Derivative of $$$\ln\left(-1 + \frac{1}{x}\right)$$$

The function $$$\ln\left(-1 + \frac{1}{x}\right)$$$ is the composition $$$f{\left(g{\left(x \right)} \right)}$$$ of two functions $$$f{\left(u \right)} = \ln\left(u\right)$$$ and $$$g{\left(x \right)} = -1 + \frac{1}{x}$$$.

Apply the chain rule $$$\frac{d}{dx} \left(f{\left(g{\left(x \right)} \right)}\right) = \frac{d}{du} \left(f{\left(u \right)}\right) \frac{d}{dx} \left(g{\left(x \right)}\right)$$$:

$${\color{red}\left(\frac{d}{dx} \left(\ln\left(-1 + \frac{1}{x}\right)\right)\right)} = {\color{red}\left(\frac{d}{du} \left(\ln\left(u\right)\right) \frac{d}{dx} \left(-1 + \frac{1}{x}\right)\right)}$$

The derivative of the natural logarithm is $$$\frac{d}{du} \left(\ln\left(u\right)\right) = \frac{1}{u}$$$:

$${\color{red}\left(\frac{d}{du} \left(\ln\left(u\right)\right)\right)} \frac{d}{dx} \left(-1 + \frac{1}{x}\right) = {\color{red}\left(\frac{1}{u}\right)} \frac{d}{dx} \left(-1 + \frac{1}{x}\right)$$

Return to the old variable:

$$\frac{\frac{d}{dx} \left(-1 + \frac{1}{x}\right)}{{\color{red}\left(u\right)}} = \frac{\frac{d}{dx} \left(-1 + \frac{1}{x}\right)}{{\color{red}\left(-1 + \frac{1}{x}\right)}}$$

The derivative of a sum/difference is the sum/difference of derivatives:

$$\frac{{\color{red}\left(\frac{d}{dx} \left(-1 + \frac{1}{x}\right)\right)}}{-1 + \frac{1}{x}} = \frac{{\color{red}\left(- \frac{d}{dx} \left(1\right) + \frac{d}{dx} \left(\frac{1}{x}\right)\right)}}{-1 + \frac{1}{x}}$$

Apply the power rule $$$\frac{d}{dx} \left(x^{n}\right) = n x^{n - 1}$$$ with $$$n = -1$$$:

$$\frac{{\color{red}\left(\frac{d}{dx} \left(\frac{1}{x}\right)\right)} - \frac{d}{dx} \left(1\right)}{-1 + \frac{1}{x}} = \frac{{\color{red}\left(- \frac{1}{x^{2}}\right)} - \frac{d}{dx} \left(1\right)}{-1 + \frac{1}{x}}$$

The derivative of a constant is $$$0$$$:

$$\frac{- {\color{red}\left(\frac{d}{dx} \left(1\right)\right)} - \frac{1}{x^{2}}}{-1 + \frac{1}{x}} = \frac{- {\color{red}\left(0\right)} - \frac{1}{x^{2}}}{-1 + \frac{1}{x}}$$

Simplify:

$$- \frac{1}{x^{2} \left(-1 + \frac{1}{x}\right)} = \frac{1}{x \left(x - 1\right)}$$

Thus, $$$\frac{d}{dx} \left(\ln\left(-1 + \frac{1}{x}\right)\right) = \frac{1}{x \left(x - 1\right)}$$$.