MA 430 - Lesson 18 (Section 3.10): Derivatives of Inverse Trigonometric Functions

Note: This material is NOT on Exam 2

Topics covered:

Warm-up: Review of Trigonometric Relationships

Problem 1

If \(\sin y = x\), find \(\cos y\) and \(\tan y\).

Solution:

Using a right triangle where:

Right Triangle: A right triangle with hypotenuse 1, opposite side \(x\), and adjacent side \(\sqrt{1-x^2}\). The angle \(y\) is at the base of the triangle.

Therefore:

\[\cos y = \frac{\text{adj}}{\text{hyp}} = \frac{\sqrt{1-x^2}}{1} = \sqrt{1-x^2}\] \[\tan y = \frac{\text{opp}}{\text{adj}} = \frac{x}{\sqrt{1-x^2}}\]
Problem 2

If \(\tan y = x\), find \(\sin y\) and \(\cos y\).

Solution:

Using a right triangle where:

Right Triangle: A right triangle with adjacent side 1, opposite side \(x\), and hypotenuse \(\sqrt{1+x^2}\). The angle \(y\) is at the base of the triangle.

Therefore:

\[\sin y = \frac{\text{opp}}{\text{hyp}} = \frac{x}{\sqrt{1+x^2}}\] \[\cos y = \frac{\text{adj}}{\text{hyp}} = \frac{1}{\sqrt{1+x^2}}\] \[\sec y = \frac{1}{\cos y} = \sqrt{1+x^2}\]

Important Warning About Inverse Functions

WARNING: Be careful with notation!

If \(\sin y = x\), then \(y = \sin^{-1}(x)\)

This does NOT mean: \(\sin^{-1}(x) = \frac{1}{\sin(x)}\)

The notation \(\sin^{-1}(x)\) means the inverse function of sine, not the reciprocal.

If we want the derivative \(\frac{d}{dx}[\sin^{-1}(x)]\), we will find it using the relationship between a function and its inverse.

Derivatives of Inverse Trigonometric Functions

Derivative of \(\sin^{-1}(x)\) (Arcsine)

Derivation:
  1. Let \(y = \sin^{-1}(x)\), which means \(\sin y = x\)
  2. Take the derivative of both sides with respect to \(x\): \[\frac{d}{dx}[\sin y] = \frac{d}{dx}[x]\]
  3. Apply the chain rule on the left side: \[\cos y \cdot y' = 1\]
  4. Solve for \(y'\): \[y' = \frac{1}{\cos y}\]
  5. From the warm-up, we know that when \(\sin y = x\), then \(\cos y = \sqrt{1-x^2}\)
  6. Substitute: \[y' = \frac{1}{\sqrt{1-x^2}}\]

Reference Triangle: Right triangle with hypotenuse 1, opposite side \(x\), adjacent side \(\sqrt{1-x^2}\), showing that \(\cos y = \sqrt{1-x^2}\).

Formula:

\[\frac{d}{dx}[\sin^{-1}(x)] = \frac{1}{\sqrt{1-x^2}}\]

Derivative of \(\cos^{-1}(x)\) (Arccosine)

Derivation:
  1. Let \(y = \cos^{-1}(x)\), which means \(\cos y = x\)
  2. Take the derivative of both sides with respect to \(x\): \[\frac{d}{dx}[\cos y] = \frac{d}{dx}[x]\]
  3. Apply the chain rule: \[-\sin y \cdot y' = 1\]
  4. Solve for \(y'\): \[y' = \frac{-1}{\sin y}\]
  5. When \(\cos y = x\), we have \(\sin y = \sqrt{1-x^2}\)
  6. Substitute: \[y' = \frac{-1}{\sqrt{1-x^2}}\]

Reference Triangle: Right triangle with hypotenuse 1, adjacent side \(x\), opposite side \(\sqrt{1-x^2}\), showing that \(\sin y = \sqrt{1-x^2}\).

