1 Functions of Several Variables

1.1 (Quantities depending on several parameters)

1.2 Limits and Continuity - Examples
1. Compute the following limit or prove it does not exist.
lim
(x;y)!(0;0)
sin(x
2
+ y
2
)
x
2
+ y
2
Proof. It is clear that
(x; y) (0; 0) = (x
2
+ y
2
) 0
therefore
lim
(x;y)!(0;0)
sin(x
2
+ y
2
)
x
2
+ y
2
= lim
(x
2
+y
2
)!0
sin(x
2
+ y
2
)
x
2
+ y
2
= 1
or, if this is not clear enough, let t = x
2
+ y
2
, then
(x; y) (0; 0) = t 0
and we have
lim
(x;y)!(0;0)
sin(x
2
+ y
2
)
x
2
+ y
2
= lim
t!0
sint
t
= 1

2. Compute the following limit or prove it does not exist.

lim
(x;y)!(0;0)
x
3
+ y
3
x
2
+ y
2
(2)
Proof. Since (x; y) (0; 0) = x 0 and y 0 , it is clear that
lim
(x;y)!(0;0)
(x
2
+ y
2
) = 0 and lim
(x;y)!(0;0)
(x
3
+ y
3
) = 0
therefore
lim
(x;y)!(0;0)
x
3
+ y
3
x
2
+ y
2
is of type
0
0
To have a better idea of what is going on, let y = mx (or x = my) m R
Then we get a particular case of the limit
lim
x!0
x
3
+ (mx)
3
x
2
+ (mx)
2
= lim
x!0
x
3
+ m
3
x
3
x
2
+ m
2
x
2
= lim
x!0
x
3
(1 + m
3
)
x
2
(1 + m
2
)
=
= lim
x!0
x(1 + m
3
)
(1 + m
2
)
= 0 for all m R
Now what do we "learn" from this ?
Is the limit in (2) zero ? Not necessarily !
All we can say is this: if the limit exists , then it should be zero.
At this point we have two choices:
i) prove the limit is zero ii) prove the limit does not exist
There is no "standard" proceedure to apply, that would tell us which choice is the right one.
You must use the "intuition" you got out of practice.
In this case we choose (i) and prove the limit is zero.

x
3
+ y
3
x
2
+ y
2

(x + y)(x
2
+ y
2
xy)
x
2
+ y
2

= [x + y[

x
2
+ y
2
xy
x
2
+ y
2

=
1
= [x + y[

x
2
+ y
2
x
2
+ y
2

xy
x
2
+ y
2

_ [x + y[
_
1 +
[xy[
x
2
+ y
2
_
_
_ [x + y[
_
1 +
1
2
_
0 as (x; y) (0; 0)
So briey

x
3
+ y
3
x
2
+ y
2

_ ::: _ [x + y[
_
1 +
1
2
_
0 as (x; y) (0; 0)
which clearly proves that
lim
(x;y)!(0;0)
x
3
+ y
3
x
2
+ y
2
= 0
We have used a simple but useful inequality
[xy[
x
2
+ y
2
_
1
2
which comes from _
[x[
2
[y[
2
_
_ 0 = [x[
2
+[y[
2
_ 2 [xy[ = x
2
+ y
2
_ 2 [xy[

3. Compute the following limit or prove it does not exist.

lim
(x;y)!(0;0)
sin(x
3
+ y
3
)
x
2
+ y
2
Proof. Since (x; y) (0; 0) = x 0 and y 0 , it is clear that
lim
(x;y)!(0;0)
(x
2
+ y
2
) = 0 and lim
(x;y)!(0;0)
(x
3
+ y
3
) = 0
therefore
lim
(x;y)!(0;0)
sin(x
3
+ y
3
)
x
2
+ y
2
is of type
0
0
It seems quite "natural" to proceed as follows
sin(x
3
+ y
3
)
x
2
+ y
2
=
sin(x
3
+ y
3
)
x
3
+ y
3

x
3
+ y
3
x
2
+ y
2
Just as for example 1. let t = x
3
+ y
3
, it follows that
lim
(x;y)!(0;0)
sin(x
3
+ y
3
)
x
3
+ y
3
= lim
t!0
sint
t
= 1
on the other hand from example 2 we have
lim
(x;y)!(0;0)
x
3
+ y
3
x
2
+ y
2
= 0
consequently
lim
(x;y)!(0;0)
sin(x
3
+ y
3
)
x
2
+ y
2
= lim
(x;y)!(0;0)
sin(x
3
+ y
3
)
x
3
+ y
3
lim
(x;y)!(0;0)
x
3
+ y
3
x
2
+ y
2
= 0

