2.

5 Chain Rule

A. Chain Rule dy dy du
2. For each case, use = to find the
dx du dx
(Chain Rule) If g is differentiable at x and f is derivative of y = f ( g ( x)) .
differentiable at g (x) , then the composition a) y = sin u , u = x 2
( f o g )( x) = f ( g ( x)) is differentiable at x and b) y = cos u , u = 2 x + 3
( f o g )' ( x) = f ' ( g ( x)) g ' ( x) (1)
c) y = ln u , u = x 2 + 1

If u = g ( x) and y = f (u ) then d) y = e u , u = x 2
dy dy du e) y = log u , u = x
= (2)
dx du dx f) y = 2 u , u = 2 x 2
or
x +1
d d d g) y = tan u , u =
f ( g ( x)) = f (u ) g ( x) x 1
dx du dx
or dy dy du
3. Use =
d du dx x = a du u = g ( x ) dx x =a
[ f (u )] = f ' (u ) (3)
dx dx dy
or in words: to find at the given value of x .
dx
The derivative of f (u ) is the derivative of the
a) y = 2u 2 u 3 , u = x x , x = 4
outside function evaluated at the inside function
times the derivative of the inside function. x +1
b) y = 1 + u 2 , u = , x =1
2x + 1
B. Generalized Differentiation Rules 50
c) y = u + , u = 3x x , x = 4
(Argument is a Function) By replacing the argument u
x by f ( x) and by using the chain rule, we get
generalized differentiation rules: 4. Use ( f o g )' (a) = f ' ( g (a)) g ' (a) to find ( f o g )' at
n
[( f ( x)) ]' = n( f ( x)) f ' ( x) n 1 the given point.
a) x = 0 , g (0) = 1 , g ' (0) = 2 , f ' (1) = 3
[sin f ( x)]' = cos( f ( x)) f ' ( x)
a) x = 1 , g (1) = 0 , g ' (1) = 3 , f ' (0) = 4
[cos f ( x)]' = sin f ( x) f ' ( x)
[e f ( x ) ]' = e f ( x ) f ' ( x) (4) B. Generalized Differentiation Rules
f ' ( x)
[ln f ( x)]' =
f ( x) 1. Use the generalized differentiation rules to find the
f ( x) f ( x) derivative of each function.
[a ]' = a
(ln a) f ' ( x)
a) y = (1 + x + x 2 )10 b) y = ( x + x ) 7
f ' ( x)
[log a f ( x)]' =
(ln a ) f ( x) c) y = x 2 2 x d) y = x + x
1
e) y =
Practice Questions 3
1 x4
A. Chain Rule
2. Use the generalized differentiation rules to find the
dy dy du
1. For each case, use = to find the derivative of each function.
dx du dx
a) y = sin x b) y = cos x
derivative of y = f ( g ( x)) .
a) y = u 5 , u = 2 x 1 c) y = ln x d) y = x + e x

b) y = u , u = x 2 + 1 e) y = sin(cos x) f) y = ln x
1 g) y = cos( x ) 3
h) y = log(sin x)
c) y = u + , u = x + x2
u i) y = 3 sin x
j) y = log 2 x
1
d) y = u + u 2 , u = x + 1 1
x k) y = sin l) y = cos 2
x x
e) y = u + u , u = x + x
f) y = 3 u , u = 1 + x + x 2

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209 Teodoru Gugoiu | Page 1 of 3
3. Find the equation of the tangent line to each graph 3. Find the values of x where the tangent line to the
at the given point.
curve y = x 1 x 2 is either horizontal or vertical.
2
a) y = x + 16 at (3,5)
x 4. Analyse the continuity and differentiability at
b) y = at (0,0)
x = 0 for:
1+ x2
1
x2 1 x sin if x 0
c) y = 2
at 1, a) f ( x) = x
x +1 2 0 if x = 0

x 1 1
d) y = 2
at 2, 2 1
x +1 5 x sin if x 0
b) f ( x) = x
| x|
e) y = at (1,1) 0 if x = 0

2 x2
5. Let f be a differentiable function. Use the chain
1
, h( x ) = 1 + x ,
4. If f ( x) = 1 + x , g ( x ) = rule to show that:
1+ x
determine the derivative of each composition. a) if f is even, then f ' is odd
a) f o g o h b) g o h o f b) if f is odd, then f ' is even
c) g o g c) h o h
6. Use the chain rule to show that if f and g are
5. For each case, find the intervals where the inverse functions, then:
function is increasing or decreasing. 1
f ' ( g ( x)) = , g ' ( x) 0
a) f ( x) = (1 x 2 ) 2 b) f ( x) = x(1 x 2 ) 3 g ' ( x)
1 x 7. Use the previous result to find the derivative of
c) f ( x) = d) f ( x) =
2 2
(1 + x ) 1+ x2 arcsin(x) and arccos(x) .
6. Find all points on the graph of the function
8. Find a formula similar to (1) for the derivative of
y = 2 sin x + sin 2 x at which the tangent line is
the composition f o g o h .
horizontal.

