THE UNIVERSITY OF HONG KONG

DEPARTMENT OF MATHEMATICS

MATH2822 Mathematical Methods for Actuarial Science II

Assignment 1 Solutions

1. (a) No. We solve the system

⎧
⎪ 3 − 2s = 5t − 3,
⎪
⎪
⎨ 1 − 3s = 1 − 6t,
⎪
⎪
⎩ s+2 =
⎪ 2t + 2.
The last equation gives s = 2t. The remaining equations become
3 − 4t = 5t − 3,
{
1 − 6t = 1 − 6t.
2
The first equation is 9t = 6, which gives t = . The second equation holds trivially.
3
4
Then we have s = 2t = so that all equations hold. This shows ℓ1 and ℓ2 intersect at
3
1 10
(5t − 3, 1 − 6t, 2t + 2) = ( , −3, ), and so they do not form a pair of skew lines.
3 3

(b) Yes, because the lines intersect with each other. Since the equations of the two lines can
be expressed as (3, 1, 2) + (−2, −3, 1)t and (−3, 1, 2) + (5, −6, 2)t, they are parallel to the
vectors (−2, −3, 1) and (5, −6, 2) respectively. Thus, a normal to the desired plane is
RRR i j kRRRR
R
(−2, −3, 1) × (5, −6, 2) = RRRRR−2 −3 1 RRRR = (0, 9, 27).
R
RRR 5 −6 2 RRRR
R
1 10
As the plane passes through the intersection point ( , −3, ) found in part (a), its
3 3
equation is
10
9y + 27z = 9(−3) + 27 ( ) = 63,
3
which means y + 3z = 7.

2. Note that Π1 contains the vectors

(−3, 6, 3) − (−2, 4, 0) = (−1, 2, 3),
(−1, 5, 4) − (−2, 4, 0) = (1, 1, 4).
Therefore, a normal to Π1 is
RRR i j kRRR
R R
(−1, 2, 3) × (1, 1, 4) = RRRRR−1 2 3 RRRRR = (5, 7, −3).
RRR 1 1 4 RRR
R R
As Π1 is perpendicular to Π2 , this vector should lie on Π2 . On the other hand, the vector
(−3, −7, 2) − (−4, −4, −1) = (1, −3, 3) also lies on Π2 . Thus, a normal to Π2 is
RRR i j k RRRR
R
(5, 7, −3) × (1, −3, 3) = RRRRR5 7 −3RRRR = (12, −18, −22).
R
RRR1 −3 3 RRRR
R

1
 Thus, the equation of Π2 is
12x − 18y − 22z = 12(−4) − 18(−4) − 22(−1),
i.e. 6x − 9y − 11z = 23.

3. (a) We have
ρ = 2 sin φ sin θ
2y
⇔ ρ=
ρ
2
⇔ ρ = 2y
⇔ x2 + y 2 + z 2 = 2y
⇔ x2 + (y − 1)2 + z 2 = 1.

(b) S is the sphere with centre (0, 1, 0) and radius 1.

4. (a) The limit is 0.

Using polar coordinates x = r cos θ and y = r sin θ, we obtain

lim xy ln (x2 + y 2 ) = lim r2 sin θ cos θ ln (r2 ) = lim 2r2 (ln r) sin θ cos θ.
(x,y)→(0,0) r→0 r→0

ln r
We now prove that lim r2 ln r = 0. Indeed, since r2 ln r = −2 is of the indeterminate form
r→0 r
∞
, we can apply L’Hôpital’s rule to obtain
∞
ln r r−1 1
lim −2 = lim = lim − r2 = 0.
r→0 r r→0 −2r −3 r→0 2

Next, note that

− ∣2r2 ln r∣ ⩽ 2r2 (ln r) sin θ cos θ ⩽ ∣2r2 ln r∣ .
From above, lim ± ∣2r2 ln r∣ = 0. Therefore, by the sandwich theorem, we obtain
r→0

lim xy ln (x2 + y 2 ) = lim 2r2 (ln r) sin θ cos θ = 0.

(x,y)→(0,0) r→0

2
 (b) The limit does not exist.

Consider the restriction of the limit on the path x = 0. Clearly, the limit becomes
lim 0 = 0.
(x,y)→(0,0)

Consider the restriction of the limit on the path y = x2 . The limit becomes

x4 x4 1 1
lim = lim = lim = .
x→0 x4 + (x2 )2 x→0 2x4 x→0 2 2

Since the limits do not agree with each other, the given limit does not exist.

5. (a) The limit is 0.

We have
x2 − (mx)3 x2 (1 − m3 x) x(1 − m3 x)
lim f (x, mx) = lim = lim = lim .
x→0 x→0 x − mx x→0 x(1 − m) x→0 1−m

For any m ≠ 1, this is the limit of a polynomial in x. Therefore, the limit is simply

(0)(1 − m3 (0))
= 0.
1−m

(b) The limit is 1.

We have
(y + y 2 )2 − y 3 y 2 (1 + y + y 2 )
lim f (y + y 2 , y) = lim = lim = lim (1 + y + y 2 ) = 1.
y→0 y→0 (y + y 2 ) − y y→0 y2 y→0

(c) The limits in parts (a) and (b) are the restrictions of the given limit in two different paths.
Since they are not equal, the given limit does not exist.

6. (a) The largest possible domain of f is {(x, y) ∶ x ≠ y} (which means the set of all points
(x, y) satisfying x ≠ y), since the function is well-defined if and only if the denominator
x − y is nonzero.

(b) The answer is c = −1.

Indeed, f is continuous at (0, 0) if and only if lim f (x, y) = c. Thus, it suffices to

(x,y)→(0,0)
compute

x2 − x − y 2 + y (x − y)(x + y − 1)
lim = lim = lim (x + y − 1) = −1.
(x,y)→(0,0) x−y (x,y)→(0,0) x−y (x,y)→(0,0)