Formula:

\[\frac{d}{dx}[\cos^{-1}(x)] = \frac{-1}{\sqrt{1-x^2}}\]

Derivative of \(\tan^{-1}(x)\) (Arctangent)

Derivation:
  1. Let \(y = \tan^{-1}(x)\), which means \(\tan y = x\)
  2. Take the derivative of both sides: \[\frac{d}{dx}[\tan y] = \frac{d}{dx}[x]\]
  3. Apply the chain rule: \[\sec^2 y \cdot y' = 1\]
  4. Solve for \(y'\): \[y' = \frac{1}{\sec^2 y}\]
  5. From the warm-up, when \(\tan y = x\), we have \(\sec y = \sqrt{1+x^2}\)
  6. Therefore \(\sec^2 y = 1+x^2\)
  7. Substitute: \[y' = \frac{1}{1+x^2}\]

Reference Triangle: Right triangle with adjacent side 1, opposite side \(x\), and hypotenuse \(\sqrt{1+x^2}\), showing that \(\sec y = \sqrt{1+x^2}\) and \(\cos y = \frac{1}{\sqrt{1+x^2}}\).

Formula:

\[\frac{d}{dx}[\tan^{-1}(x)] = \frac{1}{1+x^2}\]

Summary: Derivatives of Inverse Trigonometric Functions

\[\frac{d}{dx}[\sin^{-1}(x)] = \frac{1}{\sqrt{1-x^2}}\] \[\frac{d}{dx}[\cos^{-1}(x)] = \frac{-1}{\sqrt{1-x^2}}\] \[\frac{d}{dx}[\tan^{-1}(x)] = \frac{1}{1+x^2}\]

Example: Using Chain Rule with Inverse Trigonometric Functions

Example 1

Find \(y'\) if \(y = \cos^{-1}(8x^2)\).

Solution:

Using the chain rule, we need to find the derivative of the outer function \(\cos^{-1}(u)\) where \(u = 8x^2\), then multiply by the derivative of the inner function.

Step 1: Identify the composition

Let \(u = 8x^2\), so \(y = \cos^{-1}(u)\)

Step 2: Apply chain rule

\[\frac{dy}{dx} = \frac{d}{du}[\cos^{-1}(u)] \cdot \frac{du}{dx}\]

Step 3: Find each derivative

\[\frac{d}{du}[\cos^{-1}(u)] = \frac{-1}{\sqrt{1-u^2}}\] \[\frac{du}{dx} = \frac{d}{dx}[8x^2] = 16x\]

Step 4: Substitute back

\[y' = \frac{-1}{\sqrt{1-(8x^2)^2}} \cdot 16x = \frac{-16x}{\sqrt{1-64x^4}}\]

Reference Triangle for \(\cos^{-1}(8x^2)\): A right triangle with hypotenuse 1, adjacent side \(8x^2\), and opposite side \(\sqrt{1-(8x^2)^2}\), which shows that \(\sin y = \sqrt{1-(8x^2)^2}\).

Final Answer:

\[y' = \frac{-16x}{\sqrt{1-64x^4}}\]

Relation Between Derivative of a Function and Its Inverse

There is a general relationship between the derivative of a function and the derivative of its inverse function.

Theorem: If \(y = f(x)\) and \(f^{-1}(y) = x\), then:

\[\frac{d}{dx}[f^{-1}(x)] = \frac{1}{\frac{dy}{dx}}\text{ evaluated at the corresponding point}\]

Or equivalently, if \(y = f^{-1}(x)\), then \(f(y) = x\), and taking derivatives:

\[\frac{d}{dx}[f(y)] = \frac{d}{dx}[x]\] \[f'(y) \cdot \frac{dy}{dx} = 1\] \[\frac{dy}{dx} = \frac{1}{f'(y)}\]

This relationship was used to derive the formulas for inverse trigonometric functions:

General Formula: If \(y = f(x)\) and \(f(y) = x\), then:

\[\boxed{\frac{d}{dx}[f^{-1}(x)] = \frac{1}{f'(y)} = \frac{1}{\frac{dy}{dx}\text{ of } f}}\]

Geometric Interpretation

The graphs of a function \(y = f(x)\) and its inverse \(y = f^{-1}(x)\) are mirror images of each other across the line \(y = x\).

Graph Description: The graph shows three curves:

The two curves are reflections of each other across the line \(y = x\). If \((a, b = f(a))\) is a point on the curve of \(f\), then \((b, a = f^{-1}(b))\) is a point on the curve of \(f^{-1}\).

