HYPERBOLIC FUNCTION

Hyperbolic cosine and sine

We shall define two new functions the hyperbolic cosine and the hyperbolic sine. They have
strong similarities between the functions and the familiar trigonometric function which are
referred to as the circular functions.

Definition
The hyperbolic cosine of x is denoted by cosh x and is defined as

cosh x   e x  e  x 
1
2
Similarly the hyperbolic sine of x is denoted by sinh x is defined by

sinh x   e x  e  x 
1
2

HYPERBOLIC IDENTITIES
1. cosh 2 x  sinh 2 x  1

Proof
2 2
1  1 
2 2

2
 
 2

cosh x  sinh x   e x  e  x    e x  e  x  

1
4
    1
  e2 x  2  e 2 x  e2 x  2  e 2 x    4  1
4

2. cosh x  sinh x  e x

Proof
cosh x  sinh x 
2
 2

1 x x 1 x x 1
 
e  e  e  e   2e x  e x
2

3. cosh x  sinh x  e x

Proof

cosh x  sinh x   
1 x x 1 x x
2
e e  e e
2
 
1
  2e  x  e  x
2

The hyperbolic tangent, cotangent, secant and cosecant are defined as follows;
 sinh x coth x 1 1
tanh x  coth x  sech x  cos ec h x 
cosh x sinh x cosh x sinh x

INDENTITIES
1. sech 2 x  1  tanh 2 x

Proof
1 cosh 2 x  sinh 2 x
sech 2 x  
cosh 2 x cosh 2 x
cosh 2 x sinh 2 x
 
cosh 2 x cosh 2 x
sinh 2 x
 1
cosh 2 x
 1  tanh 2 x

2. co sech 2 x  coth 2 x  1

Proof
1 cosh 2 x  sinh 2 x
co sech 2 x  
sinh 2 x sinh 2 x
cosh 2 x sinh 2 x
 
sinh 2 x sinh 2 x
cosh 2 x
 1
sinh 2 x
 coth 2 x  1

Exercise
Prove that
a) sinh 2 x  2sinh x cosh x
b) cosh 2 x  1  2sinh 2 x
2 tanh x
c) tanh 2 x 
1  tanh 2 x
DERIVATIVES OF HYPERBOLIC FUNCTIONS
The derivatives of cosh x and sinh x are most easily obtained by starting for the definition of
those function.

a)
d
dx
 cosh x   
d 1 x x
dx 2
e e 
 
1 d x x
2 dx
1

e  e  e x  e x
2

 sinh x
d
  cosh x   sinh x
dx

b)
d
dx
 sinh x   
d 1 x x
dx 2
e e 
 
1 d x x
2 dx

1

e  e  e x  e x
2

 cosh x
d
  sinh x   cosh x
dx

The derivatives of other hyperbolic function are easily obtained by first expressing them in terms
of cosh x and sinh x

Example
Find the derivatives
x
a) y  cosh 2 x b) y  tanh x c) y  sinh 2 x d) y  cosh
3
Solution
a) y  cosh 2 x
Let t  2x  y  cosh t
dt dy
2  sinh t
dx dt

dy dy dt dy
   sinh t  2   2sinh 2 x
dx dt dx dx

sinh x
b) y  tanh x 
cosh x
 dy cosh x cosh x  sinh x sinh x

dx cosh 2 x
cosh 2 x  sinh 2 x

cosh 2 x
1
 2
 sec h 2 x
cosh x

d
  tanh x   sec h 2 x
dx

c) y  sinh 2 x   sinh x 
2

Let t  sinh x  y  t2
dt dy
 cosh x  2t
dx dt

dy dy
 2t  cosh x   2sinh x cosh x
dx dx

x
d) y  cos
3
x
Let t  y  cosh t
3
dt 1 dy
  sinh t
dx 3 dt

dy 1 dy 1 x
 sinh t   sinh
dx 3 dx 3 3

Exercise
Find the derivatives of the following functions
x 1
a) y  4sinh b) y  sinh 6 x
4 2

c) y  cosh 3 2 x d) y  3tanh 2 x

e) y  coth x f) y  5sech x
INVERSE TRIGONOMETRIC AND HYPERBOLIC FUNCTIONS
Inverse trigonometric functions
These are sin 1 x , cos 1 x , tan 1 x e.t.c

a) Find f   x  given that f  x   sin 1 x

y  sin 1 x  sin y  x
dy
cos y 1
dx
dy 1

dx cos y

Now
cos 2 y  sin 2 y  1
cos y  1  sin 2 y  1  x 2

dy 1
 
dx 1  x2

dy
b) Find given that y  cos 1 x
dx
y  cos 1 x  cos y  x
dy
Let  sin y 1
dx
dy 1

dx sin y

cos 2 y  sin 2 y  1
Now sin y  1  cos 2 y
 1  x2
dy 1
 
dx 1  x2

dy
c) Find given that y  tan 1 x
dx
 y  tan 1 x  tan y  x
dy
Let sec 2 y 1
dx
dy 1
 2
dx sec y

Now sec 2 y  1  tan 2 y

dy 1
 
dx 1  x 2

Exercise
Differentiate w.r.t. x

a) y  sin 1 4 x  
b) y  sin 1 e3 x

c) y  cos 1 3 x  
d) y  sin 1 x 2

e) y  x cos 1 x f) y  tan 1 x

Inverse hyperbolic functions

It is possible to express cosh 1 x , sinh 1 x in terms of logarithms

Given y  cosh 1 x  cosh y  x

Now cosh 2 y  sinh 2 y  1

 sinh y  cosh 2 y  1
 x2 1

 cosh y  sinh y  x  x 2  1

But cosh y  sinh y  e y

 e y  x  x2 1
y  ln  x  x 2  1 
 
 cosh 1 x  ln  x  x 2  1 
 

Similarly for y  sinh 1 x  sinh y  x

cosh y  1  sinh 2 y
 1  x2

 cosh y  sinh y  x  1  x 2 But cosh y  sinh y  e y

 e y  x  1  x2
y  ln  x  1  x 2 
 
 sinh 1 x  ln  x  1  x 2 
 

Derivatives of Hyperbolic Functions

Differentiate the following w. r. t. x

a) y  sinh 1 3 x b) y  cosh 1 1  x 2

Solution
a) y  sinh 1 3 x  sinh y  3x
dy
cosh y 3
dx
dy 3

dx cosh y
cosh 2 y  sinh 2 y  1
cosh y  1  sinh 2 y
 1  9x2

dy 3
 
dx 1  9x2

 
1
b) y  cosh 1 1  x 2  cosh y  1  x 2 2

1
sinh y
dy
dx

 x 1  x2 2 
dy x 1
 
dx 1  x 2 sinh y

But sinh y  cosh 2 y  1  1  x   1  x

2

dy x 1 1
   
dx 1  x2 x 1  x2

Exercise
 6 x 

a) y  sinh 1 3x 2   y  
 1  9x2 
 1 
b) y  tanh 1 x  y  
 1  x2 
 1   2 
c) y  cosh 1  2   y  
x   x 1  x4 