Question 50737
<pre><font size = 4><b>Help!  PAGE 131 #19
Find and simplify the difference quotient:

 f(x + h) - f(x)
-----------------, h does not = 0
        h
       
for the given formula:

        1
f(x) = ---
        x        
               1
f(x + h) =  -------
             x + h
                     1       1        x - (x + h)     x - x - h         
f(x + h) - f(x) = ------- - ---  =  -------------- = ----------- =  
                   x + h     x         x(x + h)        x(x + h)      

                                                         -h
                                                    ------------
                                                      x(x + h) 



Now divide that by h

 f(x + h) - f(x)         -h         h         -h         1
----------------- = ------------ ÷ --- = ------------ × --- =  
        h             x(x + h)      1      x(x + h)      h

      1
     -<s>h</s>         1
------------ × --- 
  x(x + h)      <s>h</s>
                1

          -1
      ----------
       x(x + h) 

Edwin</pre>