Chapter 3: Problem 31
Second derivatives Find \(\frac{d^{2} y}{d x^{2}}\). $$x+y^{2}=1$$
Short Answer
Expert verified
Answer: The second derivative of y with respect to x is \(\frac{d^2y}{dx^2} = \frac{1}{4y^3}\).
Step by step solution
01
Implicit differentiation to find the first derivative (dy/dx)
To find the first derivative, we will differentiate both sides of the equation with respect to x, using implicit differentiation:
$$\frac{d}{dx}(x+y^2) = \frac{d}{dx}(1)$$
Differentiating x and y^2 with respect to x, we get:
$$\frac{dx}{dx} + 2y\frac{dy}{dx} = 0$$
Now, simplify:
$$1 + 2y\frac{dy}{dx} = 0$$
Solve for dy/dx:
$$\frac{dy}{dx} = -\frac{1}{2y}$$
02
Implicit differentiation to find the second derivative (d²y/dx²)
Now that we have the first derivative, we can differentiate it again to find the second derivative. Again, we will use implicit differentiation:
$$\frac{d^2y}{dx^2} = \frac{d}{dx}\left(-\frac{1}{2y}\right)$$
Applying the chain rule to the derivative:
$$\frac{d^2y}{dx^2} = -\frac{1}{2}\frac{d}{dx}(y^{-1})$$
$$\frac{d^2y}{dx^2} = -\frac{1}{2}(-1)y^{-2}\frac{dy}{dx}$$
Now, substitute the expression for dy/dx we found in Step 1:
$$\frac{d^2y}{dx^2} = -\frac{1}{2}(-1)y^{-2}(-\frac{1}{2y})$$
Simplify the expression:
$$\frac{d^2y}{dx^2} = \frac{1}{4y^3}$$
The second derivative of y with respect to x is:
$$\frac{d^2y}{dx^2} = \frac{1}{4y^3}$$
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Key Concepts
These are the key concepts you need to understand to accurately answer the question.
Implicit Differentiation
Implicit differentiation is a technique used in calculus when we have equations involving both independent and dependent variables that are intertwined and not easily separated. Let's consider the equation given in the exercise: \(x + y^2 = 1\). Here, \(y\) is a function of \(x\), although not explicitly given as \(y = f(x)\).
To find the derivative \(\frac{dy}{dx}\), we differentiate both sides with respect to \(x\) using implicit differentiation. Remember:
To find the derivative \(\frac{dy}{dx}\), we differentiate both sides with respect to \(x\) using implicit differentiation. Remember:
- Differentiate each term individually.
- For \(y^2\), treat \(y\) as a function of \(x\). Apply the chain rule which we'll discuss later, resulting in \(2y \frac{dy}{dx}\).
- Equate to the derivative of the right-hand side, which is 0 since the derivative of a constant (1) is 0.
Second Derivative
The second derivative provides information about the curvature or concavity of a function. After finding the first derivative \(\frac{dy}{dx} = -\frac{1}{2y}\), we move on to find the second derivative \(\frac{d^2y}{dx^2}\).
Differentiating the first derivative, we apply implicit differentiation again. This time, it becomes slightly more complex because \(\frac{1}{2y}\) is a term in itself apart from \(y\). We write:
Differentiating the first derivative, we apply implicit differentiation again. This time, it becomes slightly more complex because \(\frac{1}{2y}\) is a term in itself apart from \(y\). We write:
- \(\frac{d}{dx}\left(-\frac{1}{2y}\right)\)
- Recognize \(y^{-1}\) as a functional relationship and observe the negative exponent.
- Differentiate with respect to \(x\), using the power and chain rules to manage \(y^{-1}\). This results in \(-\frac{1}{2}(-1)y^{-2}\cdot \frac{dy}{dx}\).
Chain Rule
The chain rule is an essential tool in calculus for finding derivatives of composite functions. In implicit differentiation, it plays a critical role when dealing with terms where the dependent variable is raised to a power, like \(y^2\).
The chain rule states that if you have a composite function \(f(g(x))\), then the derivative \(f'(g(x)) \cdot g'(x)\) is used.
The chain rule states that if you have a composite function \(f(g(x))\), then the derivative \(f'(g(x)) \cdot g'(x)\) is used.
- In terms of our implicit differentiation, \(y\) is a function of \(x\), even if it's not explicitly shown.
- When differentiating \(y^2\), write \(2y\cdot \frac{dy}{dx}\) because of the chain rule.
- This process ensures that all instances of \(y\), when expressed as functions reliant on \(x\), are treated appropriately.