LESSON 25: Chain Rule on Partial Derivatives

SPECIFIC OBJECTIVES:
At the end of this lesson, the students are expected to accomplish the
following:
apply principles of partial derivatives on composite functions in two or
more variables;
evaluate partial derivatives of f(x, y) where both x and y could be
differentiable functions of another two or more variables using chain
rule; and
evaluate total derivatives of function in two or more variables where
these variables could be expressed as functions of another variable by
chain rule.
INSTRUCTIONAL STRATEGIES:
Instructor will introduce the principles, formulas and give examples. o
motivate students, incentives may be given to the first three students who could
solve the remaining examples. o build up confidence of learners and eliminate
stage fright, after chec!ing their wor!s, pic! up the best solution and let him"her
write the solution on the board, and if he"she could explain it, much better.
Assignments shall be given to students to ma!e a follow#up of what was
discussed inside the classroom. $hec!#up %ui& may be given within the
remaining period.
DISCUSSION OF THE TOPICS:
'ecall that the chain rule for a function of a single variable is as follows:
If y is a function of u and
dx
dy
exists, and u is a function of x and
dx
du
exists,
then y is a function of x and
dx
dy
exists, and is given by:
dx
du
du
dy
dx
dy

.
(e now consider the chain rule for a function of two or more variables where
each of these variables is also a function of two or more variables.
232
THE CHAIN RULE
If u is a differentiable function of x and y defined by u ) f(x, y), where both x
and y, in turn, are differentiable functions of r and s, defined by x ) *(r, s) and y )
+(r, s), respectively, such that
r
x

,
s
x

,
r
y

and
s
y

all exist, then u is also a

function of r and s. hus by chain rule,
r
y
y
u
r
x
x
u
r
u

s
y
y
u
s
x
x
u
s
u

THE GENERAL CHAIN RULE

,uppose that u is a differentiable function of the n#variables n - . /
x ,..., x , x , x
, and each of these variables is in turn a function of the m variables
m - . /
y ,..., y , y , y
. ,uppose further that each of the partial derivatives
0
i
y
x

(I ) /,
., -, 1, n; 0 ) /, ., -, 1, m) exist. hen u is a function of m - . /
y ,..., y , y , y
, and
/
n
n /
-
- /
.
. /
/
/ /
y
x
x
u
y
x
x
u
y
x
x
u
y
x
x
u
y
u

+ +

.
n
n .
-
- .
.
. .
/
/ .
y
x
x
u
y
x
x
u
y
x
x
u
y
x
x
u
y
u

+ +

-
n
n -
-
- -
.
. -
/
/ -
y
x
x
u
y
x
x
u
y
x
x
u
y
x
x
u
y
u

+ +

m
n
n m
-
- m
.
. m
/
/ m
y
x
x
u
y
x
x
u
y
x
x
u
y
x
x
u
y
u

+ +

233
2xample .3./. +iven ) y x - ( sin u
/
+

;
s .
e r x ;
rs sin y
.
*ind :
r
u

and
s
u

by (a) $hain 'ule , and (b) using

,ubstitution.
,olutions:
) y x - ( sin u
/
+

;
s .
e r x ;
rs sin y
(a) 4y $hain 'ule:
r
y
y
u
r
x
x
u
r
u

and
s
y
y
u
s
x
x
u
s
u

2valuating each partial derivatives of u, x and y:

( )
( )
( )
.
.
y x - /
-
-
y x - /
/
x
u
+

( )
( )
( )
.
.
y x - /
/
/
y x - /
/
y
u
+

( )( )
s s
re . r . e
r
x

( )( )( ) rs cos s / s rs cos
r
y

( )( )
s . s .
e r / e r
s
x

( )( )( ) rs cos r / r rs cos
s
y

5ence,
r
y
y
u
r
x
x
u
r
u

( )
( )
( )
( ) rs cos s
y x - /
/
re .
y x - /
-
r
u
.
s
.
+
+
+

( )
( )
.
s .
s
.
s
rs sin e -r # /
rs cos s re 6
y x - /
rs cos s re 6
r
u
+
+

+
+

s
y
y
u
s
x
x
u
s
u

( )
( )
( )
( ) rs cos r
y x - /
/
e r
y x - /
-
s
u
.
s .
.
+
+
+

( )
( )
. . .
s
.
s .
rs) sin e r - ( /
rs cos re - r
y x - /
rs cos r e r -
r
u
+
+

+
+

(b) 4y ,ubstitution:
234
) y x - ( sin u
/
+

;
s .
e r x ;
rs sin y
hus, [ ] rs sin ) e r ( - sin u
s . /
+

( ) rs sin e r - sin u
s . /
+

.
5ence, u ) *(r, s)
( )
,
.
. ,
u /
.re scos rs
r
/ -r e sin rs

1 +
]

+
( )
,
.
. ,
u .re scos rs
r
/ -r e sin rs
+

+
( )
. ,
.
. ,
u /
-r e r cos rs
r
/ -r e sin rs

1 +
]

