Derivative of Inverse Trigonometric Functions

Derivative of the Arcsine

y sin 

1
x
x sin 
y
d
dx

x  
d
dx 
sin y 
dy
1 cos y
dx
dy 1

dx cos  y
1

sin 
2
1  y 

1

1 x 2

1
would be adequate for the derivative of x sin 
y , but we
cos 
y
require the derivative of y sin 1 
x . Therefore, our answer must be in
terms of x.

By applying similar techniques, we obtain the rules for derivatives of

Inverse Trigonometric Functions.

Rules:

d 1 du
sin 1 
u  , u 1
dx 1 u 2 dx

d 1 du
cos1 
u  , u 1
dx 1 u 2 dx

d 1 du
tan 1 
u  ,
dx 1 u 2 dx

d 1 du
cot 1 
u  ,
dx 1 u 2 dx

d 1 du
sec1 
u  , u 1
dx u u2 1 dx
Example

if y sin 1 x3 
dy
Find
dx

Solution:

dy 1 3x 2
  
2
3 x
1  x3  1 x 6
dx 2

Example

A particle moves along the x-axis so that its position at any time t 0 is
x  
t tan1 t . What is the velocity of the particle when t 16 ?

Solution:

v 
d
t   tan1 t 
1 d
  t
dt  
dt  

2
1 t
1 1
 
1t 2 t

When t=16, the velocity is:

1 1 1
v
16   
116 2 16 136

Example

Determine the derivative of  x 

sec 1 
2

Solution:

d
 x 2 
sec 1  x  
sec 1 
d
x 
sec 1 
2

dx dx
2  x 
1
sec 1 
x x 2 1
Example

x arctan 
Find the derivative of f  2 x 2 x 

Solution:


fx 
1 d
2x 2 x 
1 
2 x x 
2
2 dx

4 x 1

1 
2 x 2 x 
2

Example

Determine all points where the tangent line to y sin 1 

1 
 2
is
2 x 
horizontal.

Solution:

dy 1 2 x
 
 1   2 x 2 
2
dx 2

1  2 
2 x 

Now the derivative equals zero (line is horizontal) only when x=0.

We now need only the y-value.

 1 
Therefore y sin 1  2 
2  
 0 
1 
sin 1  
2 


6

 
The point 
x , y 
0, 
 6