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Derivative of \( \displaystyle \frac{\sqrt{\left(4 x + 1\right)^{2} + 1}}{4} \)

Problem 2.1257 · medium

Differentiate \( \displaystyle f(x) = \frac{\sqrt{\left(4 x + 1\right)^{2} + 1}}{4} \).
  1. \[ \frac{d}{d x} \frac{\sqrt{\left(4 x + 1\right)^{2} + 1}}{4} \]
    Start with the derivative of the function.✓ Proved
  2. \[ = \frac{\frac{d}{d x} \sqrt{\left(4 x + 1\right)^{2} + 1}}{4} \]
    constant-multiple rewritePull out the constant factor 1/4. Rewrite the square root as a power.✓ Proved
  3. \[ = \frac{\frac{d}{d x} \left(\left(4 x + 1\right)^{2} + 1\right)}{8 \sqrt{\left(4 x + 1\right)^{2} + 1}} \]
    chainApply the chain rule.✓ Proved
  4. \[ = \frac{\frac{d}{d x} \left(4 x + 1\right)^{2}}{8 \sqrt{\left(4 x + 1\right)^{2} + 1}} \]
    sumDifferentiate the sum inside the parenthesis.✓ Proved
  5. \[ = \frac{\left(8 x + 2\right) \frac{d}{d x} \left(4 x + 1\right)}{8 \sqrt{\left(4 x + 1\right)^{2} + 1}} \]
    powerApply the power rule and chain rule to the squared term.✓ Proved
  6. \[ = \frac{32 x + 8}{8 \sqrt{\left(4 x + 1\right)^{2} + 1}} \]
    derivative algebraDifferentiate the linear term. Multiply the constants.✓ Proved
  7. \[ = \frac{4 x + 1}{\sqrt{\left(4 x + 1\right)^{2} + 1}} \]
    simplifySimplify the final expression.✓ Proved
Answer \( \frac{4 x + 1}{\sqrt{\left(4 x + 1\right)^{2} + 1}} \)

Every line of this solution was proved by the computer algebra system SymPy. The answer was also checked a second way, without looking at the solution. The reviewers disagree about how one step is explained; every verdict is in the receipt.

The full receipt
LineStatusChecked byDetail
1✓ Provedsympy 1.14.0line 1 is the problem as stated
2✓ Provedsympy 1.14.0simplify(a - b) reduced to 0
3✓ Provedsympy 1.14.0simplify(a - b) reduced to 0
4✓ Provedsympy 1.14.0simplify(a - b) reduced to 0
undefined where (4*x + 1)**2 + 1 = 0
5✓ Provedsympy 1.14.0simplify(a - b) reduced to 0
undefined where (4*x + 1)**2 + 1 = 0
6✓ Provedsympy 1.14.0simplify(a - b) reduced to 0
undefined where (4*x + 1)**2 + 1 = 0
7✓ Provedsympy 1.14.0simplify(a - b) reduced to 0
undefined where (4*x + 1)**2 + 1 = 0
8✓ Provedsympy 1.14.0simplify(a - b) reduced to 0
undefined where (4*x + 1)**2 + 1 = 0
9✓ Provedsympy 1.14.0simplify(a - b) reduced to 0
undefined where (4*x + 1)**2 + 1 = 0
answer✓ Provedsympy 1.14.0final line against the stated answer: simplify(a - b) reduced to 0
undefined where (4*x + 1)**2 + 1 = 0
answer, a second way✓ Provedsympy 1.14.0SymPy differentiated f directly and got the stated answer

Reviewers

  • gpt-oss:20b: fail (error) — Step 5 drops the derivative of the constant term 1. The derivative of ((4*x+1)**2 + 1) should be 2*(4*x+1)*4 + 0, not just 2*(4*x+1)*4. This omission makes the result incorrect.
  • qwen3.6:27b-mlx: fail (style) — Step 6 applies both the power rule and the chain rule simultaneously, violating the one-rule-per-step constraint. Step 5 is also imprecise, as it performs differentiation (derivative rule) rather than just applying the sum rule to split terms.
Every verdict on record (4)
  • qwen3.6:27b-mlx: fail (style) 2026-09-29 — Step 6 applies both the power rule and the chain rule simultaneously, violating the one-rule-per-step constraint. Step 5 is also imprecise, as it performs differentiation (derivative rule) rather than just applying the sum rule to split terms.
  • gpt-oss:20b: fail (error) 2026-09-29 — Step 5 drops the derivative of the constant term 1. The derivative of ((4*x+1)**2 + 1) should be 2*(4*x+1)*4 + 0, not just 2*(4*x+1)*4. This omission makes the result incorrect.
  • qwen3.6:27b-mlx: fail (error) 2026-09-29 — Step 5 is labeled 'sum' but performs differentiation of the inner function, which is part of the chain rule application in Step 4; it does not apply the sum rule (differentiation of a sum) as a distinct operation separate from the chain rule context. Furthermore, Step 6 is labeled 'power' but applies both the power rule and the chain rule simultaneously to the term (4*x+1)^2, violating the one-rule-per-step constraint.
  • gpt-oss:20b: pass 2026-09-29

Proved: SymPy reduced the difference between the two sides to zero. Checked independently: a separate method, named above, confirmed it. Checked numerically: the two sides agree at every sampled point, which is evidence, not proof. Reviewed: a model or a person read it; that is all a sentence can have. Solution by gemma4:26b, checked 2026-09-29 with SymPy 1.14.0.