7. Find all points on the graph of the function 9. Given h(1) = 0 , h' (1) = 1 , g (0) = 2 , g ' (0) = 3 ,
y = sin 2 x 2 sin x at which the tangent line is f (2) = 3 , f ' (2) = 4 find ( f o g o h)' (1) .
horizontal.
10. If y = f (u ) , u = g (v) , and v = h(x) , find a formula
Challenge Questions dy
1. Differentiate. for similar to (2).
dx
(1 x + 2 x 2 ) 2 v +1
a) y = (1 2 x) 3 ( x 3x 2 ) 5 b) y = 11. If y = 4u 2 2u , u = , and v = x 2 3 , find
(1 2 x 2 ) 3 2
v +1
dy
c) y = [( x 2 1) 3 + x 2 ] 2 d) y = x + x + x the value of .
dx x=2
1 x2 +1 x2 1 Answers
e) y = x + f) y =
( x 1) 2 x2 +1 + x2 1 A1. a) y ' = 10(2 x 1) 4 b) y ' =
x

1 x x2 +1
g) y =
3
1 x2 1
c) y ' = 1 3
(1 + 2 x)
2 x + x 2
2. Differentiate.
1 1
1
a) y = x 3 sin a) y = sin(cos(x 2 )) d) y ' = 1 + 2 x + 1 2
x x x
1
e) y ' = 1 + 1 + 1
b) y = ln(sin(e x )) c) y = sin(ln e x )
2 x + x 2 x
1
1 1 + 2x
d) y = ln(sin(e x )) e) y = x tan f) y ' =
x
33 (1 + x + x 2 ) 2

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209 Teodoru Gugoiu | Page 2 of 3
2. a) y ' = (2 x) cos( x 2 ) b) y ' = 2 sin(2 x + 3) 1 x2
d) f ' ( x) = , f is increasing on (1,1) and
c) y ' = 2
2x
d) y ' = 2 xe x
2
(1 + x 2 ) 2
x +1 decreasing on (,1) (1, )
1 2
6. ( / 2 + 2n ,3) and (3 / 2 + 2n ,1) where n is an
e) y ' = f) y ' = (4 x ln 2)2 2 x
2 ln 10 x log x integer
2 7. ( / 3 + 2n , 3 / 2) and (5 / 3 + 2n , 3 / 2) where
g) y ' =
x +1 n is an integer
( x 1) 2 cos 2
x 1
3. a) 1 b) (2 / 9) / 13 c) 11 / 8 CQ1. a) y = x 4 (1 2 x) 2 (1 3x) 4 (78 x 2 46 x + 5)
4. a) ( f o g )' (0) = 6 b) ( f o g )' (1) = 12 2(6 x 1)(1 x + 2 x 2 )
b) y ' =
B1. a) y = 10(1 + x + x 2 ) 9 (1 + 2 x) (1 2 x 2 ) 4
x 1 c) y ' = 4 x[( x 2 1) 3 + x 2 ][3( x 2 1) 2 + 1]
b) y = 7( x + x ) 6 (1 + 1 /( 2 x )) c) y =
x 2 2x 1+
1
1 + 1 /(2 x ) 4x 3 2 x 2
d) y = e) y = 1+ 1+
2 x+ x 3(1 x 4 ) 4 / 3 2 x+ x ( x 1) 3
d) y ' = e) y ' =
1
cos x sin x 2 x+ x+ x x+
2. a) y = b) y = ( x 1) 2
2 x 2 cos x
4 x
1 1+ ex f) y ' =
c) y = d) y = x + 1 x 1( x 2 + 1 + x 2 1) 2
2 2
2x 2 x + ex
1 x 2 + 4x 3
e) y = ( sin x) cos(cos x) f) y = g) y ' =
2 x ln x 6 1 x (1 x 2 ) 4 / 3

sin(3 x ) cos x
g) y = h) y = 1 1
(ln 10) sin x 2. a) y ' = 3 x 2 sin x cos
33 x 2 x x
1
i) y = (ln 3)(cos x)3sin x j) y = b) y ' = 2 x sin( x ) cos(cos(x 2 ))
2
(2 ln 2) x
e x cos(e x ) 1 x
1 1 2 1 c) y ' = d) y = cos
k) y = 2 cos l) y = 3 sin 2 sin(e ) x 2 2
x x x x 1
3. a) y = (3x 16) / 5 b) y = x c) y = x / 2 ex 1 1 1
d) y = (3x + 16) / 50 e) y = 2 x + 1 e) y = tan e x f) y ' = tan
x 2 x x cos 2 1

1 x
4. a) ( f o g o h)' ( x) =
2 1 + x (1 + 1 + x ) 2
1 2x 2
1 3. y ' = , horizontal tangents at 1 / 2 ,
b) ( g o h o f )' ( x) = 1 x2
(3 + x) 2
vertical, vertical tangents at 1
1
c) ( g o g )' ( x) = 1 1 1
(2 + x) 2 4. a) f ' ( x) = sin cos , x 0 , continuous
x
x x
1 and not differentiable at x = 0
d) (h o h)' ( x ) =
4 1+ x 1+ 1+ x 1 1
b) f ' ( x) = 2 x sin cos , x 0 , continuous and
5. a) f ( x) = 4 x(1 x 2 ) , f is increasing on x x
not differentiable at x = 0
(1,0) (1, ) and decreasing on (,1) (0,1)
1 1
b) f ' ( x) = (1 x 2 ) 2 (1 7 x 2 ) , f is increasing on 7. arcsin' ( x) = , arccos' ( x) =
1 x2 1 x2
(1 / 7 ,1 / 7 ) and decreasing on 8. ( f o g o h)' ( x) = f ' ( g (h( x))) g ' (h( x))h' ( x) 9.
(,1) (1,1 / 7 ) (1 / 7 ,1) (1, ) ( f o g o h)' (1) = f ' ( g (h(1)) g ' (h(1)h' (1) = (4)(3)(1) = 12
4 x dy dy du dv
c) f ' ( x) = , f is increasing if x < 0 and 10. =
(1 + x 2 ) 3 dx du dv dx
decreasing if x > 0 11. 6

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209 Teodoru Gugoiu | Page 3 of 3