SUCCESSIVE DIFFERENTIAN

If y=f(x) is a function of a single variable in an interval

a<x<b than dy/dx=f(x) is its first derivative with
respect to x.
In general, f(x) is a function of x and hence can be
differentiated further to getd/dx(dy/dx)=d
2
y/d
2
x=f(x)
known as second derivative of y=f(x) at x.
Similarly, we may have d
3
y/d
3
x=f(x), d
4
y/d
4
x=f(x),
.d
n
y/d
n
x=f
n
(x) as third, fourth, n
th
derivative of f(x) at
x.
Some times the following notation are also used:
y
1
, y
2
, y
3
,..y
n
and Dy, D
2
y, D
3
y, D
n
y, D=d/dx
for 1
st
, 2
nd
, . nth derivative

Illustration: Let y=x
m


if m>n


then y
n
= n! if m=n
0 if n>m
!
( )!
m n
m
x
m n

CALCULATION OF n
th
DERIVATIVE

1. Nth derivative of (ax+b)
m



Let y= (ax+b)
m


CALCULATION OF n
th
DERIVATIVE

When m=n, we have
y
n
=
n!
/
(n-n)!
(ax+b)
n-n
a
n
= n! (ax+b)
0
a
n

= n! a
n

Ex. Find 10
th
derivative of (2x+3)
15

Sol
n
. y=(2x+3)
15

y
10
=
15!
/
(15-10)!
(2x+3)
15-10
2
10

=
15!
/
5!
(2x+3)
5
2
10
{n!=n(n-1)!
=
15.14.13.12.11.10.9.8.7.6.5!
/
5!
(2x+3)
5
2
10

= 15.14.13.12.6.2
10
(2x+3)
5

CALCULATION OF n
th
DERIVATIVE
2. n
th
derivative of e
ax
.
Let y=e
ax

y
1
=ae
ax

y
2
= a
2
e
ax

.
.
y
n
= a
n
e
ax

3. n
th
derivative of a
x

Let y = a
x

y
1
= a
x
log
e
a
y
2
= a
x
(log
e
a)
2

.
.
y
n
= a
x
(log
e
a)
n


CALCULATION OF n
th
DERIVATIVE
4. nth derivative of
1
/
(ax+b).

Let y = 1/(ax+b)
y=(ax+b)-1
y1 =
(-1)a
/
(ax+b)2
y
1
= -1(ax+b)
-2
d/dx(ax+b)

y2 = (-1)(-2)a
2
/(ax+b)
3



y3 = (-1)(-2)(-3)a
3
/(ax+b)
4

yn = (-1)(-2)(-3)(-n)a
n
/(ax+b)
n+1
5. nth of log(ax+b)
Let y = log(ax+b)
y1 = 1/(ax+b) a
y2 = -1/(ax+b)2 a2
y3 = (-1)(-2)/(ax+b)3 a3

CALCULATION OF n
th
DERIVATIVE

yn = (-1)(-2)(-3).{-(n-1)} an/(ax+b)n

yn = (-1)n (n-1)!/(ax+b)n
6. nth derivative of sin(ax+b)
Let y = sin(ax+b)
y1 = cos(ax+b) a
= sin(/2+ax+b) a
y2 = cos(/2+ax+b) a2
= a2 sin(2/2+ax+b)
.
.
yn = an sin(n /2 + ax+b)
CALCULATION OF n
th
DERIVATIVE

7. nth derivative of cos(ax+b)
Ley y = cos(ax+b)
y1 = -sin(ax+b)a
= a cos(ax+b+ /2)
y2 = a2 cos(ax+b+2 /2)
.
.
.
yn = an cos(ax+b+n /2)
CALCULATION OF n
th
DERIVATIVE

8. nth derivative of e
ax
sin(bx+c)
y1 = e
ax
sin(bx+c)
= ae
ax
sin(bx+c)+e
ax
cos(bx+c)b
= e
ax
[ a sin(bx+c)+b cos(bx+c)]
Let a=rcos and b=rsin
y1 = e
ax
[ rcos sin(bx+c) + rsin cos(bx+c)]
= e
ax
r sin( +bx+c)
y2 = e
ax
r2 sin(bx+c+2 )
.
.
.
yn = e
ax
r
n
sin(bc+c+n ) where, =tan
-1
(b/a)
r
2
= a
2
+ b
2

CALCULATION OF n
th
DERIVATIVE

Similarly, y = e
ax
cos(bx+c)
y
n
= e
ax
r
n
cos(bx+c+n )

Ex. Find the nth derivative of e
ax
cos
2
x sinx

Let
2
cos sin
1
(cos 2 1) sin
2
1
(cos 2 sin sin )
2
1 1
2cos 2 sin sin
4 2
1 1
(sin3 sin ) sin
4 2
1 1
sin3 sin
4 2
( sin ) sin( )
ax
ax
ax
ax ax
ax ax
ax ax
n
ax ax n
n
y e x x
e x x
e x x x
e x x e x
e x x e x
e x e x
d
e bx e r bx n
dx
o
=
= +
= +
= +
= +
= +
= +
CALCULATION OF n
th
DERIVATIVE



2 2 2 1
2 1 2 1
, tan
1 3 1 1
( 9) sin(3 tan ) ( 1) sin( tan )
4 4
ax ax n
b
r a b
a
e a x n e a x n
a a
o


= + =
= + + + + +
CALCULATION OF n
th
DERIVATIVE

In order to find the nth derivative of any rational
function. We have to decompose it in partial function
Ex.

