Calculus Examples

$f (x) = \sqrt{x^{2} + 1} - x$

Step 1

By the Sum Rule, the derivative of $\sqrt{x^{2} + 1} - x$ with respect to $x$ is $\frac{d}{d x} [\sqrt{x^{2} + 1}] + \frac{d}{d x} [- x]$ .

$\frac{d}{d x} [\sqrt{x^{2} + 1}] + \frac{d}{d x} [- x]$

Step 2

Evaluate $\frac{d}{d x} [\sqrt{x^{2} + 1}]$ .

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Step 2.1

Use $\sqrt[n]{a^{x}} = a^{\frac{x}{n}}$ to rewrite $\sqrt{x^{2} + 1}$ as ${(x^{2} + 1)}^{\frac{1}{2}}$ .

$\frac{d}{d x} [{(x^{2} + 1)}^{\frac{1}{2}}] + \frac{d}{d x} [- x]$

Step 2.2

Differentiate using the chain rule, which states that $\frac{d}{d x} [f (g (x))]$ is $f' (g (x)) g' (x)$ where $f (x) = x^{\frac{1}{2}}$ and $g (x) = x^{2} + 1$ .

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Step 2.2.1

To apply the Chain Rule, set $u$ as $x^{2} + 1$ .

$\frac{d}{d u} [u^{\frac{1}{2}}] \frac{d}{d x} [x^{2} + 1] + \frac{d}{d x} [- x]$

Step 2.2.2

Differentiate using the Power Rule which states that $\frac{d}{d u} [u^{n}]$ is $n u^{n - 1}$ where $n = \frac{1}{2}$ .

$\frac{1}{2} u^{\frac{1}{2} - 1} \frac{d}{d x} [x^{2} + 1] + \frac{d}{d x} [- x]$

Step 2.2.3

Replace all occurrences of $u$ with $x^{2} + 1$ .

$\frac{1}{2} {(x^{2} + 1)}^{\frac{1}{2} - 1} \frac{d}{d x} [x^{2} + 1] + \frac{d}{d x} [- x]$

Step 2.3

By the Sum Rule, the derivative of $x^{2} + 1$ with respect to $x$ is $\frac{d}{d x} [x^{2}] + \frac{d}{d x} [1]$ .

$\frac{1}{2} {(x^{2} + 1)}^{\frac{1}{2} - 1} (\frac{d}{d x} [x^{2}] + \frac{d}{d x} [1]) + \frac{d}{d x} [- x]$

Step 2.4

Differentiate using the Power Rule which states that $\frac{d}{d x} [x^{n}]$ is $n x^{n - 1}$ where $n = 2$ .

$\frac{1}{2} {(x^{2} + 1)}^{\frac{1}{2} - 1} (2 x + \frac{d}{d x} [1]) + \frac{d}{d x} [- x]$

Step 2.5

Since $1$ is constant with respect to $x$ , the derivative of $1$ with respect to $x$ is $0$ .

$\frac{1}{2} {(x^{2} + 1)}^{\frac{1}{2} - 1} (2 x + 0) + \frac{d}{d x} [- x]$

Step 2.6

To write $- 1$ as a fraction with a common denominator, multiply by $\frac{2}{2}$ .

$\frac{1}{2} {(x^{2} + 1)}^{\frac{1}{2} - 1 \cdot \frac{2}{2}} (2 x + 0) + \frac{d}{d x} [- x]$

Step 2.7

Combine $- 1$ and $\frac{2}{2}$ .

$\frac{1}{2} {(x^{2} + 1)}^{\frac{1}{2} + \frac{- 1 \cdot 2}{2}} (2 x + 0) + \frac{d}{d x} [- x]$

Step 2.8

Combine the numerators over the common denominator.

$\frac{1}{2} {(x^{2} + 1)}^{\frac{1 - 1 \cdot 2}{2}} (2 x + 0) + \frac{d}{d x} [- x]$

Step 2.9

Simplify the numerator.

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Step 2.9.1

Multiply $- 1$ by $2$ .

$\frac{1}{2} {(x^{2} + 1)}^{\frac{1 - 2}{2}} (2 x + 0) + \frac{d}{d x} [- x]$

Step 2.9.2

Subtract $2$ from $1$ .

$\frac{1}{2} {(x^{2} + 1)}^{\frac{- 1}{2}} (2 x + 0) + \frac{d}{d x} [- x]$

Step 2.10

Move the negative in front of the fraction.

$\frac{1}{2} {(x^{2} + 1)}^{- \frac{1}{2}} (2 x + 0) + \frac{d}{d x} [- x]$

Step 2.11

Add $2 x$ and $0$ .

$\frac{1}{2} {(x^{2} + 1)}^{- \frac{1}{2}} (2 x) + \frac{d}{d x} [- x]$

Step 2.12

Combine $\frac{1}{2}$ and ${(x^{2} + 1)}^{- \frac{1}{2}}$ .

$\frac{{(x^{2} + 1)}^{- \frac{1}{2}}}{2} (2 x) + \frac{d}{d x} [- x]$

Step 2.13

Combine $2$ and $\frac{{(x^{2} + 1)}^{- \frac{1}{2}}}{2}$ .

$\frac{2 {(x^{2} + 1)}^{- \frac{1}{2}}}{2} x + \frac{d}{d x} [- x]$

Step 2.14

Combine $\frac{2 {(x^{2} + 1)}^{- \frac{1}{2}}}{2}$ and $x$ .

$\frac{2 {(x^{2} + 1)}^{- \frac{1}{2}} x}{2} + \frac{d}{d x} [- x]$

Step 2.15

Move ${(x^{2} + 1)}^{- \frac{1}{2}}$ to the denominator using the negative exponent rule $b^{- n} = \frac{1}{b^{n}}$ .

$\frac{2 x}{2 {(x^{2} + 1)}^{\frac{1}{2}}} + \frac{d}{d x} [- x]$

Step 2.16

Cancel the common factor.

$\frac{2 x}{2 {(x^{2} + 1)}^{\frac{1}{2}}} + \frac{d}{d x} [- x]$

Step 2.17

Rewrite the expression.

$\frac{x}{{(x^{2} + 1)}^{\frac{1}{2}}} + \frac{d}{d x} [- x]$

Step 3

Evaluate $\frac{d}{d x} [- x]$ .

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Step 3.1

Since $- 1$ is constant with respect to $x$ , the derivative of $- x$ with respect to $x$ is $- \frac{d}{d x} [x]$ .

$\frac{x}{{(x^{2} + 1)}^{\frac{1}{2}}} - \frac{d}{d x} [x]$

Step 3.2

Differentiate using the Power Rule which states that $\frac{d}{d x} [x^{n}]$ is $n x^{n - 1}$ where $n = 1$ .

$\frac{x}{{(x^{2} + 1)}^{\frac{1}{2}}} - 1 \cdot 1$

Step 3.3

Multiply $- 1$ by $1$ .

$\frac{x}{{(x^{2} + 1)}^{\frac{1}{2}}} - 1$