Proof of The Chain Rule of Differentiation

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Here's what I'm proving:

Let $g$ be differentiable at $x$ and $f$ be differentiable at $g(x)$. Then, $f \circ g$ is differentiable at $x$ and it is the case that:

$$(f \circ g)'(x) = f'(g(x)) \cdot g'(x)$$

I'm kind of approaching this without using the definition of the limit because I tried using that and it didn't really work very well. So, I want to try another approach.


If $g$ is differentiable at $x$, then $g$ is continuous at $x$. From a previously proven result, it is the case that:

$$\lim_{\Delta x \to 0} \frac{\Delta g}{\Delta x} = g'(x) \iff \exists \alpha(\Delta x): \frac{\Delta g}{\Delta x} = g'(x) + \alpha(\Delta x) \land \lim_{\Delta x \to 0} \alpha = 0$$

Similarly:

$$\lim_{\Delta g \to 0} \frac{f(g(x+\Delta x)) - f(g(x))}{\Delta g} = f'(g(x)) \iff \exists \beta(\Delta g): \frac{\Delta f*}{\Delta g} = f'(g(x)) + \beta(\Delta g) \land \lim_{\Delta g \to 0} \beta = 0$$

Define $\phi(x) = f(g(x))$. Then:

$$\Delta \phi = \phi(x+\Delta x) - \phi(x) = f(g(x+\Delta x)) - f(g(x))$$

$$\Delta \phi = f(g(x) + \Delta g) -f(g(x)) = \Delta f*$$

$$\Delta \phi = f'(g(x)) \Delta g + \beta \Delta g$$

$$\Delta \phi = f'(g(x)) \cdot [g'(x) \Delta x + \alpha \Delta x] + \beta [g'(x) \Delta x + \alpha \Delta x]$$

$$\frac{\Delta \phi}{\Delta x} = f'(g(x))g'(x) + f'(g(x)) \alpha + \beta g'(x) + \beta \cdot \alpha$$

Taking the limit as $\Delta x \to 0$, we have:

$$\phi'(x) = f'(g(x))g'(x) + g'(x) \cdot \lim_{\Delta x \to 0} \beta(\Delta g)$$

Now, we know that since $g$ is continuous, it follows that $\Delta g \to 0$ as $\Delta x \to 0$. So, we define $\beta(0) = 0$ for our convenience and so, $\beta(\Delta g)$ is continuous at $\Delta g = 0$. Hence:

$$\phi'(x) = f'(g(x))g'(x) + g'(x) \cdot 0 = f'(g(x))g'(x)$$

That proves the desired result.

Does the proof above work? If it doesn't, why? How can I fix it?