Porisma

Worked solution

Single-fraction derivatives and an implicit slope

(a) Differentiate the following with respect to xx, giving your answers as single fractions.

(i) ln⁡(x1−2x)\ln\left(\dfrac{x}{\sqrt{1-2x}}\right),

(ii) 1cos⁡−1(x2)\dfrac1{\cos^{-1}(x^2)}.

(b) The variables xx and yy are related by exy2=y(x2+2ex)e^{xy^2}=y(x^2+2e^x).

Find the value of dydx\dfrac{dy}{dx} when x=0x=0 and y=12y=\dfrac12.

[2015/MJC/Promo/7]

CJC · Discussion · Question 7

Answer

(a)(i) 1−xx(1−2x)\dfrac{1-x}{x(1-2x)}. (a)(ii) 2x[cos⁡−1(x2)]21−x4\dfrac{2x}{[\cos^{-1}(x^2)]^2\sqrt{1-x^4}}. (b) −3/8-3/8.

(a)(i)

Write y=ln⁡x−12ln⁡(1−2x)y=\ln x-\dfrac12\ln(1-2x). Then dydx=1x−12⋅−21−2x=1x+11−2x=1−xx(1−2x)\dfrac{dy}{dx}=\dfrac1x-\dfrac12\cdot\dfrac{-2}{1-2x}=\dfrac1x+\dfrac1{1-2x}=\dfrac{1-x}{x(1-2x)}. The original logarithm requires 0<x<1/20<x<1/2.

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(a)(ii)

Write y=[cos⁡−1(x2)]−1y=[\cos^{-1}(x^2)]^{-1}. The chain rule gives dydx=(−1)[cos⁡−1(x2)]−2⋅(−11−(x2)2)(2x)=2x[cos⁡−1(x2)]21−x4\dfrac{dy}{dx}=(-1)[\cos^{-1}(x^2)]^{-2}\cdot\left(-\dfrac1{\sqrt{1-(x^2)^2}}\right)(2x)=\dfrac{2x}{[\cos^{-1}(x^2)]^2\sqrt{1-x^4}}, for ∣x∣<1|x|<1.

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(b) Method 1

Differentiate the original relation: (y2+2xydydx)exy2=(x2+2ex)dydx+y(2x+2ex)\left(y^2+2xy\dfrac{dy}{dx}\right)e^{xy^2}=(x^2+2e^x)\dfrac{dy}{dx}+y(2x+2e^x). At x=0x=0, y=1/2y=1/2, this becomes (1/4+0)e0=2e0dydx+12(2e0)(1/4+0)e^0=2e^0\dfrac{dy}{dx}+\dfrac12(2e^0). Thus 1/4=2dydx+11/4=2\dfrac{dy}{dx}+1, giving dydx=−3/8\dfrac{dy}{dx}=-3/8.

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(b) Method 2

Take logarithms: xy2=ln⁡y+ln⁡(x2+2ex)xy^2=\ln y+\ln(x^2+2e^x). Differentiate: y2+2xydydx=1ydydx+2x+2exx2+2exy^2+2xy\dfrac{dy}{dx}=\dfrac1y\dfrac{dy}{dx}+\dfrac{2x+2e^x}{x^2+2e^x}. At x=0x=0, y=1/2y=1/2, this again gives 1/4=2dydx+11/4=2\dfrac{dy}{dx}+1, hence −3/8-3/8. The logarithmic route is valid locally at the specified point, where both logged factors are positive.

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Common mistakes

The exponent is xy². The inverse cosine is arccos, not the reciprocal of cos.

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