SUCCESSIVE DIFFERENTIAN

If y=f(x) is a function of a single variable

in an interval a<x<b than dy/dx=f(x) is its
first derivative with respect to x.

In general, f(x) is a function of x and
hence can be differentiated further to get
d/dx(dy/dx)=d
2
y/d
2
x=f(x)
known as second derivative of y=f(x) at x.


Similarly, we may have d
3
y/d
3
x=f(x),
d
4
y/d
4
x=f(x), .d
n
y/d
n
x=f
n
(x) as third,
fourth, n
th
derivative of f(x) at x.

Some times the following notation are
also used:
y
1
, y
2
, y
3
,..y
n
Dy, D
2
y, D
3
y, D
n
y, D=d/dx
for 1
st
, 2
nd
, . nth derivative
The nth derivative of some function.

1
1
n
n
y x
y nx

=
=
2
2
3
3
( 1)
( 1)( 2)
...
..
n
n
y n n x
y n n n x

=
=
( 1)( 2)( 3).....3.2.1
!
n
n
y n n n n
y n
=
=
In general

if m>n


Let y= x
m
then y
n
= n! if m=n
0 if n>m
!
( )!
m n
m
x
m n

Ex. Find 10
th
derivative of (2x+3)
15




15 10 10
10
5 10
10
.
15!
(2 3) 2
(15 10)!
15!
= (2 3) 2
5!
=15.14.13.12.11.10.9.8.7.6.(2x+3)2
Sol
y x
x

= +

+
2. n
th
derivative of e
ax
.
Let y=e
ax


y
1
=ae
ax

y
2
= a
2
e
ax

.
.
y
n
= a
n
e
ax
nth derivative of a
x


Let y = a
x


y
1
= a
x
log
e
a

y
2
= a
x
(log
e
a)
2

.
.
y
n
= a
x
(log
e
a)
n
4. nth derivative of

1
ax b +
1
1
y= ( ) let ax b
ax b

= +
+
2
1
2 3
2
3 4
3
y 1. .( )
y 1. 2. ( )
y 1. 2. 3. ( )
then a ax b
a ax b
a ax b

= +
= +
= +
( 1)
,
y ( 1) !( )
n n n
n
a n ax b
+
= +
nth derivative of sin(ax+b)
Let y = sin(ax+b)

1
2 2
2
then cos( ) = a sin( )
2
2
cos( ) = a sin( +ax+b)
2 2
,
,
y =a sin( +ax+b)
2
n
n
y ax b a ax b
y ax b a
n
t
t t
t
= + + +
= + +

8. nth derivative of e
ax
sin(b x + c)
y1 = e
ax
sin (b x + c)
= a e
a x
sin(b x +c)+e
ax
c o s (b x + c)b
= e
ax
[ a sin(b x+c)+b c o s (b x + c)]
Let a=r cos and b=r sin
y1 = e
ax
[ r cos sin(bx +c) + r sin cos (bx+c)]
= e
ax
r sin( +bx+c)
y2 = e
ax
r2 sin(bx+c+2 )
.
.
.
yn = e
ax
r
n
sin(b x+c+n ) where, =tan
-1
(b/a)
r
2
= a
2
+ b
2


Similarly, y = e
ax
cos(bx+c)
y
n
= e
ax
r
n
cos(bx+c+n )






Find the nth derivative of
e
ax
cos
2
x sinx



2
1
let cos sin (cos 2 1)sin
2
ax ax
y e x x e x x = = +
1 1 1
(cos 2 sin sin ) 2cos 2 sin sin
2 4 2
ax ax ax
e x x x e x x e x = + = +
1 1 1 1
(sin3 sin ) sin sin3 sin
4 2 4 4
ax ax ax ax
e x x e x e x e x = + = +
2 2 2 1
( sin ) sin( ) where , tan
n
ax ax n
n
d b
e bx e r bx n r a b
dx a
o o

= + = + =
2 1 2 1
2 2
so that
1 3 1 1
( 9) sin(3 tan ) ( 1) sin( tan )
4 4
n n
ax ax
n
y e a x n e a x n
a a

= + + + + +

In order to find the nth derivative of any rational
function. We have to decompose it in partial function
Ex.

