Instructor: Dr.

Saad Essa Lecture Notes

14.5 The Chain Rule

In calculus I, if y = f (x), x = g(t), then

dy dy dx d
= , (f (g(t))) = f 0 (g(t))g 0 (t)
dt dx dt dt
In calculus III, if z = f (x, y), x = g(t), and y = h(t), and f, g, h are differentiable, then

dz ∂z dx ∂z dy
= +
dt ∂x dt ∂y dt

Example: Let z = x2 + y 2 , x = cos t, and y = t2 . Find dz

dt
Solution:
dz ∂z dx ∂z dy
= + = 2x(− sin t) + 2y(2t) = −2 cos t sin t + 4t3
dt ∂x dt ∂y dt
If z = f (x, y), x = g(t, s), and y = h(t, s), and f, g, h are differentiable, then

∂z ∂z ∂x ∂z ∂y
= +
∂t ∂x ∂t ∂y ∂t
and
∂z ∂z ∂x ∂z ∂y
= +
∂s ∂x ∂s ∂y ∂s

Similarly, one can extend the chain rule for functions of more than 2 variables, just following the cor-
responding tree diagram.

Example: Let z = xey , x = st, y = s2 sin t. Find ∂z

∂t and ∂s
∂z

Solution:
∂z ∂z ∂x ∂z ∂y 2 2
= + = ey (s) + xey (s2 cos t) = ses sin t + s3 tes sin t cos t
∂t ∂x ∂t ∂y ∂t
∂z
Evaluate ∂s as an exercise.

1
Implicit Differentiations
dy
Let F (x, y) = 0 where y is defined implicitly as a differentiable function of x. dx can be found by
differentiate the equation w.r.t. x on both sides of the equation. According to chain rule:
∂F
∂F ∂F dy dy ∂x Fx
+ =0⇒ = − ∂F =−
∂x ∂y dx dx ∂y
Fy

if Fy 6= 0.

Example: Find y 0 if x2 + y 2 = y.
Solution:
x2 + y 2 = y ⇒ F (x, y) = x2 + y 2 − y = 0
You can use the formula:
dy Fx 2x
=− =−
dx Fy 2y − 1
dy
Or you can differentiate the equation w.r.t x on both sides of the equation and solve for dx :

dy dy dy 2x
2x + 2y − =0⇒ =−
dx dx dx 2y − 1