Break up the fraction into the product of two fractions Write the x in the denominator as x-1 in the numerator. Use the first principle of derivatives You can keep going by writing the negative exponent of x in the numerator as a positive exponent of x in the denominator, then getting an LCD, etc. Edwin
I taught calculus for 40 years but never heard of "first principle". So I assumed you meant the first derivative formula you learn which is the derivative of a power of x. You haven't gotten to the short-cut formulas yet. What you want is what we called "by using the definition of the derivative" or "by the limit of the difference quotient".------------------------------------------------- Multiply top and bottom by LCD = 2x(x+h) Factor h out of the numerator: Cancel h's As h approaches 0 the numerator and denominator approach what we get if we substitute 0 for h, so the limit as h approaches 0 is: Edwin