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lost_in_phys
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Homework Statement
I'm supposed to differentiate a function: (x^3) + 2x
Using the standard way used today, and then find the equation of the line so that it passes through (1,3).
So I did: 3(x^2) + 2
and then the final equation is y = 5x - 2 right?
Then I'm also supposed to differentiate and find the equation using fermat's method, and given from the readings we have, it's:
TQ = [E * f(x)]/[f(x + E) - f(x)]
***This is the equation described in "Early Seventeenth Century Work on The Calculus, p..345"***
and I should get the same thing, but I get [(x^2)+2]/[3x]
which for x = 1 would give y = 1
I got this by expanding everything and then eliminating opposites (ie +2x and -2x) and then ones with E I put to 0, because according to what I read, that's what we do.
What am I doing wrong?
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