Discovering the Derivative of |x| for Negative Values: A Mathematical Exploration

Derivative of |x| at \(x = 0\) using Definition

Let’s find the derivative of the absolute value function, \(|x|\), at \(x = 0\) using the definition of a derivative.

Definition of Derivative:

The derivative of a function \(f(x)\) at a point \(a\) is defined as:

\(f'(a) = \lim_{{h \to 0}} \frac{f(a + h) – f(a)}{h}\)

Calculating the Derivative at \(x = 0\):

For \(|x|\), we have:

\(f(x) = |x|\)

\(f(0) = |0| = 0\)

Now, let’s compute the derivative at \(x = 0\):

\(f'(0) = \lim_{{h \to 0}} \frac{|0 + h| – |0|}{h}\)

As \(h\) approaches 0, we have:

\(f'(0) = \lim_{{h \to 0}} \frac{h}{h}\)

\(f'(0) = \lim_{{h \to 0}} 1\)

\(f'(0) = 1\)

Result:

The derivative of \(|x|\) at \(x = 0\) is 1.

Derivative of |x| at \(x = 0\) from the Left-Hand Side (LHS) using Definition

Let’s find the derivative of the absolute value function, \(|x|\), at \(x = 0\) from the left-hand side (LHS) using the definition of a derivative.

Definition of Derivative:

The derivative of a function \(f(x)\) at a point \(a\) is defined as:

\(f'(a) = \lim_{{h \to 0}} \frac{f(a + h) – f(a)}{h}\)

Calculating the Derivative at \(x = 0\) from the LHS:

For \(|x|\), we have:

\(f(x) = |x|\)

\(f(0) = |0| = 0\)

Now, let’s compute the derivative at \(x = 0\) from the LHS:

\(f'(0) = \lim_{{h \to 0^-}} \frac{|0 + h| – |0|}{h}\)

As \(h\) approaches 0 from the left, we have:

\(f'(0) = \lim_{{h \to 0^-}} \frac{-h}{h}\)

\(f'(0) = \lim_{{h \to 0^-}} -1\)

\(f'(0) = -1\)

Result:

The derivative of \(|x|\) at \(x = 0\) from the left-hand side (LHS) is -1.

Summary of \(|x|\) Derivative at \(x = 0\)

The derivative of \(|x|\) at \(x = 0\) has two distinct values:

From the right-hand side (RHS): \(f'(0) = 1\)

From the left-hand side (LHS): \(f'(0) = -1\)

Because the derivative has different values when approached from different sides, \(f'(0)\) does not exist or is undefined at \(x = 0\).

Graph Description: |x| with Holes at (0,1) and (0,-1)

Your graph illustrates the function \( |x| \) along with constant functions \( y = 1 \) and \( y = -1 \) on a coordinate plane.

Key Features:

  • The main function \( |x| \) consists of two linear segments intersecting at the origin (0,0).
  • For \( x \) values greater than or equal to 0, the graph of \( |x| \) coincides with the line \( y = x \).
  • For \( x \) values less than 0, the graph of \( |x| \) coincides with the line \( y = -x \).
  • There are two holes in the graph at points (0,1) and (0,-1).
  • At the point (0,1), there’s an open circle, indicating that the function is not defined at \( x = 0 \) for \( y = 1 \).
  • At the point (0,-1), there’s another open circle, indicating that the function is not defined at \( x = 0 \) for \( y = -1 \).
  • Two horizontal lines on the graph represent constant functions: \( y = 1 \) and \( y = -1 \).
  • These constant functions are not affected by changes in \( x \) because they are horizontal lines located above and below the origin, respectively.