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Compute the derivative of f(x)= x−2 / x by

(a) Using the limit definition of the derivative
(b) Using the quotient rule

User Golam
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1 Answer

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Final answer:

To find the derivative of f(x) = (x - 2) / x, you can use either the limit definition of the derivative or the quotient rule. The limit definition involves taking the limit of the difference quotient as h approaches 0, while the quotient rule allows you to find the derivative directly.

Step-by-step explanation:

(a) To find the derivative of the function f(x) = (x - 2) / x using the limit definition of the derivative, we need to find the limit as h approaches 0 of the difference quotient:

lim(h->0) [(f(x + h) - f(x)) / h]

Substituting f(x) = (x - 2) / x and simplifying, we get:

lim(h->0) [(x + h - 2) / (x + h) - (x - 2) / x] / h

After simplifying and taking the limit, we get the derivative of f(x).

(b) To find the derivative of f(x) = (x - 2) / x using the quotient rule, we can express the function as a quotient of two functions: f(x) = (x - 2) * x^-1. Applying the quotient rule, we can find the derivative of f(x).

User Eric Levine
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