Partial Derivatives

Find the partial derivatives of a given function.

Evaluate partial derivatives.
Find the four second-order partial derivatives of
a function in two variables.

Example 1: For
find

w x 2 xy y 2 2yz 2z 2 z,

w w
w
,
, and
.
x
y
z

In order to find w x , we regard x as the

variable and y and z as constants.

w
2x y
x

Example 1 (cont.):

w x xy y 2yz 2z z,
2

and

w
y

x 2y 2z

w
z

2y 4z 1

Example 2:
For

f (x, y) 3x y xy, findfx andfy .

2

fx 6xy y

Treating y as a constant

fy 3x x

Treating x2 and x as a constants

Example 3:
For

f (x, y) e y ln x, findf x andf y .

xy

fx

fy

1
ye y
x
y
xy
ye
x
xy

x e 1 ln x
xy
xe ln x
xy

Example 4: A cellular phone company

has the following production function for a
2 3 13
certain product: p(x, y) 50x y ,
where p is the number of units produced with
x units of labor and y units of capital.
a) Find the number of units produced with
125 units of labor and 64 units of capital.
b) Find the marginal productivities.
c) Evaluate the marginal productivities at
x = 125
and y = 64.

Example 4 (cont.):

a)p(125,64) 50(125) (64)

5000units
2 3

13

b)MarginalProductivityofLabor
p

px
x
13
2 1 3 1 3 100y
50 x y
13
3
3x

50(25)(4)

Example 4 (cont.):

MarginalProductivityofCapital
p

py
y
2 3

1 2 3 2 3 50x
50 x y
2 3
3
3y

Example 4 (cont.):

c)MarginalProductivityofLabor
px 125, 64
100 64

13

3125

100 4

3 5
2
26
3

13

Example 4 (cont.):

MarginalProductivityofCapital
py 125, 64
50 125

2 3

364

50 25

316
1
26
24

2 3

DEFINITION:
Second-Order Partial Derivatives
2 z
2 f
2 z 2 f
1.

2 2 fxx
xx xx x
x

z
f

fxy
yx yx
2

2.

Takethepartialwith
respecttox,andthen
withrespecttoxagain.
Takethepartialwith
respecttox,andthen
withrespecttoy.

DEFINITION (cont.):

2 z
2 f

fyx
xy xy

3.

z
f
z f
4.

2 2 fyy
yy yy y
y
2

Takethepartialwith
respecttoy,andthen
withrespecttox.
Takethepartialwith
respecttoy,andthen
withrespecttoyagain.

Example 5: For
2 3
4
y
z f (x, y) x y x y xe ,
find the four second-order partial derivatives.

2 f
a) 2
x
f
b)
yx
2

fxx

fxy

3
3
y
(2xy 4 x y e )
x
2y 3 12x 2 y

(2xy 3 4x 3 y e y )
y
6xy 2 4 x 3 e y

Example 5 (cont.):

z f (x, y) x y x y xe
2

2 f
c)
xy

fyx

f
d) 2
y
2

fyy

2 2
4
y
(3x y x xe )
x
2
3
y
6xy 4x e

2 2
4
y
(3x y x xe )
y
2
y
6x y xe