Minor MATHEMATICS

Logarithmic Differentiation

Dr. SHYAMA M. P., M.Sc., M.Phil., Ph.D.

Post Graduate Department of Mathematics,
Malabar Christian College, Calicut, Kerala, India 673 001.
Logarithmic Differentiation
In this section we will obtain derivative formulas for logarithmic functions and
we will explain why the natural logarithm function is preferred over logarithms
with other bases in calculus.
To find the derivative of ln x, we need the following limit
1
lim (1 + v) v = e.
v→0

Theorem 1. The derivative of ln x is x1 , x > 0.

Proof.

d ln (x + h) − ln x
[ln x] = lim
dx h→0

h
ln x+hx
= lim
h→0 h 
1 h
= lim ln 1 +
h→0 h x

Put v = hx , then h = vx and h → 0 if and only if v → 0. Thus,

 
d 1
[ln x] = lim ln (1 + v)
dx v→0 vx
 
1 1
= lim ln (1 + v)
x v→0 v
1 h 1
i
= ln lim (1 + v) v
x v→0
1 1
= ln e = .
x x

Hence, the derivative of ln x is x1 , x > 0.

1
Corollary 1. The derivative of the general logarithmic function logb x is x ln b
, x>
0.

1
 ln x
Proof. We have logb x = ln b
. Thus
 
d d ln x
[logb x] =
dx dx ln b
1 d
= [ln x]
ln b dx
1 1
= . .
ln b x
1
Hence, the derivative of the general logarithmic function logb x is x ln b
, x > 0.

0.0.1 Derivative formula of logarithmic functions

Logarithmic function Derivative

1
ln x, x > 0 x
1
logb x, x > 0 x ln b
1 du
ln u, u(x) > 0 .
u dx
1
logb u, u(x) > 0 . du
u ln b dx

Table 1: Derivative of Logarithmic Functions

Problem 1. Find the slopes of the tangent lines of the graph y = ln x at x =

1
2
, 1, 3 and 5.

Solution. y ′ = d
dx
(ln x) = x1 .

• Slope of the tangent line at x = 1

2
is y ′ ( 12 ) = 1
1 = 2.
2

• Slope of the tangent line at x = 1 is y ′ (1) = 1

1
= 1.

• Slope of the tangent line at x = 3 is y ′ (3) = 31 .

• Slope of the tangent line at x = 5 is y ′ (5) = 51 .

Problem 2. Does the graph of y = ln x have any horizontal tangent lines? Use
the derivative of ln x to justify your answer.

Solution. If y = ln x have a horizontal tangent line at x, then y ′ (x) = 0.

d 1
y′ = (ln x) = ̸= 0
dx x

2
for any real value of x. Hence, the graph of y = ln x has no horizontal tangent
line.
d
Problem 3. Find dx
[ln (x2 + 1)] .

Solution.
d  1 d  2
ln (x2 + 1) = 2
 
. x +1
dx x + 1 dx
1
= 2 . [2x]
x +1
2x
= 2 .
x +1
d2
Problem 4. Find dx2
[(ln x)2 ] .

Solution.
d  d 2
(ln x)2 =

[2 ln x] = .
dx dx   x
d2  d 2 2
(ln x)2 =

2
= − 2.
dx dx x x
h  2 i
d
Problem 5. Find dx
ln x√1+x
sin x
.

Solution. Properties of Logarithms yields

x2 sin x √
 
ln √ = ln (x2 sin x) − ln ( 1 + x)
1+x
1
= ln (x2 ) + ln (sin x) − ln (1 + x) 2
1
= 2 ln (x) + ln (sin x) − ln (1 + x)
2
Thus,
  2   
d x sin x d 1
ln √ = 2 ln (x) + ln (sin x) − ln (1 + x)
dx 1+x dx 2
2 cos x 1
= + −
x sin x 2(1 + x)
2 1
= + cot x − .
x 2 + 2x

3
Note 1. The derivative of ln |x| for x ̸= 0, is

d 1
[ln |x|] = if x ̸= 0.
dx x
d
Problem 6. Find dx
[ln | sin x|] .

Solution.
d 1 d
[ln | sin x|] = . [sin x]
dx sin x dx
cos x
= = cot x.
sin x

Application of Logarithmic differentiation

We now consider a technique called logarithmic differentiation that is use-
ful for differentiating functions that are composed of products, quotients, and
powers.

