Análisis Matemático (English group) Curso 2019/2020

Solutions to some exercises Chapter 1-2

Remark: The scalar product between two vector ~u and ~v is denoted by either ~u · ~v or h~u, ~v i.

7. Since all functions are differentiable in its domain (thanks to the sufficient conditions of differentia-
bility), then D~u f (~x) = h∇f (~x), ~ui, where ~u is the unit directional vector in each case.
√ √
(a) f (x, y) = xy, (x0 , y0 ) = (1, 3), ~v = (2, −1). ~u = (2/ 5, −1/ 5), ∇f (1, 3) = (3, 1)

√ √ √
D~u f (~x) = h(3, 1), (2/ 5, −1/ 5)i = 5
√ √
(b) f (x, y) = xexy , (x0 , y0 ) = (1, −1), v = (1, 1). ~u = (1/ 2, 1/ 2), ∇f (1, −1) = (0, e−1 )

√ √ √
D~u f (~x) = h(0, e−1 ), (1/ 2, 1/ 2)i = 2/2e

(c) f (x, y) = x2 − y 2 , (x0 , y0 ) = (1, 1),

π
v is the unit vector that forms an angle 3 with the positive axis OX.
√
~u = (1/2, 3/2), ∇f (1, 1) = (2, −2)

√
D~u f (~x) = 1 − 3

(d) f (x, y, z) = xy + yz + zx, (x0 , y0 , z0 ) = (1, −1, 2), v = (10, 11, −2). ~u = (2/3, 11/15, −2/15),
∇f (1, −1, 2) = (1, 3, 0)

D~u f (~x) = 43/15.

9. A particle moves in R3 following the path:

(a) α(t) = (cos t, sin t, 2t), t ∈ [0, 2π];

(b) β(t) = (t, t2 , t3 ), t ∈ [0, 2];

√
(c) γ(t) = (et , e−t , 2), t ∈ [0, 1].

In each case, calculate the tangent vector, velocity, acceleration and distance travelled by the particle.
(a) tangent vector is the velocity vector

v(t) = (− sin t, cos t, 2).

√
Velocity: ||v(t)|| = 5.
Acceleration: v 0 (t) = (− cos t, − sin t, 0).
Distance: ||α(2π) − α(0)|| = ||(1, 0, 4π)|| − (1, 0, 0)|| = ||(0, 0, 4π)|| = 4π.
Analogous for (b) and (c).

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Curso 2019/2020 Análisis Matemático (English group)

10. The direction of greatest increase of f (x, y) = xe2y−x at P = (2, 1) is determined by the gradient
∂f ∂f
at that point. Since ∂x (x, y)) = e2y−x − xe2y−x y ∂y (x, y) = 2xe2y−x , the gradient is ∇f (2, 1) =
(−1, 4). The value of the directional derivative in this direction is always the norm of the gradient:
∇f (2,1)
D~u f (2, 1) = h∇f (2, 1), ~ui, for ~u = ||∇f (2,1)|| ,

∇f (2, 1) ||∇f (2, 1)||2 √

D~u f (2, 1) = h∇f (2, 1), i= = ||∇f (2, 1)|| = 17.
||∇f (2, 1)|| ||∇f (2, 1)||

11. Find the tangent plane and the normal line to each of the following surfaces at the given points.
2
+y 2 ) 2
+y 2 )
(a) z = e−(x en el punto (0, 0, 1). In this case f (x, y) = e−(x and the surface is S =
{(x, y, z) ∈ R3 : (x, y) ∈ domf, z = f (x, y)}. The tangent plane to S at (0, 0, 1) is

z − 1 = D1 f (0, 0)(x − 0) + D2 f (0, 0)(y − 0).

Since D1 f (0, 0) = 0 and D2 f (0, 0) = 0, the equation turns into

z = 1.

The normal line is determined by the normal vector which is the gradient of the function g(x, y, z) =
f (x, y) − z. That is, ∇g(0, 0, 1) = (0, 0, −1). Then the line that goes through (0, 0, 1) in the direction
of (0, 0, −1) is 
 x=0


y=0


z =1−t
