Q.Find the derivative of the following: xy=e(x−y)
Concept understanding — Implicit & Logarithmic Differentiation
Two related techniques handle relationships between x and y (or functions of x) that the ordinary explicit-function derivative table cannot differentiate directly.
Implicit differentiation. An equation F(x,y)=0 (e.g. the circle x2+y2=4) may define y as one or more functions of x implicitly — without being solved for y — and sometimes cannot even be solved for y in elementary terms (e.g. x4+x2y3−y5=2x+1). The method: differentiate both sides of the equation with respect to x, treating y throughout as a differentiable function of x (so any term in y picks up a factor dxdy via the chain rule — most simply as dxd(yn)=nyn−1dxdy), then solve algebraically for dxdy. Worked example: for x2+y2=1, 2x+2yy′=0⇒y′=−x/y.
Logarithmic differentiation. Handles power-exponential functions such as y=xx, where both the base and the exponent depend on x and neither the plain power rule nor the plain exponential rule alone applies. Method: (1) take log of both sides and simplify with the log laws; (2) differentiate implicitly; (3) solve for y′. For y=xx: logy=xlogx⇒yy′=logx+1⇒y′=xx(1+logx). The technique covers four general cases — constantconstant (derivative 0), variableconstant (ordinary power rule), constantvariable (ordinary exponential rule), and variablevariable (genuinely needs logs): dxd[f(x)g(x)]=f(x)g(x)[g′(x)logf(x)+g(x)f(x)f′(x)]. It is also useful more broadly — even for a function with no variable exponent — whenever it is built from several products/quotients/powers, since log turns those into sums/differences/multiples before differentiating, which is often far less work than a direct product-and-quotient-rule computation.
A related shortcut — the substitution method. Some inverse-trigonometric expressions collapse dramatically under a trigonometric substitution before differentiating: e.g. for f(x)=tan−1(1−x22x), substituting x=tanθ turns the argument into tan2θ (a double-angle identity), so f(x)=2tan−1x, whose derivative 1+x22 is read off instantly — far simpler than differentiating the original quotient directly via the chain and quotient rules. The pattern to look for is a multiple-angle identity (double-angle, triple-angle, or tangent-addition) disguised inside the inverse trig function.
All three techniques share one habit of mind: simplify algebraically first (equate, take logs, or substitute), differentiate second. Attempting to differentiate the original messy expression directly is always possible in principle but usually far more work.
Take logs of both sides to turn the square root and the exponential into simple additive/linear terms, then differentiate implicitly.
dxdy=x(2y+1)y(2x−1)
Step 1. Given xy=ex−y. Take the natural log of both sides:
21(logx+logy)=x−y
Step 2. Differentiate both sides w.r.t. x:
21(x1+y1dxdy)=1−dxdy
Step 3. Multiply throughout by 2:
x1+y1dxdy=2−2dxdy
Step 4. Collect all dxdy terms on one side:
dxdy(y1+2)=2−x1=x2x−1
Step 5. Simplify the bracket and solve:
dxdy⋅y1+2y=x2x−1
dxdy=x(2y+1)y(2x−1)
dxdy=x(2y+1)y(2x−1)
- Forgetting the factor of 21 from logxy=21log(xy)
- Assuming the exponential rule is needed again on the right side, when taking logs already reduced it to just x−y
- Not collecting all dxdy terms on one side before isolating it
- CBSE 2022Set ANNUAL3 marksQ.Find dxdy if x2+y2=1.
›Reveal solutionSolution
Implicit differentiation of x2+y2=1 gives dxdy=−yx.
Differentiate both sides of x2+y2=1 with respect to x, remembering y is a function of x:
2x+2ydxdy=0.
Solving: 2ydxdy=−2x⇒dxdy=−yx.
✓Final answerdxdy=−yx.
- CBSE 2018Set ANNUAL3 marksQ.Find dxdy if tan(x+y)+tan(x−y)=1.
›Reveal solutionSolution
Implicit differentiation of tan(x+y)+tan(x−y)=1 gives dxdy=sec2(x−y)−sec2(x+y)sec2(x+y)+sec2(x−y).
Differentiate both sides of tan(x+y)+tan(x−y)=1 with respect to x, treating y as a function of x:
sec2(x+y)⋅dxd(x+y)+sec2(x−y)⋅dxd(x−y)=0
sec2(x+y)(1+y′)+sec2(x−y)(1−y′)=0
Let A=sec2(x+y) and B=sec2(x−y) for brevity:
A(1+y′)+B(1−y′)=0
A+Ay′+B−By′=0
y′(A−B)=−(A+B)
y′=A−B−(A+B)=B−AA+B
Substituting back:
dxdy=sec2(x−y)−sec2(x+y)sec2(x+y)+sec2(x−y)
✓Final answerdxdy=sec2(x−y)−sec2(x+y)sec2(x+y)+sec2(x−y).
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