4. Compute the following limit or prove it does not exist.

lim
(x;y)!(0;0)
x
2
y
2
x
2
+ y
2
2
Proof. Since (x; y) (0; 0) = x 0 and y 0 , it is clear that
lim
(x;y)!(0;0)
(x
2
+ y
2
) = 0 and lim
(x;y)!(0;0)
(x
2
y
2
) = 0
therefore
lim
(x;y)!(0;0)
x
2
y
2
x
2
+ y
2
is of type
0
0
To have a better idea of what is going on, let y = mx (or x = my) m R
Then we get several particular cases of the limit
lim
x!0
x
2
(mx)
2
x
2
+ (mx)
2
= lim
x!0
x
2
(1 m
2
)
x
2
(1 + m
2
)
=
1 m
2
1 + m
2
Since the limit clearly depends on the choice of m R , it follows the limit (4) does not exist
@ lim
(x;y)!(0;0)
x
2
y
2
x
2
+ y
2

5. Study the continuity of the function f : R

2
R dened as
f(x; y) =
_
sin(x
2
+3y
2
)
x
2
+5y
2
, (x; y) ,= (0; 0)
1 , (x; y) = (0; 0)
Proof. Remember polynomials in several variables (say n-variables) are continuous on R
n
.
In this case, for two variables, x
2
+ 3y
2
and x
2
+ 5y
2
are continuous on R
2
and consequently
the function
sin(x
2
+3y
2
)
x
2
+5y
2
is continuous everywhere
except for the points (x; y) R
2
, with x
2
+ 5y
2
= 0 .
Since x
2
+ 5y
2
= 0 = x = 0 and y = 0 ,
it follows the function
sin(x
2
+3y
2
)
x
2
+5y
2
is continuous on R
2
(0; 0).
To check the continuity at (0; 0) we need to decide upon the limit
lim
(x;y)!(0;0)
sin(x
2
+ 3y
2
)
x
2
+ 5y
2
Proceed as before
sin(x
2
+ 3y
2
)
x
2
+ 5y
2
=
sin(x
2
+ 3y
2
)
x
2
+ 3y
2
. .
A

x
2
+ 3y
2
x
2
+ 5y
2
. .
B
On one hand we have
lim
(x;y)!(0;0)
sin(x
2
+ 3y
2
)
x
2
+ 3y
2
= 1 (A)
on the other hand for the limit
lim
(x;y)!(0;0)
x
2
+ 3y
2
x
2
+ 5y
2
we have in the particular cases y = mx
lim
x!0
x
2
+ 3(mx)
2
x
2
+ 5(mx)
2
= lim
x!0
x
2
(1 + 3m
2
)
x
2
(1 + 5m
2
)
=
1 + 3m
2
1 + 5m
2
Since this clearly depends on m R , it follows the limit does not exist
@ lim
(x;y)!(0;0)
x
2
+ 3y
2
x
2
+ 5y
2
(B)
3
from (A) and (B) it follows that
@ lim
(x;y)!(0;0)
sin(x
2
+ 3y
2
)
x
2
+ 5y
2

6. Study the continuity of the function f : R

2
R dened as
f(x; y) =
_
x
2
yxy
2
x
2
+y
2
, (x; y) ,= (0; 0)
0 , (x; y) = (0; 0)
Proof. Remember polynomials in several variables (say n-variables) are continuous on R
n
.
In this case, for two variables, x
2
y xy
2
and x
2
+ y
2
are continuous on R
2
and consequently
the function
x
2
yxy
2
x
2
+y
2
is continuous everywhere
except for the points (x; y) R
2
, x
2
+ y
2
= 0 .
Since x
2
+ y
2
= 0 = x = 0 and y = 0 ,
it follows the function
x
2
yxy
2
x
2
+y
2
is continuous on R
2
(0; 0).
To check the continuity at (0; 0) we need to decide upon the limit
lim
(x;y)!(0;0)
x
2
y xy
2
x
2
+ y
2
Since for the particular cases y = mx we get
lim
x!0
x
2
mx x(mx)
2
x
2
+ (mx)
2
= lim
x!0
x
3
(mm
2
)
x
2
(1 + m
2
)
= lim
x!0
x(mm
2
)
(1 + m
2
)
= 0
we believe (out of practice) the limit could be zero.
Then we proceed as follows

