MAST10008 Accelerated Mathematics 1 Version 2

Tutorial 11: Functions of several variables

1. Consider the function

f (x, y) = 2x3 + 3xy − 6y .
Let S be the surface defined by the equation z = f (x, y).

(a) Find the gradient vector ∇f at (x, y).

(b) Show that the point (0, 1, −6) lies on S.

(c) Find a Cartesian equation of the tangent plane to S at the point (0, 1, −6).

 downthe linear approximation to f (x, y) at (1, −2), and use this to estimate the value of
(d) Write
7 16
f ,− .
10 10

(e) Suppose that x = − cos(2t) and y = sin(3t). Using the chain rule for functions of two variables,
df
calculate at t = 0.
dt
(f) Find the directional derivative of f at (1, −2) in the direction of the unit vector from the point (1, −2)
towards the point (−2, 2).

2. Consider the function

f (x, y) = 2y 3 + 3xy 2 + 12xy + 9x + 6y 2

(a) Find the first and second order partial derivatives.

(b) Locate and classify the critical points of the function.

3. Evaluate the double integral Z 3Z 1

e2x+y dx dy.
0 0

4. Use a double integral to find the volume of the region lying below the graph z = x2 + y 2 and above the
rectangle 1 ≤ x ≤ 2, 0 ≤ y ≤ 1 in the plane z = 0.

Mathematics and Statistics 1 University of Melbourne