Partial Differentiation

Partial Derivatives (Function of a function)

Let z = f(x, y) be a function of two independent variables x and y. If we keep y

constant and allow only x to vary then derivative (if it exists) so obtained is
z f
or
called the partial derivative of z with respect to x and is denoted by x x

Partial derivative of higher order, if it exists can be obtained from partial

derivatives of first order, by using above def.

  z 
 
Thus x  x  is the second Order partial derivative of z wrt x and is denoted
2 z 2 f
or
by x x 2
2

  z   2 z   z   2 z
  and  
Also x  y  xy y  x  yx

2 z 2 z
and
Note : Although xy yx are equal in general, they need not be always
so.
u and v are functions of x and y

z v u
 u.  v. ;
If z = uv, x x x

u v
v u
z x x

If z= u/v, x v2

If z = f(u), and u = φ(x, y), so that z is a function of u and u is a function of two

independent variables x and y. Then z is a function of x and y.
z is called a function of a function of x and y.
z dz u z dz u
 .  .
x du x and y du y

Example :

1) if z  x n y m
z
than  n x n 1 y m
x
z
than  m x n y m 1
y

2) if z  sin  ax  by 
z
than  cos  ax  by  .  a   a cos  ax  by 
x
z
than  cos  ax  by  .  b   b cos  ax  by 
y

3) if z  log  ax  by 
z 1 a
than  . a  
x  ax  by   ax  by 
z 1 b
than  . b  
y  ax  by   ax  by 

x
4) if z  sin 1  
 y
z 1 1 1 1 1
than  .   . y  .  
x x  y
2
y x
2 2
 y y  x2
2
1 2
y
z 1 1  x  x
than  .   y 2 . x   . y  . 2  
y x2 y2  x2 y  y y2  x2
1
y2
5) if z tan 1  x / y  ,
z 1 1 d 1
than
x
 . 
x2  y 
(note :
dx
 tan 1 x  
1  x2
)
1 2
y
 z y
  2
x x  y 2
z 1  x 
 .  
y x2  y2 
1 2
y
z x
  2
y x  y 2

6) if z  x y ;

z
 y.x y 1 ,
x
z
 x y .log x
y
ex
1) if z  tan y  ax    y  ax 
3/2
; show that
2 z 2  z
2
 a
x 2 y 2
z 3
 sec 2  y  ax   a    y  ax    a 
1/2
sol :
x 2
 z
2
3 1
 a  2  sec  y  ax  .sec( y  ax).tan  y  ax   a   (a ). .  y  ax  ( a )
1/ 2

x 2
2 2
 z
2
3
 2a 2 sec 2  y  ax  .tan  y  ax   ( a ) 2 .  y  ax 
1/2

x 2
4

z 3
 sec2  y  ax    y  ax 
1/2

y 2
2 z 3 1
 2sec  y  ax  .sec  y  ax  .tan  y  ax   .  y  ax 
1/ 2

y 2
2 2
2 z 3
 2sec 2  y  ax  .tan  y  ax    y  ax 
1/2

y 2
4

2 z 2  z
2
 a
x 2 y 2

2) if u  log  tan x  tan y  tan z  , provethat

 u u u
sin 2 x  sin 2 y  sin 2 z 2
x y z
u 1
 sec2 x
Sol: x tan x  tan y  tan z

u 1
sin 2 x  2sin x cos x. sec 2 x
x tan x  tan y  tan z
1 1
 2 sin x cos x. .
tan x  tan y  tan z  cos 2 x 
tan x
 2.
tan x  tan y  tan z

u tan y
similarly sin 2 y  2.
y tan x  tan y  tan z

u tan z
similarly sin 2 z  2.
z tan x  tan y  tan z

u u u
 sin 2 x  sin 2 y  sin 2 z
x y z

tan x  tan y  tan z

 2. 2
tanx  tan y  tan z

Ex1:
 2u  2u
if u  log  x  y  , Pr ove that
2 2

xy yx
u 1
.2 y   x 2  y 2  .2 y
1
 2
y  x  y  2
Sol :

2u   u   1  4 xy
     2y  2 2 2  
. 2x 
xy x  y   (x  y )   x2  y2 
2

u 1
 2 .2 x,
x  x  y 2 
  
2u  1  .  2 y   4 xy
  2x
yx  x  y  
2 2 2
 x2  y2 
2

 

 r 
 
The partial derivative of r w.r.t x treating θ constant is denoted by  x  .
r r
3) if x   e  e   , y   e  e   , prove that
2 2
 x   r 
   
 r   x  y
r
sol : x   e  e    r cosh  ;
2
r
y   e  e    r sinh 
2
 x 
   cosh 
 r 

 r 
 
To find  x  y , we must express r as a function of x and y by eliminating θ
between x = r coshθ, y = r sinh θ
x2 y 2
now cosh 2   sinh 2   1,   1
r2 r2
x2  y2  r 2 ,
 r 2  x2  y2
 r   r  x
 2r    2 x,      cosh 
 x  y  x  y r

