How Do You Differentiate tan-1(xy) in Implicit Differentiation?

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Homework Statement



Find y' given
tan-1(xy) = 1 + x2y

Homework Equations





The Attempt at a Solution


I know I'll have to start with implicit differentiation, and I can differentiate the RHS to be:
0 + 2xy + x2(dy/dx)

And I know tan-1 x = 1/(1+x2), but I don't know how to differentiate tan-1 (xy) implicitly!
 
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Ambidext said:

Homework Statement



Find y' given
tan-1(xy) = 1 + x2y

Homework Equations





The Attempt at a Solution


I know I'll have to start with implicit differentiation, and I can differentiate the RHS to be:
0 + 2xy + x2(dy/dx)

And I know tan-1 x = 1/(1+x2)
Then you know something that isn't true. What is true, though, is that
d/dx(tan-1(x)) = 1/(1 + x2).
Ambidext said:
, but I don't know how to differentiate tan-1 (xy) implicitly!
All you really need to do is to use the chain rule and the product rule.

d/dx(tan-1 (xy)) = 1/(1 + (xy)2)) * d/dx(xy)

Can you finish this?
 
Last edited:
Yes, I had a typo. I meant d/dx tan-1 x = 1 / (1 + x2)

Ok I think I can now.
 
I got:

dy/dx = (2xy(1 + x2y2) / ( 1 - 2x)

Am I correct?
 
That's not what I get. Can you show your work?
 
d/dx tan-1 xy = d/dx ( 1 + x2 y)

dy/dx (xy) (1/(1 + x2y2) = 0 + 2xy2 + dy/dx (2y) x2

Rearrange to make dy/dx subject of formula, I got:

dy/dx (xy / (1 + x2y2 - 2yx2) = 2x2y2

dy/dx = 2x2y2 / ((xy)/(1+x2y2) - 2yx2)

dy/dx = 2xy / ( (1-2x) / (1+x2y2)

dy/dx = 2xy( 1 + x2y2) / ( 1 -2x)
 
Ambidext said:
d/dx tan-1 xy = d/dx ( 1 + x2 y)

dy/dx (xy) (1/(1 + x2y2) = 0 + 2xy2 + dy/dx (2y) x2
You went astray right off the bat. d/dx(tan-1(u)) = 1/(1 + u2) * du/dx

In this case, u = xy, so you need to use the product rule to get d/dx(xy).
Ambidext said:
Rearrange to make dy/dx subject of formula, I got:

dy/dx (xy / (1 + x2y2 - 2yx2 = 2x2y2

dy/dx = 2x2y2 / ((xy)/(1+x2y2) - 2yx2)

dy/dx = 2xy / ( (1-2x) / (1+x2y2)

dy/dx = 2xy( 1 + x2y2) / ( 1 -2x)
 
So,
d/dx tan-1 u = 1/(1 + u2) (du/dx)


u = yx
du/dx = x(dy/dx) + y

Thus I get:
d/dx tan-1 (xy) = 1/(1 + x2y2) (y + x (dy/dx)

Correct so far?
 
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