typed by Sean Bird, Covenant Christian High School

updated August 15, 2009

AP CALCULUS
Stuff you MUST know Cold

* means topic only on BC
Approx. Methods for Integration
Trapezoidal Rule
1
0 1 2
1
( ) [ ( ) 2 ( ) ...
2 ( ) ( )]
b
b a
n
a
n n
f x dx f x f x
f x f x

= + +
+ +

Simpsons Rule
1
0 1 2 3
2 1
( )
[ ( ) 4 ( ) 2 ( ) ...
2 ( ) 4 ( ) ( )]
b
a
n n n
f x dx
x f x f x f x
f x f x f x

=
+ + +
+ +

Curve sketching and analysis
y = f(x) must be continuous at each:
critical point:
dy
dx
= 0 or undefined
local minimum:

dy
dx
goes (,0,+) or (,und,+) or
2
2
d y
dx
>0
local maximum:

dy
dx
goes (+,0,) or (+,und,) or
2
2
d y
dx
<0
point of inflection: concavity changes

2
2
d y
dx
goes from (+,0,), (,0,+),

Differentiation Rules
Chain Rule
[ ] ( ) '( )
d du dy dy du
f u f u
dx dx dx du
R
x
O
d
= =

Product Rule
( ) ' '
d du dv
uv v u OR u
dx
v
dx dx
uv = + +

Quotient Rule

2 2
' '
du dv
dx dx
v u u v uv
O
d u
R
dx v v v
| |
=
|

\

Theorem of the Mean Value
i.e. AVERAGE VALUE
PLUS A CONSTANT
The Fundamental Theorem of
Calculus

( ) ( ) ( )
where '( ) ( )
b
a
f x dx F b F a
F x f x
=
=

If the function f(x) is continuous on [a, b]
and the first derivative exists on the
interval (a, b), then there exists a number
x = c on (a, b) such that
( )
( )
( )
b
a
f x dx
f c
b a
=

This value f(c) is the average value of
the function on the interval [a, b].

Corollary to FTC


( )
( )
( ( )) '( ) ( ( ))
( )
'( )
b x
a x
f b x b x f a x
f t dt
d
d
a x
x
=

Basic Derivatives
( )
1 n n
d
x nx
dx

=
( ) sin cos
d
x x
dx
=
( ) cos sin
d
x x
dx
=
( )
2
tan sec
d
x x
dx
=
( )
2
cot csc
d
x x
dx
=
( ) sec sec tan
d
x x x
dx
=
( ) csc csc cot
d
x x x
dx
=
( )
1
ln
d du
u
dx u dx
=
( )
u u
d du
e e
dx dx
=
where u is a function of x,
and a is a constant.
Intermediate Value Theorem
If the function f(x) is continuous on [a, b],
and y is a number between f(a) and f(b),
then there exists at least one number x= c
in the open interval (a, b) such that
( ) f c y = .
Solids of Revolution and friends
Disk Method
[ ]
2
( )
x b
x a
V R x dx
=
=
=

Washer Method
[ ] [ ]
( )
2 2
( ) ( )
b
a
V R x r x dx =

General volume equation (not rotated)
( )
b
a
V Area x dx =

*Arc Length [ ]
2
1 '( )
b
a
L f x dx = +

[ ] [ ]
2 2
'( ) '( )
b
a
x t y t dt = +

Mean Value Theorem

If the function f(x) is continuous on [a, b],
AND the first derivative exists on the
interval (a, b), then there is at least one
number x = c in (a, b) such that
( ) ( )
'( )
f b f a
f c
b a

.
More Derivatives
1
2 2
1
sin
d u du
dx a dx
a u

| |
=
|
\

( )
1
2
1
cos
1
d
x
dx
x

1
2 2
tan
d u a du
dx a dx a u

| |
=
|
+
\

( )
1
2
1
cot
1
d
x
dx x

=
+

1
2 2
sec
d u a du
dx a dx
u u a

| |
=
|
\

( )
1
2
1
csc
1
d
x
dx
x x

( )
( )
( )
ln
u x u x
d du
a a a
dx dx
=
( )
1
log
ln
a
d
x
dx x a
=

Rolles Theorem

If the function f(x) is continuous on [a, b],
AND the first derivative exists on the
interval (a, b), AND f(a) = f(b), then there
is at least one number x = c in (a, b) such
that
'( ) 0 f c = .
Distance, Velocity, and Acceleration
velocity =
d
dt
(position)
acceleration =
d
dt
(velocity)
*velocity vector = ,
dx dy
dt dt

speed =
2 2
( ') ( ') v x y = + *
displacement =
f
o
t
t
v dt

final time
initial time
2 2
distance =
( ') * '

