Problem with Differentiation Using Quotient Rule

Join the discussion
Registration is free. Ask a follow-up in this thread, or start your own.
1 reply · 3K views
PianistSk8er
Messages
8
Reaction score
0
I am attempting to find the second derivative of a function:

h(x) = [(x^2)-1] / [2x-(x^2)]

I proceeded by using the Quotient Rule, and I found the following as the first derivative. (It is correct.)

h`(x) = [2(x^2)-2x+2] / [2x-(x^2)]^2

Next, I tried using the Quotient Rule again, and I found a very long result. I simplified the result and obtained the following:

h``(x) = [2x(4(x^5)-5(x^4)+(x^3)+20(x^2)-16x+4)] / [2x-(x^2)]^4

Is this correct? And, if so, how can I proceed from here? (The answer in the book seems to have been simplified a lot more than this one.

Thanks in advance!
Nico
 
Physics news on Phys.org
Not correct, I'm afraid. You'll need to check your working.

One way of checking if your answers are correct is to graph them, using a graphing calculator or software.

h'() is the slope of h(), and h''() is the slope of h'().
If you plot h'(), you will find it has a minimum at about x = 0.8. That means its slope, the h''() curve, is zero at about x = 0.8. So if you plot h''(), and it cuts the x-axis at about x = 0.8, then that is reasonable confirmation that you may have the right answer.
Also, when doing the 2nd derivative, you should get a common factor of (2x-x²) that cancels out top and bottom. This will simplify things a bit.