+
( )
( )
s
.
. ,
r -re cos rs
u
r
/ -r e sin rs
+

+
2xample .3... +iven:
x " y
e . u ; cos r . x ;
sin r 7 y
*ind:
r
u

and

u
by $hain 'ule and chec! your answer using
substitution.
,olutions:
x " y
e . u cos r . x
sin r 7 y
x " y
. .
x " y
e
x
y .
x
y
e .
x
u

cos .
r
x

sin 7
r
y
x " y x " y
e
x
.
x
/
e .
y
u

sin r .
x

cos r 7
y
235
4y $hain 'ule

y
y
u x
x
u u
and
r
y
y
u
r
x
x
u
r
u

. 5ence,
( ) ( ) +

sin 7 e
x
.
cos . e
x
y .
r
u
x " y x " y
.
[ ]

cos y sin x .
x
e 7
r
u
.
x " y
( ) ( )
[ ]

cos sin r 7 cos sin r 7
cos r 7
e 7
r
u
. .
cos r . " sin r 7
8
r
u

Also,
( ) ( ) +

cos r 7 e
x
.
sin r . e
x
y . u
x " y x " y
.
[ ] +

cos x . sin y
x
re 7 u
.
x " y
( ) ( )
[ ] +

. .
. .
cos r . " sin r 7
cos r 7 sin r 7
cos r 7
re 7 u
[ ] +

. .
.
tan .
cos sin
cos r
re 7 u

.
tan .
cos
/
e 7
u

. tan .
sec e 7
u
$hec!ing:
4y substitution:
x " y
e . u ; cos r . x ;
sin r 7 y
hus,
( ) ( )

tan . cos r . " sin r 7
e . e . u

8
r
u

[ ]

. tan . . tan .
sec e 7 sec . e .
u
,ince
( ) f u
, then

tan .
e 7
d
du u
having had expressed u as
( ) f
.
CHAIN RULE ON TOTAL DERIVATIVES
236
If u is a differentiable function of x and y, defined by
( ) y , x f u
, where both
x and y are differentiable functions of t defined by
( ) t * x
and
( ) t + y
, then u
is also a function of t, such that by $hain 'ule:
dt
dy
y
u
dt
dx
x
u
dt
du

provided
x
u

,
y
u

,
dt
dx
and
dt
dy
all exist.
In general, if u is a differentiable function of n - . /
x ,..., x , x , x
and each of
these variables is in turn a function of the variable t, ( that is, ( ), t * x
/ /

( ) ( ) ( ) t * x ,..., t * x , t * x
n n - - . .

), then by $hain 'ule:
dt
dx
x
u
dt
dx
x
u
dt
dx
x
u
dt
dx
x
u
dt
du
n
n
-
-
.
.
/
/

+ +

2xample .3.-. +iven:
.
y xy ln u + ;
t
e x ;
t
e y

*ind:
dt
du
(a) by $hain 'ule and, (b) ,ubstitution.
,olutions:
(a) 4y $hain 'ule:
.
y xy ln u + or
.
y y ln x ln u + +
9ow,
dt
dy
y
u
dt
dx
x
u
dt
du

where
x
/
x
u

;
y .
y
/
y
u
+

;
t
e
dt
dx

;
t
e
dt
dy


5ence by replacing x by
t
e and y by
t
e

and then simplifying:

( ) ( )
t t
e y .
y
/
e
x
/
dt
du

,
_

+ +
( ) ( )
t t
t
t
t
e e .
e
/
e
e
/
dt
du

,
_

+ +
( )
t
t
t .
e
e
e . /
/
dt
du

,
_

+
+
237
t .
t .
e
.
dt
du
e . / /
dt
du



(b) 4y ,ubstitution
( ) ( )
t . t .
.
t t t
e e e ln t e ln t e e ln e ln u

+ + + +
( )
t .
t .
e
.
. e
dt
du


2xample .3.7. +iven:
t
x
e y
e /
u

; t sin - x ;
t ln y

*ind:
dt
du
by $hain 'ule
,olution:
t
x
e y
e /
u

t sin - x
t ln y
t
x
e y
e
x
u

t cos -
dt
dx

t
/
dt
dy

( )( )
( )
.
t
x
e y
/ e /
y
u

( )
.
t
x
e y
e /
y
u

238
4y $hain 'ule:
dt
dy
y
u
dt
dx
x
u
dt
du

( )
( )

,
_

1
1
]
1

+
+

t
/
e y
e /
t cos -
e y
e
dt
du
.
t
x
t
x
( )
( )( ) ( ) [ ]
x t x
.
t
e / e y t cos e - t
e y t
/
dt
du
+

( )
[ ]
x x t x
.
t
e / e te - t cos te -
e y t
/
dt
du

( )
( ) [ ]
t sin - t t sin - t sin -
.
t
e / t cos e te - t cos t ln te -
e t ln t
/
dt
du

( )
( ) [ ] / e t cos te - t cos t ln te -
e t ln t
/
dt
du
t sin - t t sin - t sin -
.
t

+
239
EXERCISES:
*ind the total derivative
dt
du
by applying the $hain 'ule.
/.
,
_

x
y
tan u
/
; t ln x ;
x
e y
.. ( )
. .
& y x ln u + + ; t sin t x ;
t cos y
-.
t y
t x
u
+
+

; t ln x ;
t
/
ln y
240