Alphabeta Math
LemmaStatement: AI-adaptedProof: AI-adaptedSession-authored (Fable 5 assisted)precheck passjudge pass (z-ai/glm-5.2)audited 2026-07-28
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For a natural n1n \ge 1 the function xxnx \mapsto x^{n} is differentiable everywhere with derivative ι(n)xn1\iota(n)\,x^{\,n-1}; for n=0n = 0 it is the constant 11, with derivative 00; for a natural n1n \ge 1 the function xxnx \mapsto x^{-n} is differentiable at every x0x \ne 0 with derivative ι(n)xn1-\iota(n)\,x^{-n-1}; consequently every polynomial function is differentiable at every real, with the derivative computed term by term

Statement

Powers are those of Integer powers ama^m, and ι:NR\iota : \mathbb{N} \to \mathbb{R} is the canonical natural of The canonical natural ι(n)=n1F\iota(n) = n \cdot 1_F of a field, so that ι(0)=0\iota(0) = 0 and ι(m+1)=ι(m)+1\iota(m+1) = \iota(m) + 1. Let nNn \in \mathbb{N}.

  1. The function p0:RRp_0 : \mathbb{R} \to \mathbb{R}, p0(x)=x0p_0(x) = x^{0}, is the constant function 11, and it is differentiable at every cRc \in \mathbb{R} with p0(c)=0p_0'(c) = 0 (The derivative f(c)=limxcf(x)f(c)xcf'(c) = \lim_{x \to c} \frac{f(x) - f(c)}{x - c} of f:ARf : A \to \mathbb{R} at a point cAc \in A that is a limit point of AA, and differentiability on a set).
  2. For n1n \ge 1 the function pn:RRp_n : \mathbb{R} \to \mathbb{R}, pn(x)=xnp_n(x) = x^{n}, is differentiable at every cRc \in \mathbb{R}, and pn(c)  =  ι(n)cn1.p_n'(c) \;=\; \iota(n)\,c^{\,n-1} .
  3. For n1n \ge 1 put A0:={xR:x0}A_0 := \{\, x \in \mathbb{R} : x \ne 0 \,\}. The function mn:A0Rm_n : A_0 \to \mathbb{R}, mn(x)=xnm_n(x) = x^{-n}, is differentiable at every cA0c \in A_0 as a function on A0A_0, and mn(c)  =  ι(n)cn1.m_n'(c) \;=\; -\,\iota(n)\,c^{\,-n-1} .
  4. Let a:NRa : \mathbb{N} \to \mathbb{R} with aj=0a_j = 0 for jnj \ge n, and let P:RRP : \mathbb{R} \to \mathbb{R} be the polynomial function P(x)=j<najxjP(x) = \sum_{j<n} a_j x^{j} (Finite sums and finite products, by recursion). Then PP is differentiable at every cRc \in \mathbb{R}, and, defining e:NRe : \mathbb{N} \to \mathbb{R} by e0:=0e_0 := 0 and ej:=ι(j)ajcj1e_j := \iota(j)\,a_j\,c^{\,j-1} for j1j \ge 1, P(c)  =  j<nej.P'(c) \;=\; \sum_{j<n} e_j .

Claim 2 is stated for n1n \ge 1 and not for n0n \ge 0, and that is not timidity. At n=0n = 0 its right-hand side reads ι(0)c1\iota(0)\,c^{-1}, and c1c^{-1} is not defined at c=0c = 0 (Integer powers ama^m), so the formula is not a statement about the whole line. Claim 1 is what covers n=0n = 0, and it says the derivative is 00 there, which is what the informal reading "0c10 \cdot c^{-1}" is reaching for. The same shift is why the term e0e_0 of claim 4 is defined to be 00 outright rather than by the formula.

Facts & Assumptions

Given: A natural nn, a real cc, and the functions pnp_n, mnm_n and PP of the statement.

[L1]

Powers (Integer powers ama^m): a0=1a^{0} = 1 and am+1=amaa^{m+1} = a^{m}a for every aRa \in \mathbb{R} and mNm \in \mathbb{N}; am:=(am)1a^{-m} := (a^{m})^{-1} for a0a \ne 0 and m1m \ge 1; and 0m=00^{m} = 0 for m1m \ge 1.

[L2]

Canonical naturals (The canonical natural ι(n)=n1F\iota(n) = n \cdot 1_F of a field): ι(0)=0\iota(0) = 0, ι(m+1)=ι(m)+1\iota(m+1) = \iota(m) + 1, and hence ι(1)=1\iota(1) = 1.

