IMPLICIT DIFFERENTIATION

LECTURE
by
JK GONDWE

09/09/20 1
 dy
dx
LECTURE OBJECTIVES

• Define implicit functions

• Differentiate implicit functions using implicit
differentiation
• Find of implicit functions

09/09/20 2
 DEFINING/EXPRESSING FUNCTIONS

Two ways to define functions:

 explicitly
 implicitly

09/09/20 3
 EXPLICIT FUNCTIONS

Functions given as y in terms of x,

The equation y=x2+3 can be written as y=f(x)
where f(x)=x2+3
Note: there is a distinction between the
appearance of x or y
Thus the equation y=x2+3 (or the function
f(x)= x2+3), gives a clear formula for finding the
corresponding value of y for each x

09/09/20 4
 EXPLICIT FUNCTIONS

For the equation y=x2+3;

the y value depends on the value of x and we
say y is a dependent variable while x is an
independent variable.
Thus the equation defines y as a function
explicitly, i.e. f(x) is an EXPLICIT FUNCTION

09/09/20 5
 IMPLICIT FUNCTIONS

The function is not given as y in terms of x,

The same function; y=x2+3, can be expressed
slightly different as x2-y=-3
In the second form; x2-y=-3, there is no real
distinction between the appearance of x or y.
The equation is an implicit definition of y as a
function of x and also an implicit definition of x
as a function of y.
09/09/20 6
 DEFINITION OF IMPLICIT FUNCTIONS

A function in which the dependent variable is

not expressed in terms of the independent
variable (i.e. not isolated on one side of the
equation)
Or a function where one variable cannot be
conveniently separated from the other
e.g. x2+y2=1
x2-y=-3
09/09/20 7
 IMPLICIT DIFFERENTIATION

It is the procedure of differentiating an implicit

function with respect to the desired variable x
while treating the other variables as
unspecified functions of x.
It is a special case of chain rule for derivatives.

09/09/20 8
 Cont’d

• If f is a differentiable function of y when y=f(y)

{f(y) means function expressed in terms of y}

df  y  df dy
then  
dx dy dx

This is called IMPLICIT DIFFERENTIATION

09/09/20 9
 Example 1
• Differentiate with respect to x
1. y2

 
d y 2

d y 
2
dy
dx dy dx
   
Note the use of the chain rule

dy
 2y
dx
dy
 2y
dx
09/09/20 10
 Example 2
Differentiate with respect to x
x2  y2

d x2  y 2
 
d x2 d y2

 
dx dx dx
dy
 2x  2y
  dx
Note the use of the chain rule

dy
 2 x  2 y.
dx
09/09/20 11
 dy
Finding dx
of an implicit function
dy
Find for x 2  y 2  2
dx

d x2  y2

d  2
(ie finding derivative for each term on both sides)
dx dx
 
d x2

d y2   0
dx  dx
Remember to use the chain rule

 
 
d x 2 d y 2 dy
 0
dx dy dx
dy
2x  2 y  0
dx

09/09/20 12
 Cont’d

dy
2 y.  2 x
dx
dy  x

dx y

09/09/20 13
 Example 4 (product)

Differentiate with respect to x; xy

Recall differentiation using the product rule
dy dv du
u v
dx dx dx

For the expression xy

let u  x and v  y
d  xy  d  y d  x
then  x  y
dx dx dx
use chain rule

09/09/20 14
 Cont’d

d ( y ) dy
 x .  y.1
dy dx
dy
 x.  y
dx

09/09/20 15
 Example 5
–(a function of a function)

For x 2 i.e.  f  x  
2

d  f  x
2
  2 f  x    f  x 
dx

Similarly for y 2 i.e.  f  y  

2

d  f  y
2
  2 f  y    f  y 
dx
d  y  dy
 2y  x
dy dx
   
implicit differentiation

dy
 2y
09/09/20 dx 16
 Class Exercise
• Differentiate with respect to x
2
1. x y
2
2. ( xy )

09/09/20 17
 Solutions to class exercise

dy
1. x 2
 2 xy
dx
 dy 
2. 2 xy x  y 
 dx 
09/09/20 18
 Example 6
dy
Find for the function x 2  xy 2  y 3  2
dx

d .w.r.t.x.
 
d x2

 
d xy 2

d y3

  d  2
dx dx dx dx
 d y2
2x  x 
  y 
d  x    d  y  3
dy 
 x 0
2

   dx dx
        
dy dx 
product rule

 
 dy  dy
2x  x  2 y   y  1  3 y 2 
2
0
   dx     dx
 implicit differentiation  mplicit differentiation
dy dy
2 x  2 xy.  y 2  3 y 2 .  0
dx dx
09/09/20 19
 Cont’d
dy 2 dy
2 x  2 xy.  y  3 y .  0
2

dx dx
dy
Re - arrange the terms in on one side
dx
dy 2 dy
2 xy  3 y .  2 x  y 2
dx dx
dy
dx
 
2 xy  3 y 2  2 x  y 2

09/09/20 20
 Cont’d

dy
dx
 
2
2 xy  3 y  2 x  y 2

2
dy  2 x  y

dx 2 xy  3 y 2

09/09/20 21
 Class Exercise

dy
Find for
dx
1. 3 x 2  4 xy  7
2. xy  1

09/09/20 22
 Solution

3x  2 y
1.
2x

1
2. - (Note xy  1 can be expressed explicitly
x2
1
as y   x 1
x
dy
  x 2
dx
1
 2
x

09/09/20 23