Question

If x = a cosθ and y = b sinθ , find second derivative

Answer 1

I'm guessing the second derivative is for y with respect to x, i.e.

$\dfrac{\mathrm d^2y}{\mathrm dx^2}$

Compute the first derivative. By the chain rule,

$\dfrac{\mathrm dy}{\mathrm dx}=\dfrac{\mathrm dy}{\mathrm d\theta}\dfrac{\mathrm d\theta}{\mathrm dx}=\dfrac{\frac{\mathrm dy}{\mathrm d\theta}}{\frac{\mathrm dx}{\mathrm d\theta}}$

We have

$y=b\sin\theta\implies\dfrac{\mathrm dy}{\mathrm d\theta}=b\cos\theta$

$x=a\cos\theta\implies\dfrac{\mathrm dx}{\mathrm d\theta}=-a\sin\theta$

and so

$\dfrac{\mathrm dy}{\mathrm dx}=\dfrac{b\cos\theta}{-a\sin\theta}=-\dfrac ba\cot\theta$

Now compute the second derivative. Notice that $\frac{\mathrm dy}{\mathrm dx}$ is a function of $\theta$; so denote it by $f(\theta)$. Then

$\dfrac{\mathrm d^2y}{\mathrm dx^2}=\dfrac{\mathrm df}{\mathrm dx}$

By the chain rule,

$\dfrac{\mathrm d^2y}{\mathrm dx^2}=\dfrac{\mathrm df}{\mathrm d\theta}\dfrac{\mathrm d\theta}{\mathrm dx}=\dfrac{\frac{\mathrm df}{\mathrm d\theta}}{\frac{\mathrm dx}{\mathrm d\theta}}$

We have

$f=-\dfrac ba\cot\theta\implies\dfrac{\mathrm df}{\mathrm d\theta}=\dfrac ba\csc^2\theta$

and so the second derivative is

$\dfrac{\mathrm d^2y}{\mathrm dx^2}=\dfrac{\frac ba\csc^2\theta}{-a\sin\theta}=-\dfrac b{a^2}\csc^3\theta$