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Section 11.5: The Chain Rule

The document discusses the chain rule for differentiation in 3 sections: (1) The chain rule for functions of 2 variables, (2) The chain rule for functions of more than 2 variables, (3) Implicit differentiation with the chain rule. It provides examples of applying the chain rule to find derivatives of composite functions with respect to variables like t, s, and x.

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Fahad Memon
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62 views9 pages

Section 11.5: The Chain Rule

The document discusses the chain rule for differentiation in 3 sections: (1) The chain rule for functions of 2 variables, (2) The chain rule for functions of more than 2 variables, (3) Implicit differentiation with the chain rule. It provides examples of applying the chain rule to find derivatives of composite functions with respect to variables like t, s, and x.

Uploaded by

Fahad Memon
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Section 11.

5
The Chain Rule

(1) The Chain Rule for 2-Variable Functions,


(2) The Chain Rule for Functions,
(3) Implicit Differentiation with the Chain Rule.

MATH 127 (Section 11.5) The Chain Rule The University of Kansas 1 / 11
The Chain Rule

If y = f (x) and x = g (t), then the composition y = (f ◦ g )(t) = f (g (t))


is a function of t. In this case, we have the chain rule for differentiation

dy dy dx
y 0 (t) = f 0 (g (t))g 0 (t) or =
dt dx dt
We will now discuss the chain rule for functions of more variables.
Suppose that z = f (x, y ), x = x(t), and y = y (t) are differentiable
functions. Then z = f (x(t), y (t)) is a differentiable function of t and

dz ∂z dx ∂z dy
= +
dt ∂x dt ∂y dt

dz
= fx (x(t), y (t))x 0 (t) + fy (x(t), y (t))y 0 (t)
dt

MATH 127 (Section 11.5) The Chain Rule The University of Kansas 2 / 11
The Chain Rule (Case I)
Suppose that z = f (x, y ), x = x(t), and y = y (t) are differentiable
functions. Then z = f (x(t), y (t)) is a differentiable function of t and
dz ∂z dx ∂z dy
= + .
dt ∂x dt ∂y dt

The derivative of z with respect to t can be calculated as


dz f (x(t + ∆t), y (t + ∆t)) − f (x(t), y (t))
= lim
dt ∆t→0 ∆t
Note that ∆x → 0 and ∆y → 0 as ∆t → 0 because x and y are
differentiable, hence continuous, functions of t.
f (x + ∆x, y + ∆y ) − f (x, y + ∆y ) ∆x f (x, y + ∆y ) − f (x, y ) ∆y
= +
∆x ∆t ∆y ∆t
Letting ∆t → 0, we have
dz dz ∂z dx ∂z dy
= fx (x, y ) x 0 (t) + fy (x, y ) y 0 (t) = = +
dt dt ∂x dt ∂y dt
MATH 127 (Section 11.5) The Chain Rule The University of Kansas 3 / 11
Example

dz
If z = yx e xy , x = ln(t), and y = sin(t), find when t = π2 .
dt
Solution: The Chain Rule states that
dz ∂z dx ∂z dy
= +
dt ∂x
 dt ∂y dt   
1 xy xy 1 −x xy x 2 xy
= ye + xe t + y2 e + y e cos(t)

π π π
 
For t = 2 we have x = ln 2 and y = sin 2 = 1. Thus,

dz π 
= 1 + ln
dt t= π 2
2

MATH 127 (Section 11.5) The Chain Rule The University of Kansas 4 / 11
Suppose z = f (x, y ) and let x = g (s, t) and y = h(s, t) be differentiable
2-variable functions in s and t. Then z = f (x, y ) can be viewed as a
function of s and t which is differentiable.

