Rule to calculate derivative of function which is a binary operation between two other functions.

abstract-algebrabinary operationscalculusderivativespropositional-calculus

Let $\mathbf{g}:\mathbb R\rightarrow \mathbb R$ be a differentiable function defined as $g(x)=f(x)*h(x)$ where $*$ is any binary operation between the two differentiable functions $\mathbf{h}:\mathbb R\rightarrow \mathbb R$ and $\mathbf{f}:\mathbb R\rightarrow \mathbb R$, is there any general rule to calculate the derivative of $g(x)$ or in other words is there any rule to calculate derivative of a function which is a binary operation between two other functions (without defining any specific binary operation), like we have for calculating derivative of sum or product of two different functions?

If not, then what further properties we will need to define so that we can construct such a rule?

Best Answer

A binary operation, namely $* : \mathbb{R} \times \mathbb{R} \rightarrow \mathbb{R}, (x,y) \mapsto x*y$ in the present case, is nothing else than a bivariate map $f(x,y) := x*y$. Since $x$ and $y$ are here themselves functions of another variable, let's say $t$, the chain rule permits to write : $\frac{\mathrm{d}}{\mathrm{d}t} (x(t)*y(t)) = f_x\dot{x} + f_y\dot{y}$, where subscripts denote partial derivatives.

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