SQQM1023 – Managerial Mathematics

Tutorial 7: Partial Derivatives

1. Find the partial derivative of the function with respect to each of the variable.
(a) f ( x, y )  2 x 2  3 xy
(b) f ( x, y )  e
(c) g ( x, y )  ( x  1) 2  ( y  3)3  5 xy 3  2
(d ) g ( w, z )  3 w2  z 2
(e) f (r , s )  e3 r ln(7  s)
2. Find fx(x, y) and fy(x, y). Then find fx(2, 1) and fy(– 4, 3).
(a) f ( x, y )   2 xy  6 y 3  2

(b) f ( x, y)  3x3 y 2

(c) f ( x, y)  4 x 2  6 xy  y 2  1
x
(d) f ( x) 
x y
3. Find all second-order partial derivatives for the following.
(a) f ( x, y )  6 x3 y  9 y 2  2 x

(b) f ( x, y)  4 x 2  5 xy 3  12 y 2 x 2
4x
(c) f ( x, y ) 
x y

(d) f ( x, y )  ln  x  y 

z z
4. If z = xex–y – yey – x, show that   e x y  e y  x .
x y
5. Find the critical points for the given functions. Determine whether the critical
points are maximum, minimum or saddle point.

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 (a) f ( x, y )  xy  x  y
(b) f ( x, y )  x 2  2 xy  2 y 2  x  5
(c) f ( x, y )  x 2  xy  y 2  2 x  2 y  6
(d) f ( x, y )  2 x 3  3 y 2  12 xy  4
(e) f ( x, y )  x 2  4 y 3  6 xy  1

6. Use Lagrange multipliers to find the critical points of the given functions.
(a) f ( x, y )  2 xy, subjet to x  y  12
(b) f ( x, y )  x 2 y, subject to 2 x  y  4
(c) f ( x, y )  x 2  2 y 2  xy, subject to x  y  8
(d) f ( x, y )  x 2  10 y 2 , subject to x  y  18
(e) f ( x, y )  12 xy  x 2  3 y 2 , subject to x  y  16

7. To fill an order for 100 units of its product, a firm wishes to distribute production
between its two plants, plant 1 and plant 2. The total cost function is given by
c = f (q1, q2) = 0.1q12 + 7q1 + 15q2 + 1000,
where q1 and q2 are the numbers of units produced at plants 1 and 2, respectively.
How should the output be distributed in order to minimize costs?

8. When l units of labor and k units of capital are invested, a manufacturer’s total
production q is given by the production function q = 5l1/5k4/5. Each unit of labor
costs RM 22 and each unit of capital costs RM 66. If exactly RM 23,760 is to be
spent on production, determine the numbers of units of labor and capital that
should be invested to maximize production. (You may assume that the maximum
occurs at the critical point obtained.)

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Answers
1.
( a ) f x  4 x  3 y; f y  3 x
(b) f x  0; f y  0
(c) g x  2( x  1)  5 y 3 ; g y  3( y  3) 2  15 xy 2
2w 2z
(d ) g w  ; gz 
   
2/3 2/3
3 w2  z 2 3 w2  z 2
e 3 r
(e) f r  e3 r ln(7  s); f s 
s7
2. (a) f x  2 y; f y  2 x  18 y 2 ; 2; 170

(b) f x  9 x 2 y 2 ; f y  6 x3 y; 36;  1152

(c) f x  8x  6 y; f y  6 x  2 y; 22; 18

y x 1
(d) f x  ; fy   ; ; 4
 x  y  x  y
2 2
9

3.
(a) f xx  36 xy; f yy  18; f xy  f yx  18 x 2
(b) f xx  8  24 y 2 ; f yy  30 xy  24 x 2 ; f xy  f yx  15 y 2  48 yx

(c) f xx 
8 y
; f yy 
8x
 18; f xy  f yx 
 4x  4 y 
 x  y  x  y x  y
3 3 3

1 1 1
(d ) f xx  ; f yy   18; f xy  f yx 
 x  y  x  y x  y
2 2 2

5. (a) saddle point at (1, –1); (b) minimum at (–1, –1/2); (c) minimum at ( –2, –2);
(d) saddle point at (0,0); minimum at (4, 8);
(e) saddle point at (0, 0) ; minimum at (9/2, 3/2)
6. (a) (6, 6) (b) ( 4/3, 4/3) (c) (5, 3) (d) (20, 2) (e) (9, 7)
7. plant 1, 40 units; plant 2, 60 units
8. labor, 540 unit and capital, 180 units