Chain Rule
The chain rule is a fundamental rule in calculus that allows you to find the derivative of a composition of functions
The chain rule is a fundamental rule in calculus that allows you to find the derivative of a composition of functions. It applies when you have a function that is composed of two or more other functions.
Let’s say you have a composition of two functions, f(g(x)). The chain rule states that the derivative of this composition is equal to the derivative of the outer function (f'(g(x))) multiplied by the derivative of the inner function (g'(x)).
In mathematical notation, if y = f(g(x)), then the chain rule can be expressed as:
dy/dx = f'(g(x)) * g'(x)
The chain rule can also be extended to compositions of more than two functions. In that case, you would multiply the derivatives of all the individual functions in the composition.
The chain rule is particularly useful when you have nested functions or when you need to find the derivative of functions that are combinations of trigonometric, exponential, or logarithmic functions.
To apply the chain rule, first identify the outer function and the inner function in the composition. Compute the derivatives of both functions separately, and then multiply them together to obtain the derivative of the entire composition.
It’s important to note that the chain rule only applies to compositions of functions, meaning that the functions are combined by performing an operation such as addition, subtraction, multiplication, or division.
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