If Find y
n

Sol.





Differentiating both sides w.r.t.x, n times

2
1
,
1 5 6
y
x x
=
+
2
1 1
1 5 6 (2 1)(3 1)
2 3
2 1 3 1
y
x x x x
x x
= =
+
=

1 1
2( 1) 2 3( 1) 3
(2 1) (3 1)
n n n n
n
n n
n n
y
x x
+ +

=

1
1
( 1)
( )
n n
n
n
y
ax b
na
y
ax b
+
=
+

=
+

Ex. Find the n
th
derivative of


Sol
n
.





Now differentiating n times, we have



2 2
1
x a +
2 2
1 1
( )( )
1 1 1
2
y
x a x ai x ai
ia x ia x ia
= =
+ +
(
=
(
+

1 1
1 1
1 ( 1) ( 1)
2 ( ) ( )
( 1) 1 1
2 ( ) ( )
n n
n
n n
n
n n
n n
y
ia x ia x ia
n
ia x ia x ia
+ +
+ +
(
=
(
+

(
=
(
+

1
Let cos , a = r.sin so that tan
a
x r
x
u u u

= =
sin ,
sin
a
a r r u
u

= =
`
)
1 1 1
we have
( 1) 1 1 1
2 (cos sin ) (cos sin )
n
n n n
Then
n
ia r i i u u u u
+ + +
(
=
(
+

{ }
1
1
( 1) 1 1
2 cos( 1) sin( 1) cos( 1) sin( 1)
( 1)
cos( 1) sin( 1) {cos( 1) sin( 1) }
2
n
n
n
n
n
iar n i n n i n
n
n i n n i n
iar
u u u u
u u u u
+
+
(
=
(
+ + + + +

= + + + + + (

| |
1
1
1 2
1
( 1)
2 sin( 1)
2
( 1) sin( 1) ( 1) sin( 1) sin
sin
n
n
n n n
n n
n
n
ia n
iar
n n n n
a a
a
u
u u u
u
+
+
+ +
+

= +
+ +
= =
1
2
2
Find the nth derivative of tan
1
x
x

1
2
2
Let tan
1
x
y
x

1
tan tan x x u u

= =
1 1
2
1
2tan
tan tan tan 2 2
1 tan
2tan
y
y x
u
u u
u

= = =

=
1
2
1
2 2
1 ( )( )
1 1 1
( ) ( )
y
x x i x i
y
i x i x i
= =
+ +
(
=
(
+

Now differentiate it (n-1) times




Let





1 1
1 ( 1) 1 ( 1) 1
( ) ( )
n n
n
n n
n n
y
i x i x i

(

=
(
+

cos , 1 sin
( 1) 1 1 1
(cos sin ) (cos sin )
n
n n n
x r r
n
ir i i
u u
u u u u
= =
(
=
(
+

1
sin
r
u

=
`
)
1
1
{ tan }
x
u

=
| |
1
( 1) 1
{cos sin } {cos sin }
( 1) 1
.2 sin
n
n
n
n
n
n i n n i n
ir
n
i n
ir
u u u u
u

= +

=
1
2( 1) 1sin
1
sin
2( 1) sin sin
n
n
n n
n n
n
u
u
u u

=
=
Problems
Find the n
th
derivatives of the following
function

2 2
2
2
1
2
( 1)(2 3)
3
2 7 6
x
x a
x
x x
x
x x
+
+
+ +
Find the n
th
order differentiation
2 2
2
2
3 2
2
3
2
2
2
1
2 (ax+b)
4 1
3
2 2
4 sin
5
3 2
6
( 1) ( 2)
x
x
x a
x x
x x x
e x
x
x x
x
x x

+
+
+
+
+