Calculus 8th Edition

Published by Cengage
ISBN 10: 1285740629
ISBN 13: 978-1-28574-062-1

Chapter 6 - Inverse Functions - Review - Exercises - Page 505: 54

Answer

$f^{(n)}(x)=\frac{(-1)^{n+1}(n-1)!}{x^{n}}$

Work Step by Step

$$f^{(1)}(x)=(\ln(2x))'=\frac{(2x)'}{2x}=\frac{1}{x}=\frac{(1-1)!}{x}$$ $$f^{(2)}(x)=\left(\frac{1}{x}\right)'=\frac{(1)'x-1\cdot (x)'}{(x)^{2}}=\frac{-1}{x^{2}}=\frac{-(2-1)!}{x^{2}}$$ $$f^{(3)}(x)=\left(-\frac{1}{x^{2}}\right)'=-\frac{(1)'x^{2}-1\cdot (x^{2})'}{(x^{2})^{2}}=-\frac{-2x}{x^{4}}=\frac{2}{x^{3}}=\frac{(3-1)!}{x^{3}}$$ Using the same process the fourth derivative of $f$ is: $$f^{(4)}(x)=\frac{-(4-1)!}{x^{4}}$$ Following the pattern it follows that: $$f^{(n)}(x)=\frac{(-1)^{n+1}(n-1)!}{x^{n}}$$
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