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2 2. Revision of The Chain Rule 2 3. Implicit Differentiation 4

The document discusses implicit differentiation, which is a technique for finding the derivative of functions defined implicitly rather than explicitly in terms of x. It begins by introducing implicit functions and stating the goal of being able to differentiate functions defined implicitly. It then reviews the chain rule and provides an example of its use. The main topic of implicit differentiation is presented, with examples showing how to take the derivative of an implicitly defined function with respect to x by differentiating each term with respect to y and multiplying by dy/dx. Practice problems with solutions are provided.

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Nosagie Lang
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62 views

2 2. Revision of The Chain Rule 2 3. Implicit Differentiation 4

The document discusses implicit differentiation, which is a technique for finding the derivative of functions defined implicitly rather than explicitly in terms of x. It begins by introducing implicit functions and stating the goal of being able to differentiate functions defined implicitly. It then reviews the chain rule and provides an example of its use. The main topic of implicit differentiation is presented, with examples showing how to take the derivative of an implicitly defined function with respect to x by differentiating each term with respect to y and multiplying by dy/dx. Practice problems with solutions are provided.

Uploaded by

Nosagie Lang
Copyright
© Attribution Non-Commercial (BY-NC)
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Implicit Differentiation

mc-TY-implicit-2009-1 Sometimes functions are given not in the form y = f (x) but in a more complicated form in which it is dicult or impossible to express y explicitly in terms of x. Such functions are called implicit functions. In this unit we explain how these can be dierentiated using implicit dierentiation. In order to master the techniques explained here it is vital that you undertake plenty of practice exercises so that they become second nature. After reading this text, and/or viewing the video tutorial on this topic, you should be able to: dierentiate functions dened implicitly

Contents
1. Introduction 2. Revision of the chain rule 3. Implicit dierentiation 2 2 4

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c mathcentre 2009

1. Introduction
In this unit we look at how we might dierentiate functions of y with respect to x. Consider an expression such as x2 + y 2 4x + 5y 8 = 0 It would be quite dicult to re-arrange this so y was given explicitly as a function of x. We could perhaps, given values of x, use the expression to work out the values of y and thereby draw a graph. In general even if this is possible, it will be dicult. A function given in this way is said to be dened implicitly. In this unit we study how to dierentiate a function given in this form. It will be necessary to use a rule known as the the chain rule or the rule for dierentiating a function of a function. In this unit we will refer to it as the chain rule. There is a separate unit which covers this particular rule thoroughly, although we will revise it briey here.

2. Revision of the chain rule


We revise the chain rule by means of an example. Example Suppose we wish to dierentiate y = (5 + 2x)10 in order to calculate We make a substitution and let u = 5 + 2x so that y = u10 . The chain rule states dy dy du = dx du dx Now if y = u10 and if u = 5 + 2x hence dy du dy = dx du dx = 10u9 2 = 20u9 = 20(5 + 2x)9 So we have used the chain rule in order to dierentiate the function y = (5 + 2x)10 . www.mathcentre.ac.uk 2 c mathcentre 2009 then du =2 dx then dy = 10u9 du
dy . dx

dy dy du In quoting the chain rule in the form = note that we write y in terms of u, and u dx du dx in terms of x. i.e. y = y (u ) and u = u(x) We will need to work with dierent variables. Suppose we have z in terms of y , and y in terms of x, i.e. z = z (y ) and y = y (x) The chain rule would then state: dz dz dy = dx dy dx = 2y . Then using the chain rule dz dy dz = dx dy dx dy = 2y dx dy = 2y dx Notice what we have just done. In order to dierentiate y 2 with respect to x we have dierentiated dy y 2 with respect to y , and then multiplied by , i.e. dx d y2 dx We can generalise this as follows: to dierentiate a function of y with respect to x, we dierentiate with respect to y and then dy multiply by dx . = d dy y2 dy dx

Example Suppose z = y 2. It follows that

dz dy

Key Point
d dy d (f (y )) = (f (y )) dx dy dx

We are now ready to do some implicit dierentiation. Remember, every time we want to dierentiate a function of y with respect to x, we dierentiate with respect to y and then multiply by dy . dx

