The tangent line to a curve is the one that coincides with the curve at a point and with the same derivative, that is, the same degree of variation.
We have then:
y = 5x-x²
Deriving:
y '= 5-2x
In point (1, 4)
The slope is:
y (1) '= 5-2 * (1)
y (1) '= 3
The equation of the line will be:
y-f (a) = f '(a) (x-a)
We have then:
y-4 = 3 (x-1)
Rewriting:
y = 3x-3 + 4
y = 3x + 1
Answer:
the tangent line to the parabola at the point (1, 4) is
y = 3x + 1
the slope m is
m = 3