x
2
y xy
2
x
2
+ y
2

xy(x y)
x
2
+ y
2

=
[xy[
x
2
+ y
2
[x y[ _
1
2
[x y[
(x;y)!(0;0)
0
so we get
lim
(x;y)!(0;0)
x
2
y xy
2
x
2
+ y
2
= 0 = f(0; 0)
Consequently the function f is continuous at (0; 0).
Finally the function f is continuous on R
2
:
7. Prove that for x ,= y the following limit does not exist.
lim
(x;y)!(0;0)
x
2
+ y
2
x y
(7)
Proof. Since this is clearly a "
0
0
" type, consider the particular case y = mx , for m ,= 1 and get
lim
x!0
x
2
+ (mx)
2
x mx
= lim
x!0
x
2
(1 + m
2
)
x(1 mx)
= lim
x!0
x(1 + m
2
)
(1 mx)
= 0
Which means nothing more than we have two choices
i) the limit exists and is zero ii) the limit does not exist
This is a "school" problem, it is already stated the limit does not exist, which makes the task easier, but we still
have to prove the limit does not exist.
A "natural" way to try, is the particular case y = mx
k
for mx
k
,= x , m ,= 0
we get
lim
x!0
x
2
+ (mx
k
)
2
x mx
k
= lim
x!0
x
2
(1 + m
2
x
2k2
)
x(1 mx
k1
)
= lim
x!0
x(1 + mx
2k2
)
(1 mx
k1
)
4
now for k > 1 we have
lim
x!0
x
2
(1 + m
2
x
2k2
)
x(1 mx
k1
)
= lim
x!0
x(1 + m
2
x
2k2
)
(1 mx
k1
)
= 0
but for k (0; 1) we have
lim
x!0
x
2
+ (mx
k
)
2
x mx
k
= lim
x!0
x
2k
(x
22k
+ m
2
)
x
k
(x
1k
m)
= lim
x!0
x
k
(x
22k
+ m
2
)
(x
1k
m)
= 0
This result is extremely "deceiving", since we do not get addtional knowledge.
We still have the two choices (i) and (ii). Appearantly the limit could be zero.
A) One way to prove the limit does not exist, comes out of "practice",
consider the particular case y = sinx then we have
lim
x!0
x
2
+ (sinx)
2
x sinx
= lim
x!0
x
3
x sinx

x
2
+ (sinx)
2
x
2

1
x
next use lHospital rule to show
lim
x!0
x
3
x sinx
, lim
x!0
3x
2
1 cos x
, lim
x!0
6x
sinx
= 6
on the other hand
lim
x!0
x
2
+ (sinx)
2
x
2
= lim
x!0
_
1 +
(sinx)
2
x
2
_
= 2
but the last limit does not exist
@lim
x!0
1
x
Therefore the limit does not exist
@lim
x!0
x
2
+ (sinx)
2
x sinx
and consequently the limit (7) does not exist since we got a particular case for which it does not exist
@ lim
(x;y)!(0;0)
x
2
+ y
2
x y
(7)
Now this is clearly a "trick" and we should not rely on tricks (as far as possible) but on "logical" analysis.
We suggets two other ways.
B) Since the particular cases y = mx and y = mx
k
do not lead to essentially dierent limits, we may think
of (1 + x) to "replace" m
y = (1 + x)x
in this case we get
lim
x!0
x
2
+ [(1 + x)x]
2
x (1 + x)x
= lim
x!0
x
2
(+(1 + x)
2
)
x[1 (1 + x)]
= lim
x!0
x
2
(+(1 + x)
2
)
x x
= 2
which proves the limit (7) does not exist.
C) Another way to prove the limit (7) does not exist is the following.
It is clear that (x; y) (0; 0) = (x
2
+ y
2
) 0.
Consider (x
2
+ y
2
) = " 0 and think of the "geometric" representation of R
2
as a plane.
For a "xed" " and x; y on the circle (x
2
+ y
2
) = " , we may have (x y) 0
(as the point (x; y) moves on the circle but closer to the strait line y = x )
Therefore the function is unbounded on such a circle
x
2
+ y
2
[x y[
=
"
[x y[

(xy)!0
"
+0
= +
and consequently has no limit at (0; 0).