( )
f
o
t
t
v dt
x y dt +

average velocity =

final position initial position
total time

=
=
x
t

(+,und,), or (,und,+)
and look out for endpoints

BC TOPICS and important TRIG identities and values
lHpitals Rule
If
( ) 0
or
( ) 0
f a
g b

= =

,
then
( ) '( )
lim lim
( ) '( )
x a x a
f x f x
g x g x

=
Slope of a Parametric equation
Given a x(t) and a y(t) the slope is
dy
dt
dx
dt
dy
dx
=
Eulers Method
If given that ( , )
dy
dx
f x y = and that
the solution passes through (x
o
, y
o
),
1 1 1
( )
( ) ( ) ( , )
o o
n n n n
y x y
y x y x f x y x

=
= +

In other words:
new old
x x x = +
( )
old old
new old
, x y
dy
y y x
dx
= +
Polar Curve
For a polar curve r(), the
AREA inside a leaf is
( )
2
1
2
1
2
r d

(


where
1
and
2
are the first two times that r =
0.
The SLOPE of r() at a given is
( )
( )
/
/
sin
cos
d
d
d
d
dy dy d
dx dx d
r
r

=
(

=
(


Values of Trigonometric
Functions for Common Angles

sin cos tan
0

0 1 0
6

1
2

3
2

3
3

4

2
2

2
2
1
3

3
2

1
2

3
2

1 0
0 1 0
Know both the inverse trig and the trig
values. E.g. tan(/4)=1 & tan
-1
(1)= /4
Integration by Parts
udv uv vdu =


Integral of Log
Use IBP and let u = ln x (Recall
u=LIPET)
ln ln xdx x x x C = +

Ratio Test
The series
0
k
k
a

converges if
1
lim 1
k
k
k
a
a
+

<
If the limit equal 1, you know nothing.
Trig Identities
Double Argument
sin 2 2sin cos x x x =
2 2 2
cos 2 cos sin 1 2sin x x x x = =
( )
2
1
cos 1 cos 2
2
x x = +
Taylor Series
If the function f is smooth at x =
a, then it can be approximated by
the n
th
degree polynomial
2
( )
( ) ( ) '( )( )
''( )
( )
2!
( )
( ) .
!
n
n
f x f a f a x a
f a
x a
f a
x a
n
+
+ +
+


Lagrange Error Bound
If ( )
n
P x is the n
th
degree Taylor polynomial
of f(x) about c and
( 1)
( )
n
f t M
+
for all t
between x and c, then
( )
1
( ) ( )
1 !
n
n
M
f x P x x c
n
+

+

Maclaurin Series
A Taylor Series about x = 0 is
called Maclaurin.

2 3
1
2! 3!
x
x x
e x = + + + +

2 4
cos 1
2! 4!
x x
x = +

3 5
sin
3! 5!
x x
x x = +

2 3
1
1
1
x x x
x
= + + + +

2 3 4
ln( 1)
2 3 4
x x x
x x + = + +

Alternating Series Error Bound

If ( )
1
1
N
n
N n
k
S a
=
=

is the N
th
partial sum of a
convergent alternating series, then
1 N N
S S a
+


Geometric Series
2 3 1 1
1
n n
n
a ar ar ar ar ar

=
+ + + + + + =

diverges if |r|1; converges to
1
a
r
if |r|<1
( )
2
1
sin 1 cos 2
2
x x =
Pythagorean
2 2
sin cos 1 x x + =
(others are easily derivable by
dividing by sin
2
x or cos
2
x)
2 2
2 2
1 tan sec
cot 1 csc
x x
x x
+ =
+ =

Reciprocal
1
sec cos sec 1
cos
x or x x
x
= =
1
csc sin csc 1
sin
x or x x
x
= =
Odd-Even
sin(x) = sin x (odd)
cos(x) = cos x (even)
Some more handy INTEGRALS:
tan ln sec
ln cos
sec ln sec tan
xdx x C
x C
x dx x x C
= +
= +
= + +

This is available at http://covenantchristian.org/bird/Smart/Calc1/StuffMUSTknowColdNew.htm