[L3]

Algebra of derivatives (Sums, scalar multiples, products and quotients: (f+g)(c)=f(c)+g(c)(f+g)'(c) = f'(c) + g'(c), (αf)(c)=αf(c)(\alpha f)'(c) = \alpha f'(c), (fg)(c)=f(c)g(c)+f(c)g(c)(fg)'(c) = f'(c)g(c) + f(c)g'(c), and (f/g)(c)=(f(c)g(c)f(c)g(c))/g(c)2(f/g)'(c) = \bigl(f'(c)g(c) - f(c)g'(c)\bigr)/g(c)^{2} when g(c)0g(c) \ne 0): at a limit point cc of the common domain, sums, scalar multiples and products of functions differentiable at cc are differentiable at cc with the four stated formulas, and if the denominator is nonzero at cc then the quotient, restricted to the set where the denominator does not vanish, is differentiable at cc with the quotient formula; that restricted set has cc as a limit point.

[L4]

Derivative and difference quotient (The derivative f(c)=limxcf(x)f(c)xcf'(c) = \lim_{x \to c} \frac{f(x) - f(c)}{x - c} of f:ARf : A \to \mathbb{R} at a point cAc \in A that is a limit point of AA, and differentiability on a set): ff is differentiable at a limit point cc of its domain DD exactly when the difference quotient x(f(x)f(c))/(xc)x \mapsto (f(x)-f(c))/(x-c), a function on D{c}D \setminus \{c\}, has a limit at cc, and f(c)f'(c) is that limit. A constant function hKh \equiv K on a set having cc as a limit point has limxch(x)=K\lim_{x \to c} h(x) = K: given a real ε>0\varepsilon > 0, any real δ>0\delta > 0 serves, since KK=0<ε|K - K| = 0 < \varepsilon (The ε\varepsilon-δ\delta limit limxcf(x)=L\lim_{x \to c} f(x) = L of f:ARf : A \to \mathbb{R} at a limit point cc of AA).

[L5]

Induction principle on N\mathbb{N} (The principle of mathematical induction).

[L6]

Finite sums (Finite sums and finite products, by recursion): j<0bj=0\sum_{j<0} b_j = 0 and j<m+1bj=(j<mbj)+bm\sum_{j<m+1} b_j = \bigl(\sum_{j<m} b_j\bigr) + b_m.

[L7]

Integer exponent laws for a nonzero base (Laws of integer exponents): ak0a^{k} \ne 0 for every kNk \in \mathbb{N} when a0a \ne 0; and for integers j,kj, k one has ajak=aj+ka^{j}a^{k} = a^{j+k}, (aj)k=ajk(a^{j})^{k} = a^{jk} and ak=(ak)1a^{-k} = (a^{k})^{-1}.

Proof

technique · induction
1.1

Base case, claim 2 at n=1n = 1. By [L1], x1=x0x=1x=xx^{1} = x^{0}x = 1 \cdot x = x, so p1p_1 is the identity. Fix cRc \in \mathbb{R}; for every xcx \ne c the difference quotient is (xc)/(xc)=1(x - c)/(x - c) = 1, so it is the constant function 11 on R{c}\mathbb{R} \setminus \{c\}, and by [L4] and [L8] its limit at cc is 11. Since ι(1)c0=11=1\iota(1)c^{0} = 1 \cdot 1 = 1 by [L1] and [L2], claim 2 holds at n=1n = 1.

baseL1L2L4L8
1.2

Inductive hypothesis. Fix a natural n1n \ge 1 and assume that pnp_n is differentiable at every cRc \in \mathbb{R} with pn(c)=ι(n)cn1p_n'(c) = \iota(n)c^{\,n-1}.

ih
1.3

Claim 1. By [L1] the function p0p_0 is the constant function 11. Fix cRc \in \mathbb{R}; for every xcx \ne c its difference quotient is (11)/(xc)=0(1-1)/(x-c) = 0, the constant function 00 on R{c}\mathbb{R}\setminus\{c\}, whose limit at cc is 00 by [L4] and [L8]. So p0p_0 is differentiable at every cc with p0(c)=0p_0'(c) = 0.