If Find y
n



Sol.


Differentiating both sides w.r.t.x, n times

2
1
,
1 5 6
y
x x
=
+
2
1 1
1 5 6 (2 1)(3 1)
2 3
2 1 3 1
y
x x x x
x x
= =
+
=

1 1
2( 1) 2 3( 1) 3
(2 1) (3 1)
n n n
n
n n
n n
y
x x
+ +

=

1
1
( 1)
( )
n n
n
n
y
ax b
na
y
ax b
+
=
+

=
+
CALCULATION OF n
th
DERIVATIVE

Ex. Find the n
th
derivative of

Sol
n
. Let



Now differentiating n times, we have



2 2
1
x a +
2 2
1 1
( )( )
1 1 1
2
y
x a x ai x ai
ia x ia x ia
= =
+ +
(
=
(
+

1 1
1 1
1 ( 1) ( 1)
2 ( ) ( )
( 1) 1 1
2 ( ) ( )
n n
n
n n
n
n n
n n
y
ia x ia x ia
n
ia x ia x ia
+ +
+ +
(
=
(
+

(
=
(
+

n
th
DERIVATIVE OF RATIONAL FUNCTIONS

Let

{ }
1
1 1 1
1
1
cos , tan
( 1) 1 1 1
2 (cos sin ) (cos sin )
( 1) 1 1
2 cos( 1) sin( 1) cos( 1) sin( 1)
( 1)
cos( 1) sin( 1) {cos( 1) sin( 1) }
2
( 1)
n
n n n
n
n
n
n
a
x r
x
n
ia r i i
n
iar n i n n i n
n
n i n n i n
iar
u u
u u u u
u u u u
u u u u

+ + +
+
+
= =
(
=
(
+

(
=
(
+ + + + +

= + + + + + (

=
| |
1
2 sin( 1)
2
n
n
n
ia n
iar
u
+
+ cos ,
sin
a
a r r u
u

= =
`
)
n
th
DERIVATIVE OF RATIONAL FUNCTIONS


where

Ex. Find the nth derivative of
Sol
n
.
Let

Let




1
1 2
1
( 1) sin( 1) ( 1) sin( 1) sin
sin
n n n
n n
n
n n n n
a a
a
u u u
u
+
+ +
+
+ +
= =
1
tan
a
x
u

=
1
2
2
tan
1
x
x

1
2
2
tan
1
x
y
x

1
tan tan x x u u

= =
1 1
2
1
2
1
2tan
tan tan tan 2
1 tan
2 2
1 ( )( )
1 1 1
( ) ( )
y
x
y
x x i x i
y
i x i x i
u
u
u

= =

= =
+ +
(
=
(
+

n
th
DERIVATIVE OF RATIONAL FUNCTIONS
Now differentiate it (n-1) times




Let





1
1 ( 1) 1 ( 1) 1
( ) ( )
n n
n
n n
n n
y
i x i x i

(
=
(
+

| |
1
1
cos ,1 sin
( 1) 1 1 1
(cos sin ) (cos sin )
( 1) 1
{cos sin } {cos sin }
2( 1) 1
.2 sin
2( 1) 1sin
1
sin
2( 1) sin sin
n
n n n
n
n
n
n
n
n
n n
x r r
n
ir i i
n
n i n n i n
ir
n
i n
ir
n
n
u u
u u u u
u u u u
u
u
u
u u

= =
(
=
(
+


= + +

=

=
=
1
sin
r
u

=
`
)
1
1
{ tan }
x
u

=
Ex. If y= a cos(logx) + b sin(logx) show that
(i) x
2
y
1
+ xy
1
+ y = 0 (ii) x
2
y
n+2
+(2n+1)y
n+1
+(n
2
+1)y
n
=0
Solution: We have y=a cos(logx)+b sin(logx)
Diff. w. r. to x both sides, we get






Diff. equation (1) n times by Liebnitzs theorem, we have



This theorem is useful for finding the nth differential
coefficient of product of two functions.




1
1
2 1
2
2 1
1 1
sin(log ). cos(log ).
sin(log ) cos(log )
1 1
cos(log ). sin(log )
..................(1)
y a x b x
x x
xy a x b x
xy y a x b x
x x
x y xy y
= +
= +
+ =
+ =
2
2 1 2 2 1 1
2 2
2 1
.2 .2 0
(2 1) ( 1) 0
n n n
n n n n n n
n n n
x y c y x c y xy c y y
x y n xy n y
+ + +
+ +
+ + + + + =
+ + + + =