synthetic differential geometry
Introductions
from point-set topology to differentiable manifolds
geometry of physics: coordinate systems, smooth spaces, manifolds, smooth homotopy types, supergeometry
Differentials
Tangency
The magic algebraic facts
Theorems
Axiomatics
Models
differential equations, variational calculus
Chern-Weil theory, ∞-Chern-Weil theory
Cartan geometry (super, higher)
The chain rule is the statement that differentiation is a functor on Diff:
given two smooth functions between smooth manifolds and we have
If one thinks of a tangent vector to be an equivalence class of a smooth path , for some , with , then the chain rule is the associativity of the composite
Bracketed as this represents . Bracketed as is represents .
Alternatively, in a context of synthetic differential geometry where with being the infinitesimal interval we may identify with , the chain rule is the associativity of
Let the real line. Then the tangent bundle is canonically identified with .
Given two functions, their derivatives are traditionally regarded again as functions , though strictly speaking we are to think of them as the maps
given by
and
The composite
is therefore the map
Therefore we have
This is the form in which the chain rule is usually introduced in elementary calculus.
While the chain rule is of great theoretical importance, it is completely unnecessary for the working out of derivatives of elementary functions in ordinary calculus (including the multivariable case). Every result giving the derivative of an elementary function corresponds to a rule (along the lines of the product rule) for the operation of that function to any expression. For example, instead of learning that
and then applying both this fact and the chain rule to find the derivative of an expression of the form , just learn
and apply this rule directly; the original fact is the special case in which . Even better, learn the rule as
then it applies without further modification to multivariable calculus (as well as implicit differentiation, related rates, integration by substitution, and other stock features of one-variable calculus).
The chain rule could still be used in the proof of this ‘sine rule’. Even so, it is quite possible to prove the sine rule directly (much as one proves the product rule directly rather than using the two-variable chain rule and the partial derivatives of the function ). In any case, the chain rule is not directly needed when working out specific derivatives. As a rule of differentiation, the chain rule is needed only when an unspecified differentiable function appears, and then may be given in the form
or
to match other rules.
Although the chain rule is often written as
this is an oversimplification. Upon choosing an independent variable, it is possible (and easy) to give a rigorous definition of the differential , and then (1) is a triviality (assuming no division by zero). However, with such a definition of differential, (1) is not the chain rule! The reason is that, when (1) is used as a mnemonic for the chain rule, uses as the independent variable, but uses . Either may be chosen to define differentials1, but one must (a priori) be consistent. Now, it so happens that the choice of independent variable is entirely irrelevant; differentials have the same meaning no matter which independent variable is used. But this fact requires proof; it is the chain rule (or at least a prerequisite for using (1) as the chain rule), and it is not a triviality. In this form, the chain rule is also known as Cauchy’s invariant rule.
The chain rule can also be discussed as a piece of formal algebra of power series (over a general commutative ring ). We present a conceptual proof based on considerations of SDG.
The statement is that if are power series, with the (constant) coefficient of , then under standard definitions.
Let be the representing object for derivations. Let be the unique topological -algebra map (under the -adic topologies) that sends to . (If it helps, think .) For , define via the equation .
Let be the unique topological algebra map taking to and to . Let denote the unique topological algebra map that takes to . Then the diagram
commutes in the category of topological algebras, since the two legs agree when evaluated at the generator . But then, evaluating each leg at a power series , we have
and
whence the coefficients of agree: .
A synthetic formalization of the chain rule in differential cohesive homotopy type theory is given in
See also
On the Goodwillie chain rule in Goodwillie calculus:
John R. Klein, John Rognes, A chain rule in the calculus of homotopy functors, Geom. Topol. 6 (2002) 853-887 (arXiv:math/0301079)
Jacob Lurie, section 6.3 of Higher Algebra
Well, either may be chosen as long as their differentials are nowhere zero, which is exactly what must be true for (1) to make sense. More precisely, given that works as an independent variable, the Chain Rule tells us that works just as well so long as (as defined using ) is nowhere zero. This may be related to the easy but wrong proof of the Chain Rule that founders on a division by zero in exactly the same place (where would be), although I don’t see a direct connection. ↩
Last revised on May 26, 2023 at 21:21:23. See the history of this page for a list of all contributions to it.