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Worked Examples · Example 7

Q.Differentiate y=xxy = x^{x} with respect to xx.

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Because y=xxy = x^x has a variable base and a variable exponent, the power rule (which needs a constant exponent) and the exponential rule (which needs a constant base) both fail. Use logarithmic differentiation (§5).

Take natural logs. ln⁡y=ln⁡(xx)=xln⁡x\ln y = \ln\big(x^x\big) = x \ln x (using ln⁡(an)=nln⁡a\ln(a^n) = n\ln a).

Differentiate both sides with respect to xx. The left side is 1ydydx\dfrac{1}{y}\dfrac{dy}{dx} (chain rule). The right side xln⁡xx \ln x needs the product rule: ddx(xln⁡x)=1⋅ln⁡x+x⋅1x=ln⁡x+1\dfrac{d}{dx}(x\ln x) = 1\cdot\ln x + x\cdot\dfrac{1}{x} = \ln x + 1. So

1ydydx=ln⁡x+1.\frac{1}{y}\frac{dy}{dx} = \ln x + 1.

Solve for dydx\dfrac{dy}{dx}. Multiply both sides by yy and substitute y=xxy = x^x:

dydx=y(ln⁡x+1)=xx(1+ln⁡x).\frac{dy}{dx} = y(\ln x + 1) = x^x(1 + \ln x). …

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