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Worked Examples · Example 30

Q.Find dydx\dfrac{dy}{dx}, if yx+xy+xx=aby^x + x^y + x^x = a^b, where aa and bb are positive constants.

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We use logarithmic differentiation on each term separately because the variable appears in both the base and the exponent. The final derivative is dydx=−yxlog⁡y+xy⋅yx+xx(1+log⁡x)xyx−1+xylog⁡x\frac{dy}{dx} = -\frac{y^x \log y + x^y \cdot \frac{y}{x} + x^x (1 + \log x)}{x y^{x-1} + x^y \log x}.


Why logarithmic differentiation?

When you see yxy^x, xyx^y, or xxx^x, the variable is in both the base and the exponent. The standard power rule (ddxxn=nxn−1\frac{d}{dx} x^n = n x^{n-1}) only works when the exponent is a constant. The exponential rule (ddxax=axlog⁡a\frac{d}{dx} a^x = a^x \log a) only works when the base is constant. Here, neither is constant — so we need a different tool.

The trick: take natural logs first, then differentiate implicitly. This converts the variable exponent into a product, which we can handle with the product rule.


Step-by-step solution

1. Write the given equation

yx+xy+xx=aby^x + x^y + x^x = a^b

Here aa and bb are constants, so the right-hand side is a constant. That means its derivative is 00.

2. Differentiate term by term — start with yxy^x

Let u=yxu = y^x. Take log⁡\log on both sides:

log⁡u=xlog⁡y\log u = x \log y

Differentiate implicitly with respect to xx (remember yy is a function of xx):

1ududx=log⁡y+x⋅1ydydx\frac{1}{u} \frac{du}{dx} = \log y + x \cdot \frac{1}{y} \frac{dy}{dx}

So

dudx=yx(log⁡y+xydydx)\frac{du}{dx} = y^x \left( \log y + \frac{x}{y} \frac{dy}{dx} \right)

3. Differentiate xyx^y

Let v=xyv = x^y. Take log⁡\log:

log⁡v=ylog⁡x\log v = y \log x

Differentiate:

1vdvdx=dydxlog⁡x+y⋅1x\frac{1}{v} \frac{dv}{dx} = \frac{dy}{dx} \log x + y \cdot \frac{1}{x}

Thus

dvdx=xy(dydxlog⁡x+yx)\frac{dv}{dx} = x^y \left( \frac{dy}{dx} \log x + \frac{y}{x} \right)

4. Differentiate xxx^x

Let w=xxw = x^x. Take log⁡\log:

log⁡w=xlog⁡x\log w = x \log x

Differentiate:

1wdwdx=log⁡x+x⋅1x=log⁡x+1\frac{1}{w} \frac{dw}{dx} = \log x + x \cdot \frac{1}{x} = \log x + 1

So

dwdx=xx(1+log⁡x)\frac{dw}{dx} = x^x (1 + \log x)

Tip

Notice xxx^x is a special case where the base and exponent are the same variable — its derivative is simply xx(1+log⁡x)x^x (1 + \log x), a result worth memorising.

5. Combine the derivatives

The derivative of the whole left side equals the derivative of the constant right side (00):

yx(log⁡y+xydydx)+xy(dydxlog⁡x+yx)+xx(1+log⁡x)=0y^x \left( \log y + \frac{x}{y} \frac{dy}{dx} \right) + x^y \left( \frac{dy}{dx} \log x + \frac{y}{x} \right) + x^x (1 + \log x) = 0

6. Collect terms with dydx\frac{dy}{dx} …

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