4) if x  eu tan v , y  eu sec v, find

 u u 
x  y 
 x y 
u u
sol : As we want , , ; we must exp ress u as function of x and y
x y

now x 2  e 2u tan 2 v, y 2  e 2 u sec2 v

 y 2  x 2  e 2u sec 2 v  tan 2 v   e2u
1
 u  log  y 2  x 2     by taking log
2
u 1 1 x
  . 2 .  2 x   2
x 2  y  x  2
 y  x2 
u 1 1 y
  . 2 . 2 y   2
y 2  y  x 
2
 y  x2 
u u  x2 y2
x y  2  1
x y  y  x 2   y 2  x 2 

 v v 
x  y 
4b) if x  e tan v , y  e sec v, find  x
u u
y 
sol ) if x  e u tan v , y  e u sec v,
v v
As we want , , ; we must exp ress v as function of x and y
x y

x tan v
now   sin v
y sec v
x
 v  sin 1  
 y
v 1 1 1
  .  
x 1  x / y
2
 y y 2  x2

v 1  x  x
  .  2   
y 1  x / y
2
 y  y y 2  x2

v v
x y 0
x y

COMPOSITE FUNCTIONS

Let z = f(x,y) and x = φ(t), y= Ψ(t), so that z is a function of x,y and x,y are
functions of t. z is a function of t. z is called a composite function of t.
Then derivative of z x.r.t t is given by

dz z dx z dy
 .  .
dt x dt y dt (chain rule)

dw
1) find , if w  xy  z, x  cos t , y  sin t , z  t
dt

dw w dx w dy w dz
sol :  .  .  .
dt x dt y dt z dt

w w w
 y,  x, 1
x y z
dx dy dz
  sin t ,  cos t , 1
dt dt dt

dw
  y    sin t   x cos t  1.1   y sin t  x cos t  1
dt

  sin t.sin t  cos t.cos t  1  1  cos 2 t  sin 2 t

 1  cos 2t

DIFFERENTIATION OF COMPOSITE FUNCTION.

Let z = f(x,y) and x=φ(u,v), y=Ψ(u,v), Then the partial derivative of Z w.r.t u and v is given by

z z x z y
 .  .
u x u y u and

z z x z y
 .  .
v x v y v (chain rule)

Ex0
if z  f  x, y  ; x  eu  e  v , y  e u  ev prove that
z z z z
 x y
u v z y
Sol
z z x z y
 .  .
u x u y u
 z u z  u
 .e  .e
x y
z z x z y
 .  .
v x v y v
z z z  v z
  e  v  .  .e v    e  .  .e v
x y x y
Subtracting
z z  u z z    v z z 
  e  e u    e  ev 
u v  x y   x y 
z z
  eu  e  v    eu  ev 
x y
z z
  x   y
x y

Ex 1
if u  f  e x  y , e y  z , e z  x  ; prove that
u u u
  0
x y z

sol : let P  e x  y , Q  e y  z , R  e z  x
then u  f  P, Q, R 
u u P u Q u R
 .  .  .
x P x Q x R x

u x  y u u z  x
 .e (1)  .(0)  .e  1
P Q R
u u x  y u z  x
 e  e
x P R

u u P u Q u R
 .  .  .
y P y Q y R y

u u u y  z
similarly   .e x  y  .e
y P Q

u u y  z u z  x
similarly  e  .e
z Q R

Adding we get 0.

Ex 2
if z  f ( x, y ); x  u cosh v; y  u sinh v prove that
2 2 2 2
 z   z   z  1  z 
        2  
 x   y   u  u  v 

z z x z y
 .  .
Sol:  u x u y u
z z z
  .cosh v  .sinh v       1
u x y
z z x z y
 .  .
v x v y v
z z z
  u sinh v  u cosh v
v x y

1 z z u z u
 .  . sinh v  . cosh v
u v x u y u
1 z z z
 .  .sinh v  cosh v      2 
u v x y

Squaring 1 and 2 and subtracting,

2 2
 z  1  z 
   2 
 u  u  v 
2 2
 z   z 
   cosh 2 v    sinh 2 v
 x   y 
2
 z   z   z 
 2     cosh v.sinh v    sinh 2 v
 x   y   x 
2
 z   z   z 
 2     cosh v.sinh v    cosh 2 v
 x   y   y 

 z 
2
 z 2 
    cosh v  sinh v      cosh 2 v  sinh 2 v  
2 2

 x   y  
2 2
 z   z 
       lhs
 x   y 
DIFFERENTIATION OF TWO VARIABLE IMPLICIT FUNCTION

If f(x,y)=0 the derivative dy/dx is obtained by the rule differentiating term by term.

The function f(x,y)=0 defines y as a function of x implicitly.

let w=f(x,y)=0
w is a function of x, y. y is function of x.

dw w dx w dy
 0; .  .  0; chain rule
dx x dx y dx

dy w w
fx  f y  0; where  fx ;  fy
 dx x y
dy f
  x
dx fy
Ex 1.
dy
if x 3  y 3  3axy  0; find
dx

Sol 1: f ( x, y )  x  y  3axy  0
3 3

f
fx   3 x 2  3ay
x
f
fy   3 y 2  3ax
y

f x   3 x  3ay  ay  x 2
2
dy
   
dx fy  3 y 2  3ax  y 2  ax
dy  dy 
3x 2  3 y 2  3a  x  y   0
Sol 2: dx  dx 
dy
  y 2  ax   ay  x 2
dx

dy ay  x 2
 
dx y 2  ax

DIFFERENTIATION OF THREE VARIABLE INPLICIT FUNCTION f(x,y,z)=0

If f(x,y,z)=0; then z is a implicit function of two independent variables x znd y.

 z z
, ;
If we want to find the partial derivative x y we differentiate each term separately,
Treating one variable constant at a time.

z f z f f f
 x;  y where  fx ;  fy
x f z y fz x y

Ex 1

z z
find and u sin g partial derivatives for
x y
xe y  ye z  log x  2  3log 2  0 at P  1, log 2, log 3 

sol : let f  x, y , z   xe y  ye z  log x  2  3log 2

f 1 1
  f x  e y   eloge 2   2  1  3 at P
x x 1

f
  f y  xe y  e z  2  3  5 at P
y

f
  f z  ye z  3log 2 at P
z

z f 3 1
  x  
x fz 3log 2 log 2

z f 5
  y  
y fz 3log 2