Problem sheet 2

MA110: Engineering Mathematics - I

1. Find the partial derivative of the function with respect to each variable.
1 y
(a) f (x, y) = ln(x2 + y 2 ) + tan−1
2 x
r
1 T
(b) f (r, l, T, w) =
2rl πw
2. Find all the second-order partial derivatives of the functions defined below.
y
(a) f (x, y) = tan−1 .
x
x−y
(b) f (x, y) = 2 .
x +y
∂z
3. Find if the equation xy + z 3 x − 2yz = 0 defines z as a function of the two independent
∂x
x and y and the partial derivative exists.

∂x ∂y
4. Find and if the equations u = x2 − y 2 and v = x2 − y define x and y as functions of
∂u ∂u
the independent variables u and v, and the partial derivatives exist. Then let s = x2 + y 2
∂s
and find
∂u

5. Let f (x, y) = x2 + y 3 . Consider the curve of intersection of the graph of z = f (x, y) with
the plane y = 1. Find the slope of the line tangent to this curve at the point (−1, 1).
6. For the function f defined by
2 2

xy x − y ,

(x, y) ̸= (0, 0),
f (x, y) = x2 + y 2

0, (x, y) = (0, 0).

∂f ∂f
(a) Find (x, 0) and (0, y)
∂y ∂x
(b) Verify whether fxy (0, 0) = fyx (0, 0).
7. For the function f defined by

y 3 , y≥0
f (x, y) =
−y 2 , y<0

Compute fx , fy , fxy and fyx at the point (5,0).

1
 9. Show that the function f defined by
 3 3
x − y ,

(x, y) ̸= (0, 0),
f (x, y) = x2 + y 2

0, (x, y) = (0, 0).
(a) is continuous at (0, 0).
(b) possesses partial derivatives fx (0, 0) and fy (0, 0),
(c) is not differentiable at (0, 0).
10. Consider the
 function


x2 sin x1 + y 2 sin y1 , if xy ̸= 0


x sin x1 ,
 2
 if x ̸= 0 and y = 0
f (x, y) = .



y 2 sin y1 , if x = 0 and y ̸= 0


0, if x = y = 0
Is f differentiable at (0, 0)? Are fx and fy continuous at (0, 0)?
11. Show that the function f (x, y) = |x| + |y| is continuous at (0, 0), but fx (0, 0) and fy (0, 0)
do not exist.
12. Show that the function f defined by

 xy ,
 (x, y) ̸= (0, 0),
2 2
f (x, y) = x + 2y
0,

(x, y) = (0, 0).

is not continuous (0, 0) but its partial derivatives fx and fy exist at (0, 0).
dw
13. Using the Chain rule, evaulate dt at the given value of t.
(a) w = x2 + y 2 , x = cos t + sin t, y = cos t − sin t; t = 0.
√
(b) w = ln(x2 + y 2 + z 2 ), x = cos t, y = sin t, z = 4 t; t = 3.

Solutions

1. (a)
−y
∂f 1 2x x2
= +  y 2
∂x 2 x2 + y 2
1+
x
x y
= 2 −
x + y 2 x2 + y 2

1
∂f 1 2y x
= +  y 2
∂y 2 x2 + y 2
1+
x
x y
= 2 +
x + y 2 x2 + y 2
2
 (b)
r
−1 T
fr = 2
,
2r l πw
r
−1 T
fl = ,
2rl2 πw
r
1 1
fT = ,
4rl T πw
r
1 T
fw = .
4rlw πw
2. (a)
2xy
fxx = ,
(x2+ y 2 )2
−2xy
fyy = 2 ,
(x + y 2 )2
y 2 − x2
fxy = 2 = fyx .
(x + y 2 )2
(b)
2x3 − 6x2 y − 6xy + 2y 2
fxx = ,
(x2 + y)3
2x2 + 2x
fyy = 2 ,
(x + y)3
2x3 + 3x2 − 2xy − y
fxy = = fyx .
(x2 + y)3
3.
 
2 ∂z ∂z
y + 3z x + z 3 − 2y =0
∂x ∂x
∂z −y − z 3
=
∂x (3xz 2 − 2y)
4. Differentiating each equation implicitly gives
∂x ∂y
1 = 2x − 2y (1)
∂u ∂u
∂x ∂y
0 = 2x − (2)
∂u ∂u
solving (1) and (2)
∂x 1 ∂y 1
= , =
∂u 2x − 4xy ∂u 1 − 2y

∂s ∂x ∂y
s = x2 + y 2 =⇒ = 2x + 2y
∂u ∂u
 ∂u   
1 1
= 2x + 2y
2x − 4xy 1 − 2y
1 + 2y
= (3)
1 − 2y
3
 5. In the plane
y = 1 =⇒ fx (x, y) = 2x =⇒ fx (−1, 1) = 2(−1) = −2 =⇒ m = −2
6.
f (x, y) − f (0, y)
fx (0, y) = lim
x→0 x
y(x − y 2 )
2
= lim = −y
x→0 x2 + y 2
f (x, y) − f (x, 0)
fy (x, 0) = lim
y→0 y
x(x2 − y 2 )
= lim =x
x→0 x2 + y 2

fxy = −1 and fyx = 1