Topic 1: IMPLICIT DIFFERENTIATION
In Implicit Differentiation, y represents another function: y = f(x)
The majority of differentiation problems in basic calculus involves functions written explicitly as functions
of the independent variable x, y=f ( x ), in this form we can find the derivative directly.
For example: y=4 x 5 +cos ( 2 x−7 )
When we derive this function, the result is: y '=20 x 4 + sin (2 x−7)
However, some functions y are written implicitly as functions of x. This means that the function is not given in the
form y=f ( x ). This will be a function containing two variables, x and y, wherein y represents another function. To
get the derivative of y, we need to follow chain rule.
For example, we have a function
y= y 2
The derivative of this function is y '=2 yy '
The derivative of y ( y ’) is equal to the derivative of y 2 which is 2y times the derivative of y which is y ’.
Another example: x 2+ y 2=5
To derive this function, these are the steps:
y ' (x 2 + y 2)= y ' (1) derive both sides of the equation
2 x+2 yy ' =0 the derivative of x 2 is 2x
the derivative of y 2 is 2 yy '
the derivative of 1 is 0
2 y y ' =−2 x transpose 2x to the right side of the equation
2 yy ' −2 x
= divide both sides of the equation by 2y
2y 2y
−x
y'= this is the final answer
y
More Examples:
1. x 2+ y 3=8 2. sin y=xy
y ' ( x 2 + y 2 )= y ' (8) y'¿
2 x+3 y 2 y ' =0 cos y ∙ y ' =( 1∙ y ) +( y ' ∙ x )
3 y 2 y ' =−2 x y ' cos y= y + xy '
−2 x
y'= y ' cos y−xy '= y
3 y2
¿
y
y'=
cos y−x
Try These!
1. x 3+ y 3=3 x
2. cos y =x 2 y
3. xy=x + y
4. y 3 +4 y 2+3 xy +10=0
5. 4 x2 +3 y 2 +4 xy=2+ x