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Worked Examples · Example 23

Q.Find dydx\frac{dy}{dx}, if y+sin⁡y=cos⁡xy + \sin y = \cos x.

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We differentiate both sides with respect to xx using implicit differentiation, then solve for dydx\frac{dy}{dx}. The result is dydx=−sin⁡x1+cos⁡y\frac{dy}{dx} = -\frac{\sin x}{1 + \cos y}.

This problem is a classic example of implicit differentiation. Why can't we just solve for yy and differentiate normally? Because the equation y+sin⁡y=cos⁡xy + \sin y = \cos x mixes yy and xx in a way that cannot be untangled — there's no simple algebraic way to write yy as a function of xx alone. So we treat yy as an unknown function of xx, and differentiate every term with respect to xx, using the chain rule whenever we hit a yy.

The key idea: whenever you differentiate a term involving yy, you multiply by dydx\frac{dy}{dx} because yy itself depends on xx. This is just the chain rule in action.

Let's work through it step by step.

  1. Differentiate both sides with respect to xx. Left side: y+sin⁡yy + \sin y.
    • The derivative of yy with respect to xx is dydx\frac{dy}{dx}.
    • The derivative of sin⁡y\sin y with respect to xx is cos⁡y⋅dydx\cos y \cdot \frac{dy}{dx} (chain rule: derivative of sin⁡\sin is cos⁡\cos, then multiply by derivative of the inside yy). So the left side becomes:

dydx+cos⁡y⋅dydx\frac{dy}{dx} + \cos y \cdot \frac{dy}{dx}

Right side: cos⁡x\cos x.

  • The derivative of cos⁡x\cos x with respect to xx is −sin⁡x-\sin x. So the right side becomes:

−sin⁡x-\sin x

  1. Write the differentiated equation:

dydx+cos⁡y⋅dydx=−sin⁡x\frac{dy}{dx} + \cos y \cdot \frac{dy}{dx} = -\sin x

  1. Factor out dydx\frac{dy}{dx} from the left side: dydx(1+cos⁡y)=−sin⁡x\frac{dy}{dx} (1 + \cos y) = -\sin x …

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