That is, z = f (g (s, t), h(s, t)) and


∂z ∂z ∂x ∂z ∂y ∂z ∂z ∂x ∂z ∂y
= + = +
∂s ∂x ∂s ∂y ∂s ∂t ∂x ∂t ∂y ∂t

∂z
= fx (g (s, t), h(s, t)) gs (s, t) + fy (g (s, t), h(s, t)) hs (s, t)
∂s
∂z
= fx (g (s, t), h(s, t)) gt (s, t) + fy (g (s, t), h(s, t)) ht (s, t)
∂t
MATH 127 (Section 11.5) The Chain Rule The University of Kansas 5 / 11
∂z ∂z
If z = x 2 y + 2xy 4 , x = st 2 , and y = s 2 t. Find and .
∂s ∂t
Solution:
∂z ∂z ∂x ∂z ∂y
= +
∂s ∂x ∂s ∂y ∂s

= (2xy + 2y 4 )(t 2 ) + (x 2 + 8xy 3 )(2st)


= (2s 3 t 3 + 2s 8 t 4 )(t 2 ) + (s 2 t 4 + 8s 7 t 5 )(2st)
∂z ∂z ∂x ∂z ∂y
= +
∂t ∂x ∂t ∂y ∂t

= (2xy + 2y 4 )(2st) + (x 2 + 8xy 3 )(s 2 )


= (2s 3 t 3 + 2s 8 t 4 )(2st) + (s 2 t 4 + 8s 7 t 5 )(t 2 )

In general, if z = f (x1 , x2 , . . . , xn ), x1 = g1 (t1 , t2 , . . . , tm ), . . . ,


xn = gn (t1 , t2 , . . . , tm ).
∂z ∂f ∂x1 ∂f ∂f ∂f ∂xn
= + + ... +
∂tj ∂x1 ∂tj ∂x2 ∂tj ∂xn ∂tj
MATH 127 (Section 11.5) The Chain Rule The University of Kansas 6 / 11
Implicit Differentiation
dy Fx (x, y )
If y = y (x) is defined implicitly by F (x, y ) = 0, then =− .
dx Fy (x, y )
Take the derivative with respect to x through F (x, y (x)) = 0 to get
dy
Fx (x, y )(1) + Fy (x, y ) = 0.
dx
dy
Example: Find if x 3 + y 3 − 6xy = 0.
dx
Solution: F (x, y ) = x 3 + y 3 − 6xy .
Fx (x, y ) = 3x 2 − 6y Fy (x, y ) = 3y 2 − 6x
dy Fx (x, y ) x 2 − 2y
Thus =− =− 2
dx Fy (x, y ) y − 2x
If z = z(x, y ) is defined implicitly by F (x, y , z) = 0 then
∂z Fx (x, y , z) ∂z Fy (x, y , z)
=− =−
∂x Fz (x, y , z) ∂y Fz (x, y , z)
MATH 127 (Section 11.5) The Chain Rule The University of Kansas 7 / 11
Suppose the equation implicitly defines a function xz 2 + y 2 z + xy = 1
where z depends upon x and y , z = z(x, y ). Find the partial derivatives
implicitly.

Solution: Let F (x, y , z) = xz 2 + y 2 z + xy − 1,

Fx (x, y , z) = z 2 +y Fy (x, y , z) = 2yz +x Fz (x, y , z) = 2zx +y 2

∂z Fx (x, y , z) z2 + y
=− =−
∂x Fz (x, y , z) 2zx + y 2

∂z Fy (x, y , z) 2yz + x
=− =−
∂y Fz (x, y , z) 2zx + y 2

MATH 127 (Section 11.5) The Chain Rule The University of Kansas 8 / 11
A baseball player hits the ball and then runs
down the first base at 20 ft/s. The first
baseman fields the ball and then runs towards
first base along the second base line at 18/, ft/s.
Determine how fast the distance between the
two-players is changing at a moment when the
hitter is 8 ft from first base and the baseman is
6 ft from first base.
The distance D between the runner, who is R ft from first, and the
baseman, who is B ft from first, is implicitly described by D 2 = R 2 + B 2 .
Both variables depend upon time t, B = B(t) and R = R(t).
∂D R ∂D B dB dR
= , = , = −18 , = −20
∂R D ∂B D dt dt
Using the chain rule,
dD ∂D dR ∂D dB 6 8 132
= + = (−20) + (−18) = − = −26.4 ft/s
dt ∂R dT ∂B dt 10 10 5
MATH 127 (Section 11.5) The Chain Rule The University of Kansas 9 / 11

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