Math 3 Winter 2004

Introduction to Calculus

Class Demo for the Derivatives of Functions

January 14, 2004

    Define a Maple procedure for plotting a function

    together with its derivative

>	plotDf := proc(f) plot([f(x), diff(f(x), x)], x = -4.5..4.5, thickness = 3): end:

    Now take any function and look at its defivative

>	plotDf(x ->  0.5 * x^4 + 0.3 * x^3 - 8 * x^2 - 3 * x+5);

    Another one

>	plotDf(x -> abs(x));

>