SL 5.3—Introduction to derivatives

Before diving into rules, it helps to know what we're actually computing. The derivative of a function measures its instantaneous rate of change , how quickly the output is changing at any given input value.

Derivative: The derivative of a function $f(x)$, written $f^{\prime }(x)$ (read "f prime of x"), gives the rate of change of $f$ with respect to $x$ at any point. Geometrically, it represents the slope of the tangent line to the curve at that point.

For IB Math AI SL, you will primarily compute derivatives using established rules rather than from first principles. The most fundamental of these is the power rule.