COMPOSITE FUNCTION; CHAIN RULE:

For two functions 𝑓 𝑥 and 𝑔 𝑥 , the function given by the formula 𝑓 𝑔 𝑥

is called a composite function. If 𝑓 and 𝑔 are differentiable, then so
is the composite function, and its derivative may be obtained by either
of the two procedures.
The first one is to compute an explicit formula for 𝑓 𝑔 𝑥 and
differentiate;
Example:
If 𝑓 𝑥 = 𝑥 2 + 3
𝑔 𝑥 = 2𝑥 + 1
2
𝑦=𝑓 𝑔 𝑥 = 2𝑥 + 1 +3
𝑦 = 4𝑥 2 + 4𝑥 + 1 + 3
𝑦 = 4𝑥 2 + 4𝑥 + 4
𝑑𝑦
= 8𝑥 + 4
𝑑𝑥
The second one is by the Chain Rule:
𝐷𝑥 𝑓 𝑔 𝑥 = 𝑓′ 𝑔 𝑥 𝑔′ 𝑥
If 𝑓 is called the outer function and 𝑔 is called the inner function,
then 𝐷𝑥 𝑓 𝑔 𝑥 is the product of the derivative of the outer function
(evaluated as 𝑔 𝑥 ) and the derivative of the inner function;
2
𝑦 = 2𝑥 + 1 +3
𝑓 ′ 𝑥 = 2𝑥
𝑔′ 𝑥 = 2
by the Chain Rule
𝐷𝑥 𝑓 𝑔 𝑥 = 𝑓′ 𝑔 𝑥 𝑔′ 𝑥
= 2 𝑔 𝑥 2
= 4𝑔 𝑥 ; 𝑔 𝑥 = 2𝑥 + 1
𝑑𝑦
= 4 2𝑥 + 1
𝑑𝑥
𝑑𝑦
= 8𝑥 + 4
𝑑𝑥
Alternative formulation of the Chain Rule:
𝑦 = 𝑓 𝑢 and 𝑢 = 𝑔 𝑥 then the composite function is; 𝑦 = 𝑓 𝑢 = 𝑓 𝑔 𝑥
The Chain Rule;

𝑑𝑦 𝑑𝑦 𝑑𝑢
=
𝑑𝑥 𝑑𝑢 𝑑𝑥

Example:

𝐿𝑒𝑡 𝑦 = 𝑢3 and 𝑢 = 4𝑥 2 − 2𝑥 + 5

𝑦 = 4𝑥 2 − 2𝑥 + 5 3

𝑑𝑦 𝑑𝑦 𝑑𝑢
𝑑𝑥
= 𝑑𝑢 𝑑𝑥

𝑑𝑦
𝑑𝑢
= 3𝑢2

𝑑𝑢
= 8𝑥 − 2
𝑑𝑥
𝑑𝑦
= 3𝑢2 8𝑥 − 2
𝑑𝑥
𝑑𝑦
= 3 4𝑥 2 − 2𝑥 + 5 2
8𝑥 − 2
𝑑𝑥
Illustrative Problems:
1. 𝑦 = 3𝑥 + 7
2. 𝑦 = 4𝑥 2 − 3 2 𝑥+5 3

3. 𝑦 = 𝑥 3 − 2𝑥 2 + 7𝑥 − 3 4

𝑥+2 3
4. 𝑦 = 𝑥−3

5. 𝑦 = 4 4+𝑥
3
6. 𝑦 = 1 + 𝑥2 4

7. 𝑦 = 𝑥 − 1 𝑥 2 − 2𝑥 + 2
Solutions:

1. 𝑦 = 3𝑥 + 7

𝑦 = 3𝑥 + 7 1Τ2

1
′ 1 −1
𝑦 = 2
3𝑥 + 7 2 3

1
′ 3 −
𝑦 = 2
3𝑥 + 7 2

3
𝑦′ = → 𝑎𝑛𝑠𝑤𝑒𝑟
2 3𝑥+7
Solutions:

2
2. 𝑦 = 4𝑥 2 −3 𝑥+5 3

𝑦′ = 𝑥 + 5 3
2 4𝑥 2 − 3 8𝑥 + 4𝑥 2 − 3 2
3 𝑥+5 2
1

𝑦′ = 𝑥 + 5 3
4𝑥 2 − 3 16𝑥 + 4𝑥 2 − 3 2
𝑥+5 2
3 ; factor out 𝑥+5 2
and 4𝑥 2 − 3

𝑦′ = 𝑥 + 5 2
4𝑥 2 − 3 16𝑥 𝑥 + 5 + 3 4𝑥 2 − 3

𝑦′ = 𝑥 + 5 2
4𝑥 2 − 3 16𝑥 2 + 80𝑥 + 12𝑥 2 − 9

𝑦′ = 𝑥 + 5 2
4𝑥 2 − 3 28𝑥 2 + 80𝑥 − 9 → 𝑎𝑛𝑠𝑤𝑒𝑟
Solutions:
4
3. 𝑦 = 𝑥 3 − 2𝑥 2 + 7𝑥 − 3
𝑦 ′ = 4 𝑥 3 − 2𝑥 2 + 7𝑥 + 5 3
3𝑥 2 − 4𝑥 + 7
𝑦 ′ = 𝑥 3 − 2𝑥 2 + 7𝑥 + 5 3
12𝑥 2 − 16𝑥 + 28 → 𝑎𝑛𝑠𝑤𝑒𝑟

