Question

Derivative of tan(2x+3) using first principle

Answer 1

$f(x)=\tan(2x+3)$

The derivative is given by the limit

$f'(x)=\displaystyle\lim_{h\to0}\frac{f(x+h)-f(x)}h$

You have

$\displaystyle\lim_{h\to0}\frac{\tan(2(x+h)+3)-\tan(2x+3)}h$
$\displaystyle\lim_{h\to0}\frac{\tan((2x+3)+2h)-\tan(2x+3)}h$

Use the angle sum identity for tangent. I don't remember it off the top of my head, but I do remember the ones for (co)sine.

$\tan(a+b)=\dfrac{\sin(a+b)}{\cos(a+b)}=\dfrac{\sin a\cos b+\cos a\sin b}{\cos a\cos b-\sin a\sin b}=\dfrac{\tan a+\tan b}{1-\tan a\tan b}$

By this identity, you have

$\tan((2x+3)+2h)=\dfrac{\tan(2x+3)+\tan2h}{1-\tan(2x+3)\tan2h}$

So in the limit you get

$\displaystyle\lim_{h\to0}\frac{\dfrac{\tan(2x+3)+\tan2h}{1-\tan(2x+3)\tan2h}-\tan(2x+3)}h$
$\displaystyle\lim_{h\to0}\frac{\tan(2x+3)+\tan2h-\tan(2x+3)(1-\tan(2x+3)\tan2h)}{h(1-\tan(2x+3)\tan2h)}$
$\displaystyle\lim_{h\to0}\frac{\tan2h+\tan^2(2x+3)\tan2h}{h(1-\tan(2x+3)\tan2h)}$
$\displaystyle\lim_{h\to0}\frac{\tan2h}h\times\lim_{h\to0}\frac{1+\tan^2(2x+3)}{1-\tan(2x+3)\tan2h}$
$\displaystyle\frac12\lim_{h\to0}\frac1{\cos2h}\times\lim_{h\to0}\frac{\sin2h}{2h}\times\lim_{h\to0}\frac{\sec^2(2x+3)}{1-\tan(2x+3)\tan2h}$

The first two limits are both 1, and the single term in the last limit approaches 0 as $h\to0$, so you're left with

$f'(x)=\dfrac12\sec^2(2x+3)$

which agrees with the result you get from applying the chain rule.