Key Insight: The mirror image relationship means that if the graph of \(f(x)\) has a certain slope at point \((a, b)\), then the graph of \(f^{-1}(x)\) will have the reciprocal slope at the mirrored point \((b, a)\).

Examples: Relating Slopes of Function and Inverse

Example 2

Let \(f(x) = 9x + 5\), so \(f'(x) = 9\) and \(f(1) = 14\).

Find \((f^{-1})'(14)\).

Solution:

We know that \(f(1) = 14\), which means the point \((1, 14)\) is on the graph of \(f(x)\).

Therefore, the point \((14, 1)\) is on the graph of \(f^{-1}(x)\).

Using the relationship between derivatives:

\[(f^{-1})'(14) = \frac{1}{f'(1)}\]

Since \(f'(1) = 9\):

\[(f^{-1})'(14) = \frac{1}{9}\]

Interpretation:

  • The slope of the tangent line to \(f(x)\) at \((1, 14)\) is 9
  • The slope of the tangent line to \(f^{-1}(x)\) at \((14, 1)\) is \(\frac{1}{9}\)
Example 3

Let \(f(x) = 8x^3 - 15x^2 - 5\). Find the derivative of the inverse function at the point \((-1, 2)\).

Solution:

Step 1: Understand what \((-1, 2)\) represents

The point \((-1, 2)\) is on the graph of the inverse \(f^{-1}\). This means:

Step 2: Verify that \(f(2) = -1\)

\[f(2) = 8(2)^3 - 15(2)^2 - 5 = 8(8) - 15(4) - 5 = 64 - 60 - 5 = -1\]

Confirmed! ✓

Step 3: Find \(f'(x)\)

\[f'(x) = 24x^2 - 30x\]

Step 4: Calculate \(f'(2)\)

\[f'(2) = 24(2)^2 - 30(2) = 24(4) - 60 = 96 - 60 = 36\]

Step 5: Use the inverse function derivative formula

\[(f^{-1})'(-1) = \frac{1}{f'(2)} = \frac{1}{36}\]

Final Answer:

\[(f^{-1})'(-1) = \frac{1}{36}\]
Example 4

Let \(f(x) = x^3 + x^2 + x + 1\). Find \(f^{-1}(4)\) and \((f^{-1})'(4)\).

Solution:

Part 1: Find \(f^{-1}(4)\)

We need to find \(x\) such that \(f(x) = 4\).

\[x^3 + x^2 + x + 1 = 4\]

By guessing and checking, let's try \(x = 1\):

\[f(1) = 1^3 + 1^2 + 1 + 1 = 1 + 1 + 1 + 1 = 4\]

Verified! ✓ Therefore:

\[f^{-1}(4) = 1\]

Part 2: Find \((f^{-1})'(4)\)

First, find \(f'(x)\):

\[f'(x) = 3x^2 + 2x + 1\]

Evaluate at \(x = 1\):

\[f'(1) = 3(1)^2 + 2(1) + 1 = 3 + 2 + 1 = 6\]

Therefore, since \(f(1) = 4\) and \(f^{-1}(4) = 1\):

\[(f^{-1})'(4) = \frac{1}{f'(1)} = \frac{1}{6}\]

Final Answer:

\[f^{-1}(4) = 1 \quad \text{and} \quad (f^{-1})'(4) = \frac{1}{6}\]

Key Takeaways

Main Formulas:

  1. Inverse Trig Derivatives: \[\frac{d}{dx}[\sin^{-1}(x)] = \frac{1}{\sqrt{1-x^2}}\] \[\frac{d}{dx}[\cos^{-1}(x)] = \frac{-1}{\sqrt{1-x^2}}\] \[\frac{d}{dx}[\tan^{-1}(x)] = \frac{1}{1+x^2}\]
  2. Inverse Function Derivative: \[(f^{-1})'(b) = \frac{1}{f'(a)} \quad \text{where } f(a) = b\]

Problem-Solving Strategy:

To find \((f^{-1})'(b)\):

  1. Find the value \(a\) such that \(f(a) = b\)
  2. Calculate \(f'(x)\)
  3. Evaluate \(f'(a)\)
  4. Take the reciprocal: \((f^{-1})'(b) = \frac{1}{f'(a)}\)