2.

1 Functions of Several
Variables
p. 934
 Functions of Several Variables

 Let = ( , ) be the value of at the

general point ( , ).
 The variables x and y are independent
variables.
 z is the dependent variable.
 The domain of the function f is a subset
of ℝ . The range of the function f is a subset of ℝ.
Functions of Several variables

 If a function f is given by a formula and no domain is
specified then the domain of f is the set of all pairs (x, y) for
which the expression ( , ) is a well-defined real number.
Example 1 (p.934) Find the domain of the following functions.

a) , = b) , = ( − )
= , | + + 1 ≥ 0, ≠ 1 = , | <
Functions of several variables
 Graphs


 The graph of a function of two variables is a surface S with

equation = ( , ).
Example 3:
Sketch the graph of the function
, =6−3 −2
The graph of has the equation = 6 − 3 − 2
or 3 + 2 − = 6 which represents a plane.
Functions of several variables

Example 4. Sketch the graph of , = 9− − .

Solution

The graph has equation = 9− −

or + + = 9, ≥ 0.

The graph of f is the top half of the sphere

with center the origin and radius 3.

Functions of several variables

Example 5. Find the domain, range and sketch the graph of
, =4 + .
 , is defined for all possible ordered pairs of real
numbers , , so the domain is the entire xy-plane.
 The range is the set of all nonnegative
real numbers.
 The graph of , has the equation
=4 + .
This is an elliptic paraboloid.
Functions of several variables
 Level curves


 A level curve , = is the set of all points in the

domain of at which takes on a given value .
Example 7. Sketch the level curve of the function , =
6 − 3 − 2 for the value of = 12.
The level curve is the curve with equation 6 − 3 − 2 = 12
or 3 + 2 + 6 = 0. This is a line in the xy-plane.
Functions of several variables

Example 8. The level curve of the function
, = 9− − for = 0.
The level curve is 9 − − = 0 or + = 9.
This is a circle with center (0,0) and radius 3.
Example 9. The level curve of the function
, =4 + + 1 for = 5.
The level curve is 4 + + 1 = 5 or 4 + =4
or + = 1.
This is an ellipse with semi-axes 1 and 2.
.
Level curves

 Functions of several variables

Def: A function of three variables is a rule that assigns to each
order triple ( , , ) in a set ⊂ℝ a unique real number
denoted by ( , , ).
Example 10. Find the domain of the function
, , = ln − + .
The domain of the function is = , , | > . This is a half-
space consisting of all points that lie above the plane = .
Example 11. Find the level surface of the function
, , = + + for = 4.
The level surface is + + = 4. This is a sphere with center
O(0,0) and radius 2.
Functions of several variables

Def: A function of n variables is a rule that assigns to
each n-tuple ( , , … , ) in a set ⊂ ℝ a unique real
number denoted by ( , , … , ).
 EXERCISES

 Exercises: Ex 1 – 12 (P 946)
 Exercises: Ex 47 – 50 (P 949)
p. 951
 Limits and Continuity


 Notation lim
→
( , )=
→
or ( , ) → as ( , ) → ( , )
 Limits and Continuity

 The Def.1 says that
 The distance between ( , ) and can be made arbitrarily
small by making the distance from , to ( , ) sufficiently
small.
Or
 If any small interval ( − , + )
is given around , the we can find
a disk with center ( , ) and
radius > 0 such that maps all
the point in (except ( , )) into
the interval ( − , + ).
 Limits and Continuity

 If the limit exists, then ( , ) must approach the same
limit no mater how , approaches ( , ).
 If there are two different paths of approach along
which, the function ( , ) has different limits then
lim
→
( , ) does not exist.
→
Limits and continuity




Continuity


Continuity

Continuity

 Functions of n variables
 lim
 ( , , )= means that for every number > 0 there
( , , )→( , , )
is a corresponding number > 0 such that if ( , , ) is in the
domain of and 0 < − + − + − < then
, , − < .
 The function is continuous at ( , , ) if
lim ( , , )= ( , , )
( , , )→( , , )
 EXERCISES

 Exercises: Ex 3 – 16 (P 960)
 Exercises: Ex 21 – 28 (P 960)
p. 961
 Partial Derivatives
 Suppose that = , .

 We let only vary while keeping fixed, = . Then we
let = ( , ) i.e. is a function of a single variable .
If has a derivative at then we call it the partial
derivative of with respect to at ( , ) and denote it by
, = ′( ).

Thus
 Partial Derivatives

 Similarly, the partial derivative of with respect to at
( , ) and denote it by , is
Partial Derivatives

 Partial Derivatives

Example 1. Find partial derivatives of the function.
a) , = −3 +
b) , =
c) , = ∫ cos
d) , = cos

Example 2. Use the definition of partial derivative to

find (0,0) if , = + .
 Interpretations of Partial Derivatives

 The equation = ( , ) represents a surface S.
If , = then the point ( , , ) lies on S.
 The vertical plane = intersects S in a curve
which is the graph of the function = ( , ).
 The vertical plane = intersects S in a curve
which is the graph of the function ℎ( ) = ( , ).
 The partial derivatives ( , ) and ( , ) are the slopes of the
tangent lines and at the point P to the traces and of S
in the planes = and = .
 ( , ) is the rate of change of with respect to when is fixed.
 ( , ) is the rate of change of with respect to when is fixed.



 Functions of n variables


 The partial derivative of the function with respect

to the ith variable is found by regarding ,…,
, ,…, as constants and differentiating
with respect to .
 Functions of n variables

Example. Find partial derivatives of the function.
a) = − ln( + 2 + 3 )
b) = /
 Higher Derivatives

 is a function of two variables ( , ). The second partial
derivatives of are the partial derivatives of the partial
derivatives of .
 Notation
 Higher derivatives

Example . Find the second derivatives of , = +2 .
 Partial Differential Equations

 A partial differential equation is a differential equation that
contains unknown multivariable functions and their partial
derivatives.
 Laplace’s equation has the form
+ =0

Solutions of this equation are called harmonic functions.

 The wave equation has the form
=

Ex. Show that = arctan is a solution of Laplace’s equation.


 BASIC TERMINOLOGIES

1. Functions of several variables
2. Domain and Range of Functions of several variables
3. Level curves
4. Limits and Continuity
5. Partial Derivatives
6. Higher order partial derivatives
 EXERCISES

 Exercises: Ex 9 – 36 (P 970)
 Exercises: Ex 45 – 50 (P 970)
 Exercises: Ex 53 – 66 (P 970)