RankLab
Back to Concepts
MathsMediumClass 12

Leibniz Rule — Differentiation under integral sign

Definite Integration & Area

17

JEE Qs

8%

Hard

60

min

Master the correct application of both parts of the Leibniz rule – differentiating the integrand with respect to x (partial derivative) and handling the variable limits using the chain rule with utmost care for signs and substitutions.

🧮 Key Formulas

d/dx [ ∫_g(x)^h(x) f(t) dt ] = f(h(x)) * h'(x) - f(g(x)) * g'(x)
d/dx [ ∫_g(x)^h(x) f(x, t) dt ] = ∫_g(x)^h(x) (∂/∂x f(x, t)) dt + f(h(x), x) * h'(x) - f(g(x), x) * g'(x)

✅ Key Points for JEE

  • 1The Leibniz Rule allows differentiation of definite integrals where the limits of integration are functions of the differentiation variable (x) and/or the integrand itself depends on x.
  • 2Always identify if the integrand f(x, t) contains the differentiation variable 'x'; if not, the partial derivative term ∫ (∂/∂x f(x, t)) dt simplifies to zero, leading to the simpler form of the rule.
  • 3Remember to apply the chain rule correctly to the limits: substitute the limit into the integrand and multiply by the derivative of the limit function.
  • 4When computing the partial derivative (∂/∂x f(x, t)), treat the integration variable 't' as a constant and differentiate only with respect to 'x'.
  • 5This rule is frequently combined with L'Hopital's Rule to evaluate limits involving definite integrals, especially those resulting in indeterminate forms like 0/0 or ∞/∞.

⚠️ Common Mistakes

  • Forgetting to differentiate the limits of integration (g'(x) and h'(x)) or applying incorrect signs in the subtraction part.
  • Failing to recognize or incorrectly applying the partial derivative term when the integrand f(x, t) depends on both x and t.
  • Confusing the variable of integration (t) with the variable of differentiation (x), leading to incorrect substitution or differentiation.

NCERT Chapters

  • Class 12 Maths Ch 5: Continuity and Differentiability
  • Class 12 Maths Ch 7: Integrals