Problem 7. Using logarithmic differentiation, find the derivative of

√
x2 3 7x − 14
y= .
(1 + x2 )4
√
x2 3 7x−14
Solution. First take the natural logarithm of both sides of y = (1+x2 )4
, then
use properties of logarithms, we can write
√
x2 3 7x − 14
ln y = ln
(1 + x2 )4
√
= ln (x2 3 7x − 14) − ln (1 + x2 )4
√
= ln (x2 ) + ln ( 3 7x − 14) − 4 ln (1 + x2 )
1
= 2 ln x + ln (7x − 14) − 4 ln (1 + x2 ).
3
Differentiating both sides with respect to x yields
 
d d 1 2
[ln y] = 2 ln x + ln (7x − 14) − 4 ln (1 + x )
dx dx 3
1 dy 2 1 7 2x
= + − 4[ ]
y dx x 3 7x − 14 1 + x2

4
 2 1 8x
= + −
x 3x − 6 1 + x2 
dy 2 1 8x
= y + −
dx x 3x − 6 1 + x2
 2√  
x 3 7x − 14 2 1 8x
= + − .
(1 + x2 )4 x 3x − 6 1 + x2

Problem 8. Using logarithmic differentiation, find the derivative of

√
3
y = x 1 + x2 .
√
Solution. First take the natural logarithm of both sides of y = x 3 1 + x2 , then
use properties of logarithms, we can write
h √ i
3
ln y = ln x 1 + x2
h√ i
3 2
= ln (x) + ln 1+x
1
= ln (x) + ln (1 + x2 ).
3
Differentiating both sides with respect to x yields
 
d d 1 2
[ln y] = ln (x) + ln (1 + x )
dx dx 3
 
1 dy 1 1 2x
= +
y dx x 3 1 + x2
 
1 2x
= +
x 3(1 + x2 )
 
dy 1 2x
= y +
dx x 3(1 + x2 )
h √ i1 2x

3 2
= x 1+x + .
x 3(1 + x2 )

0.0.2 Derivatives of Real Powers of x

Theorem 2. If r is any real number, then xd [xr ] = rxr−1 .

dy
Proof. Let y = xr , where r is a real number. The derivative dx
can be obtained
by logarithmic differentiation as follows:

ln |y| = ln |xr | = r ln |x|

5
 d d
[ln |y|] = [r ln |x|]
dx dx
1 dy r
=
y dx x
dy r
= y
dx x
r r
= x
x
= rxr−1 .

Hence, if r is any real number, then xd [xr ] = rxr−1 .

dy
Problem 9. Find dx
, if y = xe .

Solution.
dy d e
= [x ] = e xe−1 .
dx dx
dy
Problem 10. Find dx
, if y = xπ .

Solution.
dy d π
= [x ] = π xπ−1 .
dx dx

Exercises
dy
1. Find dx
, if y =
 √ 
(i) ln [(x − 1)3 (x2 + 1)4 )] (ii) ln (cos2 x)( 1 + x4 )
h i hq i
(iii) ln √cos x
4−3x2
(iv) ln x−1
x+1

dy
2. Find dx using logarithmic differentiation, if y =
hq i 1 √
(x2 −8) 3 ( x3 +1) 3
(i) 5 x−1
x+1
(ii) x6 −7x+5
(iii) sin x cos√xx tan x
dy
3. Find dx
, if y = xcos 2 .
d d
4. Find (i) dx
[logx e] (ii) dx
[logx 2]
d d
5. Find (i) dx
[log 1 e] (ii) dx
[log(ln x) e]
x

6. Find the equation of the tangent line to the graph of y = f (x) at x = x0 .

(i) f (x) = ln x; x0 = e−1 (ii) f (x) = log x; x0 = 10
(iii) f (x) = ln (−x); x0 = −e (iv) f (x) = ln |x|; x0 = −2

6
Answers
2
11x −8x+3 2x3
1. (i) (x−1)(x 2 +1) (ii) −2 tan x + 1+x4
3x 1 1 1
 
(iii) − tan x + 4−3x 2 (iv) 2 x−1
− x+1
hq i
1 5 x−1 1 1

2. (i) 5 x+1 x−1
−
 1 √
 h x+1 i
2 3
(ii) (x −8) 3x2 6x5 −7
3 ( x +1) 2x
x6 −7x+5 3(x2 −8)
+ 2(x3 +1)
− x6 −7x+5
h i h i
sin x cos x tan3 x 3sec2 x 1
(iii) √
x
cot x − tan x + tan x − 2x

3. cos 2 xcos 2−1

ln 2
4. Find (i) − x(ln1x)2 (ii) − x(ln x)2

1 1
5. Find (i) x(ln x)2
(ii) − x(ln x)(ln(ln x))2

6. (i) y = ex − 2. (ii) y − 1 = 10x−10

ln 10
(iii) y = − xe (iv) y = − x2 + ln 2 − 1