Calculus Examples

$f (x) = \cot^{3} (\sqrt{x})$

Step 1

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

$\frac{d}{d x} [\cot^{3} (x^{\frac{1}{2}})]$

Step 2

Differentiate using the chain rule, which states that $\frac{d}{d x} [f (g (x))]$ is $f' (g (x)) g' (x)$ where $f (x) = x^{3}$ and $g (x) = \cot (x^{\frac{1}{2}})$ .

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Step 2.1

To apply the Chain Rule, set $u_{1}$ as $\cot (x^{\frac{1}{2}})$ .

$\frac{d}{d u_{1}} [{u_{1}}^{3}] \frac{d}{d x} [\cot (x^{\frac{1}{2}})]$

Step 2.2

Differentiate using the Power Rule which states that $\frac{d}{d u_{1}} [{u_{1}}^{n}]$ is $n {u_{1}}^{n - 1}$ where $n = 3$ .

$3 {u_{1}}^{2} \frac{d}{d x} [\cot (x^{\frac{1}{2}})]$

Step 2.3

Replace all occurrences of $u_{1}$ with $\cot (x^{\frac{1}{2}})$ .

$3 \cot^{2} (x^{\frac{1}{2}}) \frac{d}{d x} [\cot (x^{\frac{1}{2}})]$

Step 3

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

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Step 3.1

To apply the Chain Rule, set $u_{2}$ as $x^{\frac{1}{2}}$ .

$3 \cot^{2} (x^{\frac{1}{2}}) (\frac{d}{d u_{2}} [\cot (u_{2})] \frac{d}{d x} [x^{\frac{1}{2}}])$

Step 3.2

The derivative of $\cot (u_{2})$ with respect to $u_{2}$ is $- \csc^{2} (u_{2})$ .

$3 \cot^{2} (x^{\frac{1}{2}}) (- \csc^{2} (u_{2}) \frac{d}{d x} [x^{\frac{1}{2}}])$

Step 3.3

Replace all occurrences of $u_{2}$ with $x^{\frac{1}{2}}$ .

$3 \cot^{2} (x^{\frac{1}{2}}) (- \csc^{2} (x^{\frac{1}{2}}) \frac{d}{d x} [x^{\frac{1}{2}}])$

Step 4

Differentiate using the Power Rule.

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Step 4.1

Multiply $- 1$ by $3$ .

$- 3 \cot^{2} (x^{\frac{1}{2}}) (\csc^{2} (x^{\frac{1}{2}}) \frac{d}{d x} [x^{\frac{1}{2}}])$

Step 4.2

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

$- 3 \cot^{2} (x^{\frac{1}{2}}) \csc^{2} (x^{\frac{1}{2}}) (\frac{1}{2} x^{\frac{1}{2} - 1})$

Step 5

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

$- 3 \cot^{2} (x^{\frac{1}{2}}) \csc^{2} (x^{\frac{1}{2}}) (\frac{1}{2} x^{\frac{1}{2} - 1 \cdot \frac{2}{2}})$

Step 6

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

$- 3 \cot^{2} (x^{\frac{1}{2}}) \csc^{2} (x^{\frac{1}{2}}) (\frac{1}{2} x^{\frac{1}{2} + \frac{- 1 \cdot 2}{2}})$

Step 7

Combine the numerators over the common denominator.

$- 3 \cot^{2} (x^{\frac{1}{2}}) \csc^{2} (x^{\frac{1}{2}}) (\frac{1}{2} x^{\frac{1 - 1 \cdot 2}{2}})$

Step 8

Simplify the numerator.

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Step 8.1

Multiply $- 1$ by $2$ .

$- 3 \cot^{2} (x^{\frac{1}{2}}) \csc^{2} (x^{\frac{1}{2}}) (\frac{1}{2} x^{\frac{1 - 2}{2}})$

Step 8.2

Subtract $2$ from $1$ .

$- 3 \cot^{2} (x^{\frac{1}{2}}) \csc^{2} (x^{\frac{1}{2}}) (\frac{1}{2} x^{\frac{- 1}{2}})$

Step 9

Move the negative in front of the fraction.

$- 3 \cot^{2} (x^{\frac{1}{2}}) \csc^{2} (x^{\frac{1}{2}}) (\frac{1}{2} x^{- \frac{1}{2}})$

Step 10

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

$- 3 \cot^{2} (x^{\frac{1}{2}}) \csc^{2} (x^{\frac{1}{2}}) \frac{x^{- \frac{1}{2}}}{2}$

Step 11

Combine $\frac{x^{- \frac{1}{2}}}{2}$ and $- 3$ .

$\frac{x^{- \frac{1}{2}} \cdot - 3}{2} \cot^{2} (x^{\frac{1}{2}}) \csc^{2} (x^{\frac{1}{2}})$

Step 12

Combine $\frac{x^{- \frac{1}{2}} \cdot - 3}{2}$ and $\cot^{2} (x^{\frac{1}{2}})$ .

$\frac{x^{- \frac{1}{2}} \cdot - 3 \cot^{2} (x^{\frac{1}{2}})}{2} \csc^{2} (x^{\frac{1}{2}})$

Step 13

Combine $\frac{x^{- \frac{1}{2}} \cdot - 3 \cot^{2} (x^{\frac{1}{2}})}{2}$ and $\csc^{2} (x^{\frac{1}{2}})$ .

$\frac{x^{- \frac{1}{2}} \cdot - 3 \cot^{2} (x^{\frac{1}{2}}) \csc^{2} (x^{\frac{1}{2}})}{2}$

Step 14

Simplify the expression.

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Step 14.1

Move $- 3$ to the left of $x^{- \frac{1}{2}}$ .

$\frac{- 3 \cdot x^{- \frac{1}{2}} \cot^{2} (x^{\frac{1}{2}}) \csc^{2} (x^{\frac{1}{2}})}{2}$

Step 14.2

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

$\frac{- 3 \cot^{2} (x^{\frac{1}{2}}) \csc^{2} (x^{\frac{1}{2}})}{2 x^{\frac{1}{2}}}$

Step 14.3

Move the negative in front of the fraction.

$- \frac{3 \cot^{2} (x^{\frac{1}{2}}) \csc^{2} (x^{\frac{1}{2}})}{2 x^{\frac{1}{2}}}$