Concept understanding — Derivatives of Standard Functions
Applying the first-principle limit once to each basic elementary function builds a permanent table; every later problem then differentiates by combining this table with the rules of differentiation (sum/product/quotient/chain/constant-multiple), with no further limit ever required.
Algebraic functions.
dxd(k)=0(k constant),dxd(xn)=nxn−1for any real n(Corollaries 10.1–10.2 extend the integer case to rational, then any real, exponent).
Only sinx→cosx is derived directly from the limit definition (via the sum-to-product identity and limθ→0sinθ/θ=1); every other trig derivative follows from it using the chain rule (cosx=sin(2π+x)) or the quotient rule (tanx=sinx/cosx, etc.) — so the whole trig table rests on a single limit.
The six inverse trigonometric functions (each domain-restricted to its principal branch):
sin−1x and tan−1x are derived by writing x=siny (resp. x=tany) and differentiating implicitly (§10.4.3's technique, used here before that section is formally reached); the three complementary pairs (cos−1↔sin−1, cot−1↔tan−1, and cosec−1↔sec−1) each follow from a co-function identity such as sin−1x+cos−1x=2π (a constant, so the two derivatives are exact negatives of each other).
Tip
Nearly every problem asking to "find the derivative" of an explicit function combines two or more of these table entries via the chain, product, or quotient rule — recognising which table entries are in play (is the outer layer a power? a trig function? a log?) is the whole skill being practised in Exercises 10.2 and 10.3.
Differentiate sin x and cos x separately using the standard derivative table, then add.
✓Final answer
y′=cosx−sinx
Step 1.y=sinx+cosx is a sum of two standard functions.
Step 2.dxd(sinx)=cosx and dxd(cosx)=−sinx.
Step 3. Add the two results: y′=cosx−sinx.
✓Final answer
y′=cosx−sinx
Sign error on the derivative of cos x (it is -sin x, not sin x)
Mixing up which of the two terms carries the negative sign