Skip to main content

calculus and analysis - Write a function that returns the logarithmic derivative


How can we write a function that if we input an expression f, it returns the log derivative $\frac{1}{f} \frac{df}{dx}$? We have to use a conditional or pattern test so that the function accepts any symbols as input except for lists.


I will show all my attempts and I have some questions about why certain ways are wrong and why are they wrong. I am new to Mathematica and still not very familiar about how it works.


Here are all my attempts:

1).
In: $f = x^{2};$
In: func[f_] = $\frac{1}{f} f'$
Out: $\frac{(x^{2})'}{x^{2}}$
This attempt is wrong because first we are not using conditional or pattern test. Also, why cannot we differentiate the function by using the ' sign?


2).
In: $f = x^{2};$
In: func[f_] := $\frac{1}{f} f'$
Out: No output
Why is there no output when I use delayed assignment?



3).
In: $f = x^{2};$
In: func[f_,x_] = $\frac{1}{f} f'$
Out: $\frac{(x^{2})'}{x^{2}}$
Is adding another argument x_ redundant, or does it make any difference?


4).
In: $f = x^{2};$
In: func[f_] = Module[{f}, Switch[f, _Symbol, $\frac{1}{f} f'$]] Output: $\frac{f$8344'}{f$8344}$
The syntax might not make any sense, but I am struggling to find ways to fix it. And I might have used _Symbol incorrectly, what is _Symbol after all?


Now I am trying to write the function in a less general way.

5).
Now In: $f = x^{2};$
In: func[f_] = $\frac{1}{f} D[f,x]$
Output: $\frac{2}{x}$
This method of course works but if I change the input to f = $y^{2}$, the function will return 0 as output.
One way to solve this is by changing to func[f_] = $\frac{1}{f} D[f,y]$, but I think this is considered as cheating, since we are not really answering the question and meeting the requirements set by the question.


What really makes me struggle is to compute the derivative, how can we compute the derivative of the input function with respect to its independent variable.


Also, I don't fully understand the Switch condition:
It is mentioned in Mathematica Help, that Switch evaluates $expr_i$, then compares it with each of the $form_i$ in turn, evaluating and returning the $value_i$. What is form and what is value?
Suppose I write the function:

In: f[x_] := Switch[x, x>0, 1, x<=0, 0] In: {f[5], f[-5], f[x]}
Out: {0,0,0}
Am I using the wrong form?


Any detailed help is greatly appreciated. Thanks!



Answer



Here's another way to proceed, using Derivative[], and sidestepping the use of a dummy variable:


LogDerivative[f_] := Derivative[1][Composition[Log, f]]

Test:


LogDerivative[Sin][x]

Cot[x]

LogDerivative[Gamma][x]
PolyGamma[0, x]

LogDerivative[#^3 &][x]
3/x

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

plotting - How to draw lines between specified dots on ListPlot?

I would like to create a plot where I have unconnected dots and some connected. So far, I have figured out how to draw the dots. My code is the following: ListPlot[{{1, 1}, {2, 2}, {3, 3}, {4, 4}, {1, 4}, {2, 5}, {3, 6}, {4, 7}, {1, 7}, {2, 8}, {3, 9}, {4, 10}, {1, 10}, {2, 11}, {3, 12}, {4,13}, {2.5, 7}}, Ticks -> {{1, 2, 3, 4}, None}, AxesStyle -> Thin, TicksStyle -> Directive[Black, Bold, 12], Mesh -> Full] I have thought using ListLinePlot command, but I don't know how to specify to the command to draw only selected lines between the dots. Do have any suggestions/hints on how to do that? Thank you. Answer One possibility would be to use Epilog with Line : ListPlot[ {{1, 1}, {2, 2}, {3, 3}, {4, 4}, {1, 4}, {2, 5}, {3, 6}, {4, 7}, {1, 7}, {2, 8}, {3, 9}, {4, 10}, {1, 10}, {2, 11}, {3, 12}, {4, 13}, {2.5, 7}}, Ticks -> {{1, 2, 3, 4}, None}, AxesStyle -> Thin, TicksStyle -> Directive[Black, Bold, 12], Mesh -> Full, Epilog -> { Line[ ...

dynamic - How can I make a clickable ArrayPlot that returns input?

I would like to create a dynamic ArrayPlot so that the rectangles, when clicked, provide the input. Can I use ArrayPlot for this? Or is there something else I should have to use? Answer ArrayPlot is much more than just a simple array like Grid : it represents a ranged 2D dataset, and its visualization can be finetuned by options like DataReversed and DataRange . These features make it quite complicated to reproduce the same layout and order with Grid . Here I offer AnnotatedArrayPlot which comes in handy when your dataset is more than just a flat 2D array. The dynamic interface allows highlighting individual cells and possibly interacting with them. AnnotatedArrayPlot works the same way as ArrayPlot and accepts the same options plus Enabled , HighlightCoordinates , HighlightStyle and HighlightElementFunction . data = {{Missing["HasSomeMoreData"], GrayLevel[ 1], {RGBColor[0, 1, 1], RGBColor[0, 0, 1], GrayLevel[1]}, RGBColor[0, 1, 0]}, {GrayLevel[0], GrayLevel...

list manipulation - Selecting multiple columns from a matrix?

Sample data: data = { {{2013, 1, 1}, 24.13, 167.67, 231.82}, {{2013, 1, 2}, 32.15, 170.92, 225.99}, {{2013, 1, 3}, 35.43, 172.68, 221.67}, {{2013, 1, 4}, 36.73, 173.05, 218.32}, {{2013, 1, 5}, 58.19, 165.96, 197.05}, {{2013, 1, 6}, 69.99, 163.50, 187.52}, {{2013, 1, 7}, 71.37, 154.21, 175.58}, {{2013, 1, 8}, 72.51, 149.66, 163.25}}; I want a DateListPlot with three graphs, so for a matrix formed by columns 1 and 2, one for columns 1 and 3, and 1 for columns 1 and 4. At the moment I'm using this code: data2 = Transpose[{data[[All, 1]], data[[All, 2]]}]; data3 = Transpose[{data[[All, 1]], data[[All, 3]]}]; data4 = Transpose[{data[[All, 1]], data[[All, 4]]}]; DateListPlot[{data2, data3, data4}, Joined -> True, Filling -> {3 -> {1}}] but I have a hunch that this can be done more efficiently. I don't like the Transpose s in particular. Any ideas? edit (for extra credit) What if I need to multiply the second column by 2, which in my solution is simp...