Author Question: What is the derivative of the imaginary number i? (Read 1335 times)

coco

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 739
I thought of using the definition of the derivative to find it: f'(x)=lim (h->0) (f(x+h)-f(x))/h = lim ((i+h)-i)/h = lim h/h = lim 1 = 1. Is this right? Are there other proofs?



Jesse_J

  • Sr. Member
  • ****
  • Posts: 282
Actually i acts just as any other constant does. So the derivative of i with respect to some variable is 0.

Proof:
Let f(x) = i
Square both sides:
[f(x)]² = i²
[f(x)]² = -1
Implicitly differentiate:
2 f(x) f'(x) = 0
f(x) f'(x) = 0
i f'(x) = 0
f'(x) = 0 / i
f'(x) = 0



Related Topics

Need homework help now?

Ask unlimited questions for free

Ask a Question

Joesy

  • Guest
The number i is a constant, so its derivative is zero.  I think?



 

Did you know?

Cocaine was isolated in 1860 and first used as a local anesthetic in 1884. Its first clinical use was by Sigmund Freud to wean a patient from morphine addiction. The fictional character Sherlock Holmes was supposed to be addicted to cocaine by injection.

Did you know?

Russia has the highest death rate from cardiovascular disease followed by the Ukraine, Romania, Hungary, and Poland.

Did you know?

The newest statin drug, rosuvastatin, has been called a superstatin because it appears to reduce LDL cholesterol to a greater degree than the other approved statin drugs.

Did you know?

Certain rare plants containing cyanide include apricot pits and a type of potato called cassava. Fortunately, only chronic or massive ingestion of any of these plants can lead to serious poisoning.

Did you know?

Opium has influenced much of the world's most popular literature. The following authors were all opium users, of varying degrees: Lewis Carroll, Charles, Dickens, Arthur Conan Doyle, and Oscar Wilde.

For a complete list of videos, visit our video library