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3. Implicit differentiation
Example Suppose we want to dierentiate the implicit function y 2 + x3 y 3 + 6 = 3y with respect x. We dierentiate each term with respect to x: d d d d d y2 + x3 y3 + (6) = (3y ) dx dx dx dx dx Dierentiating functions of x with respect to x is straightforward. But when dierentiating a function of y with respect to x we must remember the rule given in the previous keypoint. We nd d dy dy d d dy y2 y3 + 3x2 + 0= (3y ) dy dx dy dx dy dx that is dy dy dy + 3x2 3y 2 =3 2y dx dx dx dy We rearrange this to collect all terms involving dx together. 3x2 = 3 then 3x2 = 3 2y + 3y 2 so that, nally, dy 3x2 = dx 3 2 y + 3y 2 dy . dx dy dy dy 2y + 3y 2 dx dx dx dy dx

This is our expression for Example

Suppose we want to dierentiate, with respect to x, the implicit function sin y + x2 y 3 cos x = 2y As before, we dierentiate each term with respect to x. d d d d x2 y 3 (sin y ) + (cos x) = (2y ) dx dx dx dx Recognise that the second term is a product and we will need the product rule. We will also use the chain rule to dierentiate the functions of y . We nd d dy d d y3 + y3 x2 (sin y ) + x2 dy dx dx dx so that cos y www.mathcentre.ac.uk + sin x = d dy (2y ) dy dx

dy d dy dy y3 + x2 . + y 3. 2x + sin x = 2 dx dy dx dx 4 c mathcentre 2009

Tidying this up gives cos y dy dy dy + x2 3y 2 + 2xy 3 + sin x = 2 dx dx dx


dy . dx

We now start to collect together terms involving 2xy 3 + sin x = 2

dy dy dy cos y 3x2 y 2 dx dx dx dy dx

2xy 3 + sin x = (2 cos y 3x2 y 2) so that, nally 2xy 3 + sin x dy = dx 2 cos y 3x2 y 2

We have deliberately included plenty of detail in this calculation. With practice you will be able to omit many of the intermediate stages. The following two examples show how you should aim to condense the solution. Example Suppose we want to dierentiate y 2 + x3 xy + cos y = 0 to nd may take the form: dy d dy + 3x2 (xy ) sin y = 0 dx dx dx dy dy + 3x2 x + y.1 dx dx = 0
dy . dx

The condensed solution

2y

(2y sin y )

(2y sin y x)

dy + 3x2 y = 0 dx dy = y 3x2 dx

(2y sin y x) so that

dy y 3x2 = dx 2y sin y x

Example Suppose we want to dierentiate y 3 x sin y + The solution is as follows:


dy x 2y dx y 2.1 dy 3y x cos y + sin y.1 + = 0 dx dx x2 2 dy

y2 =8 x

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Multiplying through by x2 gives: 3x2 y 2 dy dy dy x3 cos y x2 sin y + 2xy y2 = 0 dx dx dx dy 3x2 y 2 x3 cos y + 2xy dx so that = x2 sin y + y 2

dy x2 sin y + y 2 = 2 2 dx 3x y x3 cos y + 2xy

Exercises 1. Find the derivative, with respect to x, of each of the following functions (in each case y depends on x). a) y f) xy b) g) y2 c) sin y y sin y d) i) e2y cos(y 2 + 1) e) j) x+y cos(y 2 + x)
dy . dx

y sin x h)

2. Dierentiate each of the following with respect to x and nd a) sin y + x2 + 4y = cos x. b) 3xy 2 + cos y 2 = 2x3 + 5. c) 5x2 x3 sin y + 5xy = 10. d) x cos x2 + yx + 3x5 = 4x3 . e) tan 5y y sin x + 3xy 2 = 9. Answers to Exercises on Implicit Dierentiation 1. a) d) g) j) 2. a) c) e) dy dx 2e2y dy dx dy 1+ dx
2

b) dy dx e) dy dx h)

2y

c)

cos y

f) x dy dx i)

dy +y dx

dy dx

y cos x + sin x 2y

(sin y + y cos y )

2y sin(y 2 + 1)

dy dx

dy + 1 sin(y 2 + x) dx b) d) dy 6x2 3y 2 = dx 6xy 2y sin y 2 dy 12x4 15x6 + y 2 2x3 sin x2 x2 = dx 2xy

sin x 2x dy = dx 4 + cos y 10x 3x2 sin y + 5y dy = dx x3 cos y 5x dy y cos x 3y 2 = dx 5sec2 5y sin x + 6xy

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