 𝑢′
𝑑𝑥 𝑑𝑥
𝑑 𝑥 𝑑 𝑢
Exponential (base a) [𝑎 ] = 𝑎 𝑥 ln(𝑎) [𝑎 ] = 𝑎𝑢 ln(𝑎) ∙ 𝑢′
𝑑𝑥 𝑑𝑥
LOGARITHMIC FUNCTIONS
𝑑 1 𝑑 1 𝑢′
Natural Logarithm [ln(𝑥)] = [ln(𝑢)] = ∙ 𝑢′ ⁡𝑜𝑟⁡
𝑑𝑥 𝑥 𝑑𝑥 𝑢 𝑢
𝑑 1 𝑑 1
Logarithm (base a) [log 𝑎 (𝑥)] = [log 𝑎 (𝑢)] = ∙ 𝑢′
𝑑𝑥 𝑥 ∙ ln(𝑎) 𝑑𝑥 𝑢 ∙ ln(𝑎)

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