L1L4L8
2.1

Successor step. Let cRc \in \mathbb{R}. By [L1], pn+1(x)=xn+1=xnx=pn(x)p1(x)p_{n+1}(x) = x^{n+1} = x^{n}x = p_n(x)\,p_1(x) for every xx. Both factors are differentiable at cc, by step 1.2 and step 1.1, so the product rule of [L3] gives that pn+1p_{n+1} is differentiable at cc with pn+1(c)=pn(c)p1(c)+pn(c)p1(c)=ι(n)cn1c+cn1p_{n+1}'(c) = p_n'(c)p_1(c) + p_n(c)p_1'(c) = \iota(n)c^{\,n-1}c + c^{n} \cdot 1. Now cn1c=c(n1)+1=cnc^{\,n-1}c = c^{\,(n-1)+1} = c^{n} by [L1], so the right-hand side is ι(n)cn+cn=(ι(n)+1)cn=ι(n+1)cn\iota(n)c^{n} + c^{n} = \bigl(\iota(n)+1\bigr)c^{n} = \iota(n+1)c^{n} by [L2].

step 1.1step 1.2L1L2L3
3.1

Claim 2. Steps 1.1 and 2.1 are the base case and the successor step of an induction over the naturals n1n \ge 1, so by [L5] the function pnp_n is differentiable at every cRc \in \mathbb{R} with pn(c)=ι(n)cn1p_n'(c) = \iota(n)c^{\,n-1}, for every natural n1n \ge 1.

step 1.1step 2.1L5
4.1

Claim 3. Let n1n \ge 1. The set {xR:pn(x)0}\{\, x \in \mathbb{R} : p_n(x) \ne 0 \,\} is exactly A0A_0: a nonzero xx has xn0x^{n} \ne 0 by [L7], and 0n=00^{n} = 0 by [L1]. Fix cA0c \in A_0. The constant function 11 on R\mathbb{R} is differentiable at cc with derivative 00 by step 1.3, and pnp_n is differentiable at cc with derivative ι(n)cn1\iota(n)c^{\,n-1} by step 3.1, with pn(c)=cn0p_n(c) = c^{n} \ne 0. So the quotient rule of [L3] applies: the function x1/xnx \mapsto 1/x^{n} on A0A_0, which by [L1] and [L7] is mnm_n, is differentiable at cc with derivative (0cn1ι(n)cn1)/(cn)2=ι(n)cn1(c2n)1=ι(n)cn12n=ι(n)cn1\bigl(0 \cdot c^{n} - 1 \cdot \iota(n)c^{\,n-1}\bigr)/(c^{n})^{2} = -\iota(n)\,c^{\,n-1}\bigl(c^{\,2n}\bigr)^{-1} = -\iota(n)\,c^{\,n-1-2n} = -\iota(n)\,c^{\,-n-1}, where (cn)2=c2n(c^{n})^{2} = c^{\,2n} and cn1c2n=cn1c^{\,n-1}c^{\,-2n} = c^{\,-n-1} are [L7].

step 1.3step 3.1L1L3L7
4.2

Claim 4, by a second induction on nn. Fix cRc \in \mathbb{R} and the sequence aa. At n=0n = 0 the sum P(x)=j<0ajxjP(x) = \sum_{j<0} a_j x^{j} is 00 for every xx by [L6], so PP is the constant function 00 and, as in step 1.3, P(c)=0=j<0ejP'(c) = 0 = \sum_{j<0} e_j. Suppose the claim holds at nn, and let Pn+1(x):=j<n+1ajxjP_{n+1}(x) := \sum_{j<n+1} a_j x^{j}. By [L6], Pn+1(x)=Pn(x)+anxnP_{n+1}(x) = P_n(x) + a_n x^{n} for every xx, where Pn(x)=j<najxjP_n(x) = \sum_{j<n} a_j x^{j}. The function xanxnx \mapsto a_n x^{n} is differentiable at cc with derivative ene_n: for n=0n = 0 it is the constant ana_n, of derivative 0=e00 = e_0, by step 1.3 and the scalar rule of [L3]; for n1n \ge 1 it is the scalar multiple anpna_n p_n, of derivative anι(n)cn1=ena_n \iota(n)c^{\,n-1} = e_n, by step 3.1 and the scalar rule of [L3]. The inductive hypothesis gives Pn(c)=j<nejP_n'(c) = \sum_{j<n} e_j, so the sum rule of [L3] gives that Pn+1P_{n+1} is differentiable at cc with Pn+1(c)=j<nej+en=j<n+1ejP_{n+1}'(c) = \sum_{j<n} e_j + e_n = \sum_{j<n+1} e_j by [L6]. By [L5] claim 4 holds for every nNn \in \mathbb{N}.

step 1.3step 3.1L3L5L6
5.1

All four claims are established: claim 1 by step 1.3, claim 2 by step 3.1, claim 3 by step 4.1 and claim 4 by step 4.2.

step 1.3step 3.1step 4.1step 4.2discharge-induction

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