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Derivative of \( \displaystyle - \frac{\ln{\left(\sin{\left(3 x \right)} \right)}}{3} \)

Problem 2.173 · hard

Differentiate \( \displaystyle f(x) = - \frac{\ln{\left(\sin{\left(3 x \right)} \right)}}{3} \).
  1. \[ \frac{d}{d x} \left(- \frac{\ln{\left(\sin{\left(3 x \right)} \right)}}{3}\right) \]
    derivativeStart with the derivative of the function.✓ Proved
  2. \[ = - \frac{\frac{d}{d x} \ln{\left(\sin{\left(3 x \right)} \right)}}{3} \]
    constantPull out the constant factor.✓ Proved
  3. \[ = - \frac{\frac{d}{d x} \sin{\left(3 x \right)}}{3 \sin{\left(3 x \right)}} \]
    chainApply the chain rule to the logarithm.✓ Proved
  4. \[ = - \frac{\cos{\left(3 x \right)} \frac{d}{d x} 3 x}{3 \sin{\left(3 x \right)}} \]
    chainApply the chain rule to the sine function.✓ Proved
  5. \[ = - \frac{\cos{\left(3 x \right)}}{\sin{\left(3 x \right)}} \]
    derivative algebra algebraDifferentiate the innermost function 3*x. Cancel the 3 in the numerator and denominator. Combine the terms into a single fraction.✓ Proved
  6. \[ = - \cot{\left(3 x \right)} \]
    simplifyUse the trigonometric identity cot(u) = cos(u)/sin(u).✓ Proved
Answer \( - \frac{1}{\tan{\left(3 x \right)}} \)
Mind the domain. The answer is also defined at points where f(x) is not. Substituting there gives a number that is not a slope of f.

✓ Nihil obstat 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. Reviewers found nothing wrong with the explanation.

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
log is undefined for non-positive arguments
3✓ Provedsympy 1.14.0simplify(a - b) reduced to 0
log is undefined for non-positive arguments
undefined where sin(3*x) = 0
4✓ Provedsympy 1.14.0simplify(a - b) reduced to 0
undefined where sin(3*x) = 0
5✓ Provedsympy 1.14.0simplify(a - b) reduced to 0
undefined where sin(3*x) = 0
6✓ Provedsympy 1.14.0simplify(a - b) reduced to 0
undefined where sin(3*x) = 0
7✓ Provedsympy 1.14.0simplify(a - b) reduced to 0
undefined where sin(3*x) = 0
8✓ Provedsympy 1.14.0simplify(a - b) reduced to 0
undefined where sin(3*x) = 0
cot has poles at multiples of pi
answer✓ Provedsympy 1.14.0final line against the stated answer: simplify(a - b) reduced to 0
tan has poles at odd multiples of pi/2
undefined where tan(3*x) = 0
answer, a second way✓ Provedsympy 1.14.0SymPy differentiated f directly and got the stated answer

Reviewers

  • gpt-oss:20b: pass
  • deepseek-r1:70b: pass
  • qwen3.6:27b-mlx: pass — The solution correctly applies the constant multiple rule, chain rule, and basic derivatives in separate steps. The final simplification to -cot(3*x) is algebraically equivalent to the stated answer -1/tan(3*x).
Every verdict on record (15)
  • qwen3.6:27b-mlx: pass 2026-09-20 — The solution correctly applies the constant multiple rule, chain rule, and basic derivatives in separate steps. The final simplification to -cot(3*x) is algebraically equivalent to the stated answer -1/tan(3*x).
  • gpt-oss:20b: pass 2026-09-20
  • qwen3.6:27b-mlx: pass 2026-09-20 — The solution correctly applies the constant multiple rule, chain rule, and basic derivatives in separate steps. The final simplification to -cot(3*x) is mathematically equivalent to the stated answer -1/tan(3*x).
  • gpt-oss:20b: pass 2026-09-20
  • qwen3.6:27b-mlx: pass 2026-09-19
  • deepseek-r1:70b: pass 2026-09-19
  • gpt-oss:20b: pass 2026-09-19
  • qwen3.6:27b-mlx: pass 2026-09-19
  • deepseek-r1:70b: pass 2026-09-19
  • gpt-oss:20b: pass 2026-09-19
  • qwen3.6:27b-mlx: pass 2026-09-18
  • deepseek-r1:70b: pass 2026-09-18
  • gpt-oss:20b: pass 2026-09-18
  • gpt-oss:20b: pass 2026-09-17
  • deepseek-r1:70b: pass 2026-09-17

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 2026-09-26 with SymPy 1.14.0.