SUCCESSIVE DIFFERENTIAN

If y=f(x) is a function of a single

variable in an interval a<x<b than
dy/dx=f’(x) is its first derivative with
respect to x.

In general, f’(x) is a function of x and

hence can be differentiated further
to get d/dx(dy/dx)=d2y/d2x=f’’(x)
known as second derivative of y=f(x)
at x.
 Similarly, we may have d3y/d3x=f’’’(x),
d4y/d4x=f’’’’(x), …….dny/dnx=fn(x) as third,
fourth, ………nth derivative of f(x) at x.

Some times the following notation are

also used:
y1, y2, y3,………..yn
Dy, D2y, D3y, …………Dny, D=d/dx
for 1st, 2nd, ………. nth derivative
 The nth derivative of some function.

yx n

n 1
y1  nx
n2
y2  n(n  1) x
n 3
y3  n(n  1)(n  2) x
...
..
yn  n(n  1)(n  2)(n  3).....3.2.1
yn  n !
 In general
m!
x mn
Let y=xm ( m  n)! if m>n
then yn = n! if m=n
0 if n>m
 Ex. Find 10th derivative of (2x+3)15

Sol.
15! 15 10 10
y10  (2 x  3) 2
(15  10)!
15!
= (2 x  3) 2 5 10

5!
10
=15.14.13.12.11.10.9.8.7.6.(2x+3)2
2. nth derivative of eax.
Let y=eax

y1=aeax

y2= a2 eax
.
.
yn= an eax
nth derivative of ax

Let y = ax

y1 = ax logea

y2 = ax (logea)2
.
.
yn = ax (logea)n
 1
4. nth derivative of
1 1
ax  b
let y=  ( ax  b)
ax  b
2
then y1  1.a.(ax  b)
3
y 2  1.  2.a ( ax  b)
2

4
y3  1.  2.  3.a ( ax  b)
3

,
,
 ( n 1)
y n  ( 1) a n !( ax  b)
n n
nth derivative of sin(ax+b)
Let y = sin(ax+b)
y1  cos( ax  b) a

=sin(  ax  b) a
2

y2  cos(  ax  b )a 2
2
2
=sin( +ax+b)a 2
2
,
,
n n
y n =sin( +ax+b)a
2
 CALCULATION OF nth DERIVATIVE
8. nth derivative of eax sin(bx+c)
y1 = eax sin(bx+c)
= aeax sin(bx+c)+eax cos(bx+c)b
= eax [ a sin(bx+c)+b cos(bx+c)]
Let a=rcos and b=rsin
y1 = eax [ rcos sin(bx+c) + rsin cos(bx+c)]
= eax r sin(+bx+c)
y2 = eax r2 sin(bx+c+2)
.
.
.
yn = eax rn sin(bc+c+n) where, =tan-1(b/a)
r2 = a2 + b2
Similarly, y = eax cos(bx+c)
yn = eax rn cos(bx+c+n)
 Find the nth derivative of
eax cos2x sinx
y  e ax cos 2 x sin x
1 ax
 e (cos 2 x  1)sin x
2
1
 e ax (cos 2 x sin x  sin x)
2
1 1
 e ax 2 cos 2 x sin x  e ax sin x
4 2
1 1
 e ax (sin 3x  sin x)  e ax sin x
4 2
1 ax 1 ax
 e sin 3x  e sin x
4 4
d n ax
 n (e sin bx)  e ax r n sin(bx  n )
dx
b
r 2  a 2  b 2 ,   tan 1
a
n n
1 ax 2  3 1 1
 e (a  9) 2 sin(3 x  n tan 1
)  e (a  1) 2 sin( x  n tan 1 )
ax 2

4 a 4 a
 In order to find the nth derivative of any rational
function. We have to decompose it in partial function
Ex.
1
If y , Find y n
1  5x  6x 2

1 Sol. 1
y 
1  5x  6x2 (2 x  1)(3 x  1)
2 3
 
2 x  1 3x  1

1
2(1) n2 3(1) n3
n n
Differentiating n sides
both n w.r.t.x,
y n times
yn  n 1
 n 1
ax  b
(2 x  1) (3 x  1) ( 1) n na n
yn 
( ax  b) n 1
 1
Ex. Find the nth derivative of
Soln. x2  a2
1 1
y 2 
x a 2
( x  ai )( x  ai )
1  1 1 
 
2ia  x  ia x  ia 

Now differentiating n times, we have

1  ( 1) n n ( 1) n n 
yn   
2ia  ( x  ia ) n 1
( x  ia ) n 1 
(1) n n  1 1 
  n 1
 n 1 
2ia  ( x  ia ) ( x  ia ) 
 Let

a
x  r cos  , a = r.sin and   tan 1

x
(1)n n 1  1 1 
 n 1 

2ia r  (cos   i sin  ) n 1
(cos   i sin  ) n 1 
(1)n n  1 1 
 
2iar  cos(n  1)  i sin(n  1) cos(n  1)  i sin(n  1) 
n 1 

(1)n n
n 1 
  cos(n  1)  i sin(n  1)   {cos(n  1)  i sin(n  1) }
2iar
(1)n n
n 1 
 2ia sin(n  1) 
2iar
(1)n n sin(n  1) (1) n n sin(n  1) sin n1 
   a 
 a  r cos  , r 
n 1 n2
a a 
a n 1
sin   sin  
 12x
Ex. Find the nth derivative of tan
1 x 2
Soln.
12x
Let y  tan
1  x2
x  tan     tan 1 x
2 tan 
y  tan 1
 tan 1
tan 2  2
1  tan 2

y  2 tan 1 x
2 2
y1  
1 x 2
( x  i )( x  i )
1 1 1 
y1   
i  ( x  i ) ( x  i ) 
Now differentiate it (n-1) times

1  (1) n 1 n  1 (1) n 1 n  1 
yn    
i  ( x  i) n
( x  i)n 

Let x  r cos  ,1  r sin 

(1) n n  1  1 1 
 
 (cos   i sin  ) n (cos   i sin  ) n 
ir n  
(1) n n  1
 n  {cos n  i sin n }  {cos n  i sin n }
ir
(1) n 1 n  1
 n
.2i sin n
ir
2(1) n n  1sin   1 
 r  
1  sin  
sin n 
1 1
 2(1) n 1 sin n sin n  {  tan }
x
 Problems
• Find the nth derivatives of the following
function
x
1
x a
2 2

x
2
( x  1)(2 x  3)
2
x
3
2x2  7 x  6
Find the nth order differentiation
x
1
x2  a2
2
2 (ax+b)
x2  4x  1
3
x  2x  x  2
3 2

x 2
4 e sin x
3
x
5
x  3x  2
2

2
x
6
( x  1) ( x  2)
2