The term ‘reverse chain rule’ refers to a set of tricks for integrating more complex functions. At A Level, there are a few tricks to know.
Transcript
We’ve now seen two special integration tricks.
The first allows us to integrate an expression like this , to find… [3cos x sin x +1dx]
To find that this is the integral.
The second allows us to integrate an expression like this , to find… [sec2xtan6x dx]
To find that this is the integral.
Now, we can show that each of these results is correct…
And more broadly, that our two tricks definitely work…
By taking these expressions [integrals], and differentiating them…
So, starting with this one [3ln sin x +1 +c]…
And…ignoring the mod bars [fade them] and the + c [fade them]…
To differentiate this expression [3ln(sin(x)+1)], we’ll have to use…
We’ll have to use the chain rule, making our inner function, u, equal to…
Making our inner function, u, equal to sin x +1, and then differentiating, to get…
To get this derivative
– the expression we started with!
That’s why the first integration trick always works!
We know that, if we ever see an expression like this [bottom], its integral must look like this [original function we differentiated]
Last time, we took two integrals [from start of last script]
And used the first to show why the first integration trick always works…
And so next, we can do the same for the second integration trick, using this result [17tan7x +c]…
First, we can ignore the plus c like before…
And then, to differentiate, we need to use…
Next, to differentiate, we need to use the chain rule again, setting u equal to…
Setting u equal to tan x .
So, with u equal to tan x , we can differentiate to find that…
And actually, whenever we have a function raised to a power… [y=17u7]
Then, regardless of what the function is [tan x ]…
This derivative we get will always be of this form… [maybe show dydx=u6dudx somehow, using working above]
With the function, raised to a lower power, multiplied by its derivative.
That’s why the second trick works!
So, both tricks take a special case of the chain rule…
For which we know what the derivative will look like…
And say, ‘okay, if you see an expression like this [highlight bottom], which we could have got after differentiating an expression like this [top two] with the chain rule…
‘Then we know what the integrals of functions like these must look like’ [maybe swap order of rows below as well, although make it clear that you’re doing that, if you do]
And so, both tricks are allowing us to use the chain rule…in reverse…
Meaning, whenever we use either of these two tricks…
We say we’re using the reverse chain rule.
That’s the general method we’re looking at here [emphasise the RCR box], a collection of ways of using the chain rule…backwards…
… although, arguably, the reverse chain rule isn’t really a rule … it just says that it’s sometimes possible to use the chain rule backwards!
So, to sum up, our first two integration tricks work because of the chain rule.
And that’s because, whenever we differentiate expressions of these forms… [ln |fx| and fxn]
We get expressions in these forms [f’xfx and f’xfxn-1]
So, whenever we use either of these first two integration tricks, we say that we’re using the…
We say that we’re using the reverse chain rule.