Deriving Inverse Trig Functions

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Homework Help Overview

The discussion revolves around differentiating the inverse sine function, specifically the function y=sin-1[x/(1+x)]. Participants are exploring the differentiation process and comparing results with those from Wolfram Alpha.

Discussion Character

  • Mathematical reasoning, Problem interpretation

Approaches and Questions Raised

  • The original poster attempts implicit differentiation and substitution to find the derivative. They express confusion over discrepancies between their result and that from Wolfram Alpha. Other participants engage by confirming the validity of the original poster's approach and questioning the expected result.

Discussion Status

The discussion is ongoing, with some participants validating the original poster's calculations while others express curiosity about the expected outcome. There is a sense of collaborative exploration without a definitive resolution yet.

Contextual Notes

Participants note the potential for typographical errors in calculations and the importance of verifying results against reliable sources, such as Wolfram Alpha.

quozzy
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Alright, I'm not technically stuck on this one, but I consistently get a result that disagrees with what Wolfram Alpha shows when I enter the problem to check my answer. Sorry 'bout the lack of LaTeX, but it should be simple enough to read. Here goes:

Problem:
Differentiate y=sin-1[x/(1+x)]

Basically, I rearrange for
sin(y)=x/(x+1)

then use implicit differentiation to yield:
* ---> cos(y)*(dy/(dx))=1/(x+1)2

Substituting with:
cos(y)=sqrt[1-sin2(y)]

I get:
cos(y)=sqrt[1-x2/(x+1)2]

which simplifies to:
cos(y)=sqrt(2x+1)/(x+1)

Dividing both sides of the original equation (above, marked with a star) by cos(y):
dy/(dx)=1/[(x+1)sqrt(2x+1)]

Which, if you don't like surds in the denominator, can be simplified to:
sqrt(2x+1)/[(x+1)(2x+1)]


I've done this question several times, and re-checked all my working. For the life of me, I can't see where I go wrong, yet my result is slightly different to what it should be. Any suggestions would be most welcome.
 
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quozzy said:
dy/(dx)=1/[(x+1)sqrt(2x+1)]

This is pretty close (and equivalent) to the first alternate form of the derivative on Wolframalpha.
 
What do you think it should be?
 
Huh. It appears you're right. I had even tried entering <my answer> - <w.a. answer>, and it came out nonzero, but I must have mistyped something. Well, I'm glad I'm not missing anything. Thanks for the clarification!
 

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