Fall 2017 Discussion Set (Week 5) Calculus II

1. Let f : R2 → R be a function defined by f (x, y) = x2 y − y 3 . 3. Let f : R3 → R be a function defined by f (x, y, z) = xy + yz + zx.

   
(a) Find the gradient ∇f and the 1 × 2 matrix Df = fx fy . How (a) Find the gradient ∇f and the 1 × 3 matrix Df = fx fy fz .
are they related? How are they related?

(b) Let γ : R → R2 be a curve in R2 defined by γ(t) = (t, t2 ). Find

γ 0 (t) and the 2 × 1 matrix Dγ. How are they related?
(b) Let g : R2 → R3 be a function defined by

g(u, v) = (u + v, u − v, uv).
Find the 3 × 2 matrix Dg.

(c) Find (f ◦ γ)0 (t) and the 1 × 1 matrix D(f ◦ γ). How are they
related?

(c) Find the gradient ∇(f ◦ g) and the 1 × 2 matrix D(f ◦ g). How
are they related?

(d) Show that (f ◦ γ)0 (t) = ∇f |γ(t) · γ 0 (t).

(d) Show that D(f ◦ g) = Df |g(u,v) Dg.

(e) Show that D(f ◦ γ) = Df |γ(t) Dγ.

4. Let f (x, y, z) be a real-valued differentiable function on R3 , and

g(u, v) = (X(u, v), Y (u, v), Z(u, v)) a differentiable function R2 → R3 .
2. Let f (x, y) be a real-valued differentiable function on R2 , and Let w = f (X(u, v), Y (u, v), Z(u, v)). Using the chain rule
γ(t) = (X(t), Y (t)) a smooth curve in R2 . Let w = f (X(t), Y (t)).
Using the chain rule D(f ◦ g) = Df |g(u,v) Dg,

D(f ◦ γ) = Df |γ(t) Dγ,


∂f  ∂f 
, ∂f
∂w
  ∂X ∂Y ∂Z
express ∂u
in terms of ∂x g(u,v) , ∂y  
∂z g(u,v)
, ,
∂u ∂u
, and ∂u
.
 g(u,v)
∂f  ∂f 
dw

express dt
in terms of ∂x γ(t) , ∂y  , dX
dt
, and dY
dt
.
γ(t)

1
Fall 2017 Discussion Set (Week 5) Calculus II

5. Let f : R2 → R be a function defined by f (x, y) = 2xy − 3y 2 . 7. Let f (x, y, z) = x2 + y 2 + z.

(a) Find ∇f |(1,2) . (a) Find ∇f |(1,2,4) .

(b) In which direction is f increasing most rapidly at (1, 2, 4) ? In

which direction is f decreasing most rapidly at (1, 2, 4) ?

(b) Find the directional derivative of f at (1, 2) in the direction of

3i + 4j.

(c) Find the equation for the tangent plane to the level surface of f
at (1, 2, 4).
(Hint. ∇f is perpendicular to the level surface of f .)

(c) Compute the limit

f (1 + su1 , 2 + su2 ) − f (1, 2)
lim , (d) Find the directional derivative of f at (1, 2, 4) in the direction of
s→0 s
i + j − k.
where u = (u1 , u2 ) ∈ R2 is the unit vector in the direction of
3i + 4j. What is the geometric meaning of this limit? Compare
with your answer in part (b). How are they related?

8. Let f (x, y, z) = x2 + y 2 , g(x, y, z) = x + z, and

C = (x, y, z) ∈ R3 | f (x, y, z) = 2


D = (x, y, z) ∈ R3 | g(x, y, z) = 4


the level surfaces of f and g, respectively.

6. Let f : R2 → R be a function defined by (a) Explain why C is a cylinder, D is a plane, and E = C ∩ D is an
 2 ellipse in R3 .
 xy if (x, y) 6= (0, 0),
f (x, y) = x2 + y 4
0 if (x, y) = (0, 0).


(a) Find ∇f |(0,0) · u, where u is the unit vector in the direction of

2i + j.
(b) Find ∇f and ∇g.

(c) Find parametric equations for the line tangent to the ellipse E at
(1, 1, 3).
(b) Find the limit (Hint. ∇f is perpendicular to C, and ∇g is perpendicular to D.)
f (0 + su1 , 0 + su2 ) − f (0, 0)
lim ,
s→0 s
where u = (u1 , u2 ) is the unit vector in the direction of 2i + j.
What is the geometric meaning of this limit?
9. Assume that the equation
z 3 − xy + yz + y 3 = 2
defines x as a differentiable function of y and z.
∂x
(a) Find ∂y
when (y, z) = (1, 1).

(c) Compare your answers in part (a) and in part (b). What can you
say about the differentiability of the function f ?

∂
(b) Find ∂y
(x2 − y 3 + z) when (y, z) = (1, 1).