𝑥+2 3 𝑥+2 3
4. 𝑦 = 𝑥−3
= 𝑥−3 3
′ 𝑥+2 2 𝑥−3 1 − 𝑥+2 1
𝑦 = 3 𝑥−3 𝑥−3 2
𝑥+2 2 𝑥−3−𝑥−2
𝑦′ = 3 𝑥−3 𝑥−3 2
𝑥+2 2 −5 𝑥+2 2 −5
𝑦′ = 3 𝑥−3 𝑥−3 2
= 3 𝑥−3 2 𝑥−3 2
𝑥+2 2
𝑦′ = −15 𝑥−3 2 𝑥−3 2
15 𝑥+2 2
𝑦′ = − 𝑥−3 4 → 𝑎𝑛𝑠𝑤𝑒𝑟
Solutions:
5. 𝑦 = 4 4+𝑥
1
1 3 1 2
1 −
𝑦=2 4+𝑥 = 2 4+𝑥 4 , 𝑦′ = 2 4
4+𝑥 4 1 2 4+𝑥 2

1
1 2
1 1
𝑦=2 4+𝑥 2 𝑦′ = 2 3
4+𝑥 4
1
1 −2 1
′ 1 1 −
𝑦 = 2 4+𝑥 2 4+𝑥 2 1
2 2

1 1
𝑦′ = = 1 1
2 4+𝑥 4+𝑥 2 4+𝑥 4 4+𝑥 2

1
𝑦′ = 3
2 4+𝑥 4

1
𝑦′ = 4 → 𝑎𝑛𝑠𝑤𝑒𝑟
2 4+𝑥 3
Solutions:
4
3
6. 𝑦 = 1 + 𝑥2 4 = 1 + 𝑥2 3

1
𝑦= 1 + 𝑥2 4 3

4
𝑦= 1 + 𝑥2 3

1
4
𝑦′ = 1 + 𝑥2 3 2𝑥
3

8𝑥 3
𝑦′ = 3
1 + 𝑥2 → 𝑎𝑛𝑠𝑤𝑒𝑟
Solutions:

7. 𝑦 = 𝑥 − 1 𝑥 2 − 2𝑥 + 2

2𝑥−2
𝑦′ = 𝑥 − 1 + 𝑥 2 − 2𝑥 + 2 1
2 𝑥 2 −2𝑥+2

2 𝑥−1
𝑦′ = 𝑥 − 1 + 𝑥 2 − 2𝑥 + 2
2 𝑥 2 −2𝑥+2

𝑥−1 2
𝑦′ = + 𝑥 2 − 2𝑥 + 2
𝑥 2 −2𝑥+2

2
𝑥−1 2+ 𝑥 2 −2𝑥+2 𝑥 2 −2𝑥+1+ 𝑥 2 −2𝑥+2 𝑥 2 −2𝑥+1+𝑥 2 −2𝑥+2
𝑦′ = = =
𝑥 2 −2𝑥+2 𝑥 2 −2𝑥+2 𝑥 2 −2𝑥+2

2𝑥 2 −4𝑥+3
𝑦′ = → 𝑎𝑛𝑠𝑤𝑒𝑟
𝑥 2 −2𝑥+2
Solutions:
6𝑥−5
8. 𝑦 =
2𝑥−1

1
2𝑥−1 6 − 6𝑥−5
𝑦′ = 2𝑥−1
2𝑥−1

6 2𝑥−1 − 6𝑥−5

𝑦′ = 2𝑥−1
2𝑥−1

12𝑥−6−6𝑥+5

𝑦′ = 2𝑥−1
2𝑥−1

6𝑥−1
𝑦′ = 3
→ 𝑎𝑛𝑠𝑤𝑒𝑟
2𝑥−1
Solutions:
4
9. 𝑦 = 3 − 5𝑥 3 5

1
4
𝑦′ = 3 − 5𝑥 3 −5 −15𝑥 2
5

12𝑥 2
𝑦′ = −5 → 𝑎𝑛𝑠𝑤𝑒𝑟
3−5𝑥 3
Problem Sets:
𝑑𝑦
Determine of the following functions;
𝑑𝑥

1
1) y =
2𝑥 2 −5

4−5𝑥
2) y =
4+5𝑥

3
3) y = 𝑥 + 1 − 𝑥3

1
4) y = 3x2 +5 4

5) y = 4− 4+x

x−1
6) y = x2 +1