How do you use limit to prove the derivative of #secx = secxtanx#?

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Answer 1 · 2015-03-11T15:13:09

Short Answer: It's a lot like showing #d/(dx)(cosx)=-sinx#

Medium Answer:
Use #d/(dx)(f(x))=lim_(hrarr0)(f(x+h)-f(x))/h#, and

#sect=1/cost# and

#cos(x+h)=cosx cosh - sinx sinh#

and the limits:

#lim_(hrarr0)sinh/h=1# and #lim_(hrarr0)(1-cosh)/h=0#.

Long Answer

#d/(dx)(secx)=d/(dx)(1/cosx) = lim_(hrarr0)(1/(cos(x+h))-1/cos(x))/h#

# = lim_(hrarr0)((cosx-cos(x+h))/(hcos(x)cos(x+h)))#

# = lim_(hrarr0)(cosx-(cosxcosh-sinxsinh))/(hcos(x)cos(x+h))#

# = lim_(hrarr0)[(cosx-cosxcosh)/(hcosxcos(x+h))+(sinxsinh)/(hcos(x)cos(x+h))]#

# = lim_(hrarr0)[cosx/(cosxcos(x+h))((1-cosh)/h)+(sinx)/(cos(x)cos(x+h))(sinh/h)]#

# = cosx/(cosxcos(x))(0)+(sinx)/(cos(x)cos(x))(1)#

#=sinx/cos^2x=1/cosxsinx/cosx=secxtanx#