Derivative of cot(x^3)

1. There are multiple ways to do this derivative.

   Method #1

   1. Rewrite the function to be differentiated:

      $$\cot{\left(x^{3} \right)} = \frac{1}{\tan{\left(x^{3} \right)}}$$

   2. Let $u = \tan{\left(x^{3} \right)}$.

   3. Apply the power rule: $\frac{1}{u}$ goes to $- \frac{1}{u^{2}}$

   4. Then, apply the chain rule. Multiply by $\frac{d}{d x} \tan{\left(x^{3} \right)}$:

      1. Rewrite the function to be differentiated:

         $$\tan{\left(x^{3} \right)} = \frac{\sin{\left(x^{3} \right)}}{\cos{\left(x^{3} \right)}}$$

      2. Apply the quotient rule, which is:

         $$\frac{d}{d x} \frac{f{\left(x \right)}}{g{\left(x \right)}} = \frac{- f{\left(x \right)} \frac{d}{d x} g{\left(x \right)} + g{\left(x \right)} \frac{d}{d x} f{\left(x \right)}}{g^{2}{\left(x \right)}}$$

         $f{\left(x \right)} = \sin{\left(x^{3} \right)}$ and $g{\left(x \right)} = \cos{\left(x^{3} \right)}$.

         To find $\frac{d}{d x} f{\left(x \right)}$:

         1. Let $u = x^{3}$.

         2. The derivative of sine is cosine:

            $$\frac{d}{d u} \sin{\left(u \right)} = \cos{\left(u \right)}$$

         3. Then, apply the chain rule. Multiply by $\frac{d}{d x} x^{3}$:

            1. Apply the power rule: $x^{3}$ goes to $3 x^{2}$

            The result of the chain rule is:

            $$3 x^{2} \cos{\left(x^{3} \right)}$$

         To find $\frac{d}{d x} g{\left(x \right)}$:

         1. Let $u = x^{3}$.

         2. The derivative of cosine is negative sine:

            $$\frac{d}{d u} \cos{\left(u \right)} = - \sin{\left(u \right)}$$

         3. Then, apply the chain rule. Multiply by $\frac{d}{d x} x^{3}$:

            1. Apply the power rule: $x^{3}$ goes to $3 x^{2}$

            The result of the chain rule is:

            $$- 3 x^{2} \sin{\left(x^{3} \right)}$$

         Now plug in to the quotient rule:

         $\frac{3 x^{2} \sin^{2}{\left(x^{3} \right)} + 3 x^{2} \cos^{2}{\left(x^{3} \right)}}{\cos^{2}{\left(x^{3} \right)}}$

      The result of the chain rule is:

      $$- \frac{3 x^{2} \sin^{2}{\left(x^{3} \right)} + 3 x^{2} \cos^{2}{\left(x^{3} \right)}}{\cos^{2}{\left(x^{3} \right)} \tan^{2}{\left(x^{3} \right)}}$$

   Method #2

   1. Rewrite the function to be differentiated:

      $$\cot{\left(x^{3} \right)} = \frac{\cos{\left(x^{3} \right)}}{\sin{\left(x^{3} \right)}}$$

   2. Apply the quotient rule, which is:

      $$\frac{d}{d x} \frac{f{\left(x \right)}}{g{\left(x \right)}} = \frac{- f{\left(x \right)} \frac{d}{d x} g{\left(x \right)} + g{\left(x \right)} \frac{d}{d x} f{\left(x \right)}}{g^{2}{\left(x \right)}}$$

      $f{\left(x \right)} = \cos{\left(x^{3} \right)}$ and $g{\left(x \right)} = \sin{\left(x^{3} \right)}$.

      To find $\frac{d}{d x} f{\left(x \right)}$:

      1. Let $u = x^{3}$.

      2. The derivative of cosine is negative sine:

         $$\frac{d}{d u} \cos{\left(u \right)} = - \sin{\left(u \right)}$$

      3. Then, apply the chain rule. Multiply by $\frac{d}{d x} x^{3}$:

         1. Apply the power rule: $x^{3}$ goes to $3 x^{2}$

         The result of the chain rule is:

         $$- 3 x^{2} \sin{\left(x^{3} \right)}$$

      To find $\frac{d}{d x} g{\left(x \right)}$:

      1. Let $u = x^{3}$.

      2. The derivative of sine is cosine:

         $$\frac{d}{d u} \sin{\left(u \right)} = \cos{\left(u \right)}$$

      3. Then, apply the chain rule. Multiply by $\frac{d}{d x} x^{3}$:

         1. Apply the power rule: $x^{3}$ goes to $3 x^{2}$

         The result of the chain rule is:

         $$3 x^{2} \cos{\left(x^{3} \right)}$$

      Now plug in to the quotient rule:

      $\frac{- 3 x^{2} \sin^{2}{\left(x^{3} \right)} - 3 x^{2} \cos^{2}{\left(x^{3} \right)}}{\sin^{2}{\left(x^{3} \right)}}$

2. Now simplify:

   $$- \frac{3 x^{2}}{\sin^{2}{\left(x^{3} \right)}}$$

The answer is:

$$- \frac{3 x^{2}}{\sin^{2}{\left(x^{3} \right)}}$$