3 Differentiation Rules
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3.5 Implicit Differentiation
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Implicitly Defined Functions
3
Implicitly Defined Functions (1 of 5)
The functions that we have met so far can be described by expressing one
variable explicitly in terms of another variable—for example,
y x 3 1 or y x sin x
or, in general, y = f(x).
Some functions, however, are defined implicitly by a relation between x and y
such as
1 x 2 y 2 25
or
2 x 3 y 3 6 xy
4
Implicitly Defined Functions (2 of 5)
In some cases it is possible to solve such an equation for y as an
explicit function (or several functions) of x.
2
For instance, if we solve Equation 1 for y, we get y 25 x ,
so two of the functions determined by the implicit Equation 1 are
f x 25 x 2 and g x 25 x 2 .
5
Implicitly Defined Functions (3 of 5)
The graphs of f and g are the upper and lower semicircles of the circle
x 2 y 2 25. (See Figure 1.)
Figure 1
6
Implicitly Defined Functions (4 of 5)
It’s not easy to solve Equation 2 for y explicitly as a function of x by hand. (Even
if we use technology, the resulting expressions are very complicated.)
Nonetheless, (2) is the equation of a curve called the folium of Descartes
shown in Figure 2 and it implicitly defines y as several functions of x.
The folium of Descartes
Figure 2
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Implicitly Defined Functions (5 of 5)
The graphs of three such functions are shown in Figure 3.
Graphs of three functions defined by the folium of Descartes
Figure 3
When we say that f is a function defined implicitly by Equation 2, we mean that
the equation
3
x f x 6 xf x
3
is true for all values of x in the domain of f.
8
Implicit Differentiation
9
Implicit Differentiation (1 of 1)
Fortunately, we don’t need to solve an equation for y in terms of x in order to
find the derivative of y. Instead we can use the method of implicit
differentiation.
This consists of differentiating both sides of the equation with respect to x and
then solving the resulting equation for dy/dx.
In the examples and exercises of this section it is always assumed that the
given equation determines y implicitly as a differentiable function of x so that
the method of implicit differentiation can be applied.
10
Example 1
2 2 dy
If x y 25, find .
dx
Then find an equation of the tangent to the circle x 2 y 2 25 at the point (3, 4).
Solution 1:
Differentiate both sides of the equation x 2 y 2 25 :
d 2 d
( x y 2 ) (25)
dx dx
d 2 d 2
( x ) ( y ) 0
dx dx
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Example 1 – Solution (1 of 3)
Remembering that y is a function of x and using the Chain Rule, we have
d 2 d 2 dy
(y ) (y )
dx dy dx
dy
2 y
dx
Thus dy
2 x 2y 0
dx
dy
Now we solve this equation for :
dx
dy x
dx y
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Example 1 – Solution (2 of 3)
At the point (3, 4) we have x = 3 and y = 4, so
dy 3
dx 4
An equation of the tangent to the circle at (3, 4) is therefore
3
y 4 x 3 or 3 x 4y 25
4
Solution 2:
2
Solving the equation x 2
y 2
25 for y, we get y 25 x .
The point (3, 4) lies on the upper semicircle y 25 x 2 and so we consider
the function f x 25 x 2 .
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Example 1 – Solution (3 of 3)
Differentiating f using the Chain Rule, we have
1
1 2 2 d
f ( x ) (25 x ) (25 x 2 )
2 dx
1
1 x
(25 x 2 ) 2 ( 2 x )
2 25 x 2
At the point (3, 4) we have
3 3
f (3)
25 32 4
and, as in Solution 1, an equation of the tangent is 3x + 4y = 25.
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Second Derivatives of Implicit Functions
15
Second Derivatives of Implicit Functions ( 1 of 1)
The next example shows how to find the second derivative of a function that is
defined implicitly.
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Example 4
4 4
Find y if x y 16.
Solution:
Differentiating the equation implicitly with respect to x, we get
4 x 3 4y 3 y = 0
Solving for y′ gives
x3
3 y 3
y
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Example 4 – Solution (1 of 2)
To find y′′ we differentiate this expression for y′ using the Quotient Rule and
remembering that y is a function of x:
d x3 y 3 (d / dx )( x 3 ) x 3 (d / dx )( y 3 )
y 3
dx y ( y 3 )2
y 3 3 x 2 x 3 (3 y 2 y )
y6
If we now substitute Equation 3 into this expression, we get
2 3 x3
3 2
3x y 3x y 3
y
y
y6
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Example 4 – Solution (2 of 2)
3( x 2 y 4 x 6 ) 3 x 2 ( y 4 x 4 )
7
y y7
But the values of x and y must satisfy the original equation x 4 y 4 16.
So the answer simplifies to
3 x 2 (16) x2
y 7
48 7
y y
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