TITLE: nth derivative of: $F(x)=1-\sqrt{1-x^2}$
QUESTION [5 upvotes]: I've gotten this function from probability generating functions, and I want to calculate it's nth derivative (With respect to $x$).
This is:
$$F(x)=1-\sqrt{1-x^2}$$
Is there a practical way to do it?
Or for another approach, I just need the derivatives calculated in $x=0$, to calculate it's MacLaurin series. Any practical way to do it?

REPLY [2 votes]: let $g(x)=(1-x)^\frac 12$
$$g'(x)=-\frac 12 (1-x)^{-\frac 12} \\
g''(x)=-\frac 12 \frac 12 (1-x)^{-\frac 32} \\
g'''(x)=-\frac 32 \frac 12 \frac 12 (1-x)^{-\frac 52} \\
g^{(4)}(x)=-\frac 52\frac 32 \frac 12 \frac 12 (1-x)^{-\frac 72} \\
g^{(5)}(x)=-\frac 72\frac 52\frac 32 \frac 12 \frac 12 (1-x)^{-\frac 92} \\
$$
so 
$$g^{(n)}(x)=-\frac {1}{2^n} (2n-3)(2n-5)(2n-7) ... (5)(3)(1) (1-x)^{-\frac{2n-1}{2} }    \\
$$
$$g^{(n)}(0)=-\frac {1}{2^n} (2n-3)(2n-5)(2n-7) ... (5)(3)(1) 
\\ = -\frac {1}{2^n} \frac{(2n-3)!}{(2n-2)(2n-4)(2n-6) ... (4)(2)}
\\ = -\frac {1}{2^n} \frac{(2n-3)!}{2^{n-1}(n-1)!}
\\ = -\frac {1}{2^{2n-1}} \frac{(2n-3)!}{(n-1)!}
$$
You should be able to complete this knowing that $F(x)=1-g(x^2)$