The Leibnitz Formula for the n’th Derivative of a Product

Theorem 1. Let u(x) and v(x) be functions of class C n , i.e. functions with continuous n’th
derivative. Then their product is also of class C n , and
Xn µ ¶
dn n dr dn−r
[u(x)v(x)] = [u(x)] [v(x)],
dxn r dxr dx n−r
r=0
where µ ¶
n n!
=
r r!(n − r)!
is the usual binomial coefficient.
Proof. This proceeds by induction on n, the result being trivial for n = 0 and reducing for
n = 1 to the well-known rule for differentiating a product (once). Suppose then that
n−1 µ
X ¶
dn−1 n − 1 (r) (n−1−r)
[uv] = u v for some n ≥ 1,
dxn−1 r
r=0
(r) dr u (n−1−r) dn−1−r v
where u = dxr
, v = Then
dxn−1−r
.
n−1 µ
X ¶
dn n − 1 £ (r) (n−r) ¤
(uv) = u v + u(r+1) v (n−1−r)
dx n r
r=0
n−1 µ
X ¶ n−2 µ ¶
(n) n − 1 (r) (n−r) X n − 1 (r+1) (n−1−r)
= uv + u v + u v + u(n) v
r r
r=1 r=0
n−1
X n−1µ ¶ n−1 µ
X ¶
(n) (r) (n−r) n − 1 (r) (n−r)
= uv + u v + u v + u(n) v
r r−1
r=1 r=1
n−1 ·µ
X n−1 ¶ µ ¶¸
(n) n−1
= uv + + u(r) v (n−r) + u(n) v,
r r−1
r=1
where
µ ¶ µ ¶ µ ¶
n−1 n−1 (n − 1)! (n − 1)! (n − 1)! n
+ = + = [(n − r) + r] = ,
r r−1 r!(n − 1 − r)! (r − 1)!(n − r)! r!(n − r)! r
so
n−1 µ ¶
X Xn µ ¶
dn (n) n (r) (n−r) (n) n (r) (n−r)
(uv) = uv + u v +u v = u v .
dx n r r
r=1 r=0
This completes the proof by induction on n.