Q.(b) Differentiate the following function with respect to x : (πππ π₯)π₯; (whereπ₯ β (0, π 2)).
To differentiate for , we use logarithmic differentiation because the variable appears in both the base and the exponent. The derivative is .
The key insight: when you see a function where the variable is both in the base and the exponent β like β the standard power rule or exponential rule alone won't work. You need logarithmic differentiation. This technique converts the problem into a product, which we can differentiate using the chain rule and product rule together.
Hereβs why it works: taking the natural logarithm of both sides brings the exponent down as a coefficient, turning into . Now the right side is a product of and , which is straightforward to differentiate. The left side differentiates to by the chain rule, and we then multiply through by to isolate the derivative.
Letβs go step by step.
- Set up the function and take logs Let , where so and the log is defined. Take the natural logarithm of both sides:
- Differentiate both sides with respect to On the left, by the chain rule:
On the right, we have a product . Use the product rule:
Now .
So the right-hand derivative becomes:
- Equate and solve for We have:
Multiply both sides by :
- Substitute back
A common mistake is to treat as a power function (like ) and write , or as an exponential (like ) and write . Both are wrong because the base and exponent both vary with . Logarithmic differentiation is the only correct path here.
Notice that the derivative contains the original function as a factor. This always happens with logarithmic differentiation β the derivative of is . Memorising this pattern can save time, but understanding the log-diff derivation is safer.
The derivative is .
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