10.

Differentiation of Composite Functions: The

Chain Rule
Tony U
University of Macau

Outline

1 Chain Rule

2 Chain Rule for Fundamental Functions

Chain Rule

Chain Rule
Composite function: Let y = f (u) be a function of u and
u = g (x) be a function of x. Then we can write y = f [g (x)],
representing y as a function of x, which is called the
composite function of f and g.
Chain rule: The derivative of composite function. Such as the
derivative of y with respect to x is
dy du
dy
=

dx
du dx
or

d
f [g (x)] = f [g (x)] g (x).
dx
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Chain Rule

Example 1.

Compute

dy
if y = 5u 3 and u = x 2 x 3 .
dx

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Chain Rule

Example 1.

Compute
Sol.:

dy
if y = 5u 3 and u = x 2 x 3 .
dx

dy
du
= 15u 2 and
= 2x 3x 2 , thus
du
dx
dy
dx

dy du

du dx

= 15u 2 (2x 3x 2 )

= 15(x 2 x 3 )2 (2x 3x 2 ).

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Chain Rule

Example 2.

The total cost, C (in thousand of dollars), of producing x (in

hundred) units of some commodity is given by C = 0.1x 3 + 9
(x 0) where x is related to time, t (in months), by the equation
x = 2t + 5 (t 0).
a. Find the rate of change of total cost with respect to number
of unit produced.
b. Find the rate of change of total cost with respect to time
after 4 months.

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Chain Rule

(a) Find the rate of change of total cost with respect to number of
unit produced.

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Chain Rule

(a) Find the rate of change of total cost with respect to number of
unit produced.
Sol.: The rate of change of total cost with respect to number of
unit produced is
dC
= 0.3x 2 .
dx

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Chain Rule

(b) Find the rate of change of total cost with respect to time after
4 months.

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Chain Rule

(b) Find the rate of change of total cost with respect to time after
4 months.
dx
Sol.:
= 2, thus the rate of change of total cost with respect to
dt
time is
dC
dt

dC dx

dx dt

= 0.3x 2 (2)
= 0.6(2t + 5)2 .
The rate of change of total cost after 4 months is
0.6[2(4) + 5]2 = 101.4 (thousand dollars).

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Chain Rule

Example 3

Find

10
dy
when y = 6x 2 5
dx

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Chain Rule

Example 3

Find

10
dy
when y = 6x 2 5
dx

Sol.: Let f (u) = u 10 and u = 6x 2 5, then y = f (u). By using

chain rule
dy
dx

dy du

du dx

= 10u 9 (12x)
= 120x(6x 2 5)9 .

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Chain Rule for Fundamental Functions

Chain Rule for Chain Rule for Fundamental Functions

For any real number n and differentiable function h,
Power functions:

n1 d 
n

d
h(x) = n h(x)
h(x) .
dx
dx
Logarithmic functions:
 h (x)
d
.
ln h(x) =
dx
h(x)
Exponential functions:
d  h(x) 
e
= h (x)e h(x) .
dx
That is, to compute the derivative of e h(x) , simply multiply e h(x)
by the derivative of the exponent h(x).
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Chain Rule for Fundamental Functions

Example 4
Given f (t) =

1
, find f (t)
+3

t2

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Chain Rule for Fundamental Functions

Example 4
Given f (t) =

1
, find f (t)
+3

t2

Sol.: Let u = t 2 + 3, then f (u) =

1 .
u

By using chain rule,

df du

du dt
1 3
= u 2 (2t)
2

f (t) =

= t(t 2 + 3) 2 .

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Chain Rule for Fundamental Functions

Example 5

5

8
If y = x 3 6 2x + 9 , find

dy
dx .

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Chain Rule for Fundamental Functions

Example 5

5

8
If y = x 3 6 2x + 9 , find

dy
dx .

Sol.: Let u = x 3 6 and v = 2x + 9, then y = u 5 v 8 . By using

chain rule and product rule,
dy
dx

dv 8
dx
dv 8
= u5
dv
= u5

+ v8

du 5
dx

du 5 du
dv
+ v8

dx
du dx

= u 5 (8v 7 )(2) + v 8 (5u 4 )(3x 2 )

= 16(x 3 6)5 (2x + 9)7 + 15(2x + 9)8 (x 3 6)4 .
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Chain Rule for Fundamental Functions

Example 6

 x + 2 20
dy 

, find y (0) =
.
If y =
x3 + 2
dx x=0

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Chain Rule for Fundamental Functions

Example 6

 x + 2 20
dy 

, find y (0) =
.
If y =
x3 + 2
dx x=0
u 20
Sol.: Let u = x + 2 and v = x 3 + 2, then y = 20 . By using chain
v
rule and quotient rule,
dy
dx


dy 
dx x=0

v 20 du 20 /x u 20 dv 20 /x
v 40

v 20 20u 19 (1) u 20 20v 19 (3x 2 )

v 40

20(x 3 + 2)20 (x + 2)19 60x 2 (x + 2)20 (x 3 + 2)19

(x 3 + 2)40

20(03 + 2)20 (0 + 2)19 60(0)2 (0 + 2)20 (03 + 2)19

= 10.
(03 + 2)40

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Chain Rule for Fundamental Functions

Example 7
A manufacturer determines that m employees will produce a total
of q units of a product per day, where
10m2
.
q=
m2 + 19
If the demand equation for the product is p = 900/(q + 9),
dR
determine the derivative dm
when m = 9, where R is the total
daily revenue the manufacturer receives for selling all the products
produced each day. Note that it approximates the change in daily
revenue that results when the manufacturer hires one more
employee.

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Chain Rule for Fundamental Functions

Sol.: The revenue function R = pq = 900q/(q + 9) and q = 81

when m = 9, thus
dR
dm

=

dR 
dm m=9

=
=

dR dq
dq dm

1
(q + 9)900 900q(1)
m2 + 19(20m) 10m2 [m(m2 + 19) 2 ]

(q + 9)2
m2 + 19

1
8100
20m m2 + 19 10m3 (m2 + 19) 2

(q + 9)2
m2 + 19

1
20(9) 92 + 19 10(9)3 (92 + 19) 2
8100

2
2
(81 + 9)
9 + 19
$10.71 per person.

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Chain Rule for Fundamental Functions

Example 8

f (x) = e x

2 2x+5

, find f (x).

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Chain Rule for Fundamental Functions

Example 8

f (x) = e x

2 2x+5

, find f (x).

Sol.: Let h(x) = x 2 2x + 5, then h (x) = 2x 2. By using chain

rule for exponential function,
f (x) = h (x)e h(x) = 2(x 1)e x

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2 2x+5

Chain Rule for Fundamental Functions

Example 9
f (x) = ln

x + 1
, find f (x).
x 1

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Chain Rule for Fundamental Functions

Example 9
f (x) = ln

x + 1
, find f (x).
x 1

Sol.: Let h(x) = (x + 1)/(x 1), h (x) = 2/(x 1)2 . By using

chain rule for logarithmic function,
f (x) =
=

h (x)
h(x)
2
x 1

2
(x 1)
x +1

2
.
x2 1

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Chain Rule for Fundamental Functions

Example 10

f (x) = 2x ln 2, find f (x).

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Chain Rule for Fundamental Functions

Example 10

f (x) = 2x ln 2, find f (x).

Sol.: f (x) = 2x ln 2 = e x ln 2 ln 2, let h(x) = x ln 2. By using chain
rule for exponential function,
f (x) = h (x)e h(x) ln 2
= 2x (ln 2)2 .

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