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MAT538 Tutorial
MAT538 Tutorial
PARTIAL DERIVATIVES
Note : functions of two or more variables often arise in science and engineering and it is
important to be able to deal with such functions.
Example :
The temperature T at a point on the surface of the earth at any given time depends on
the longitude x and latitude y of the point. Therefore T is the function of the two
variables x and y, or as a function of the pair x, y T f x, y
The temperature T at a point on the surface of the earth depends on the longitude x
and latitude y of the point and on the time t. Therefore T is the function of the three
variables x, y and t or as a function T f x, y, t
The volume V of a circular cylinder depends on its radius r and its height h. therefore
V is a function of r and h . In fact, V r 2 h V r , h r 2 h
Definition : A function f of two variables is a rule that assigns to each ordered pair or real
numbers x, y in a set D a unique real number denoted by f x, y . The set D is the domain
of f and its range is the set of values that f takes on, that is f x, y x, y D.
Note
z f x, y means the value taken on by f at the general point x, y .
x and y are independent variables, z is the dependent variable.
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Definition : If f is a function of two variables with domain D, then the graph of f is the set
of all points x, y, z in R3 such that z f x, y and x, y is in D.
Note :
The graph of a function f of one variable is a curve C with equation y f x
The graph of a function of two variables is a surface S in three-dimensional space
with equation z f x, y
z x2 y 2 z 9 x2 y 2
E1 Find the values of f 2,1 , f 2,3 and f 3,2 for the following functions :
x y 1
(c) f x, y
x 1
(d)
f x, y x ln y 2 x
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Domain of functions
The domain of functions of two variables,
z f x, y , are regions from two
dimensional space and consist of all the
coordinate pairs x, y for which the
function is defined.
(a) f x, y x 2 y 1 (b) f x, y 4 x 3 y
x y 1
(c) f x, y
x 1
(d)
f x, y x ln y 2 x
x y
(g) f x, y
x y
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Partial Derivatives
Symbol : is a partial differential operator
x
For any value of x and y for which the limit exist :
f
The partial derivatives of f x, y with respect to x, written as is defines by
x
f f x h, y f x, y
lim
x h 0 h
f
The partial derivatives of f x, y with respect to y, written as is defines by
y
f f x, y h f x , y
lim
y h 0 h
f
x, y f y x, y f y f f x, y z x, y z f 2 D2 f Dy f z y x, y
y y y y y
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Thus f x and f y are the slopes of the tangent lines at Pa, b, c to C1 and C2 .
Note
Partial derivatives can also be interpeted as rates of change
If z f x, y , then
z
represents the rate of change of z with respect to x when y is fixed
x
z
represents the rate of change of z with respect to y when x is fixed
y
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u v u v
u
v v u
u u y y
x 2 x and
x v v y v v 2
x f f
E6 If f x, y sin , calculate and .
1 y x y
f f
For f x, y e xy
x
E7 , compute and .
y x y
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z z
E9 Find and if z is defined implicitly as a function of x and y
x y
by x3 y 3 z 3 6 xyz 1
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Higher Derivatives
If f is a function of two variables, then its partial derivatives f x and f y are also functions
f
y y which are called second partial derivatives of f.
f 2 f 2 z
f x x f xx f11
x x x 2 x 2
f 2 f 2 z
f x y f xy f12 (mixed second order partial derivatives)
y x y x y x
f 2 f 2z
f f yx f 21 (mixed second order partial derivatives)
x y x y x y
y x
f 2 f 2 z
f f yy f 22
y y y 2 y 2
y y
Theorem :
Let f be a function of two variables. If f xy and f yx are continuous on a set containing a, b
(b) f x, y x 2 y y 3 ln y
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If z f x, y is a continuous function of two variables and x g s, t and y hs, t are the
continuous functions of the independent variables s and t , then
z z x z y z z x z y
and
s x s y s t x t y t
Diagrammatically :
z z
y x y
x
t s t s t
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z z
E14 If z e x sin y , where x st 2 and y s 2t , find and .
s t
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E16
If g s, t f s 2 t 2 , t 2 s 2 and f is differentiable , show that g satisfies the
g g
equation t s 0 when r 2, s 1, t 0 .
s t
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z 2 z
and y 2rs , find and 2 .
r r
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Implicit differentiation
The result can be used to find the derivatives of functions that are defined implicitly. For
example :
f x, y c
Differentiating both sides with respect to x, yields
f f dy
0
x y dx
f
f
x
dy
If 0 , we obtain
y dx f
y
We extend the notion to functions of several variables defined implicitly. Suppose that the
equation F x, y, z c implicitly defines a function z f x, y , where f is differentiable.
Thus, we can find the partial derivatives f x and f y using the Chain Rule :
F x, y, z c
0
x x
F x F y F z
0
x x y x z x
F F F z
.1 .0 0
x y z x
F
z x Fx
x F Fz
z
F
z y F
Similar argument can be used to show that y
y F Fz
z
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E18 Find y if x 3 y 3 6 xy .
z z
E19 Find and if x3 y 3 z 3 6 xyz 1 .
x y
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Note :
The relative minima is not the smallest value that the function will ever take. It only says that
in some region around the point a, b , the function will always be larger than f a, b .
Outside of that region, it is completely possible for the function to be smaller.
Likewise, a relative maxima only says that around the point a, b , the function will always
be smaller f a, b . Again, outside of that region, it is completely possible for the function to
be larger.
Theorem : If f x, y has a local maximum or minimum at a, b and the first order partial
derivatives of f x, y exist there, then f x a, b 0 and f y a, b 0 .
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Let D Da, b
f xx
f yx
f xy
f yy
f xx a, b f yy a, b f xy a, b 2
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E22 Find the local maximum and minimum values and the saddle points of
f x, y x 4 y 4 4 xy 1
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