Multivariable functions: Problem Set 3

1. Evaluate the following limits or explain why they do not exist

cos(xy) x2 + y 2
(a) lim (c) lim
(x,y)(1,) 1 x cos y (x,y)(0,0) y
(y 3)3 sin(xy)
(b) lim (d) lim
(x,y)(2,3) (x 2)2 + (y 3)2 (x,y)(0,0) x2 + y 2

Solution:

cos(xy) cos
(a) lim = = 1
(x,y)(1,) 1 x cos y 1 1 cos
3 2
   
 (y 3)   (y 3) 
(b) 0    |y 3| |y 3|.
(x 2)2 + (y 3)2   (x 2)2 + (y 2)2 
Since lim |y 3| = 0, squeeze theorem implies that
(x,y)(2,3)

(y 3)3
lim = 0.
(x,y)(2,3) (x 2)2 + (y 3)2

(c) If (x, y) (0, 0) along the y-axis, then

x2 + y 2 0 + y2
lim = lim = 0.
(x,y)(0,0) y y0 y

However, approaching (0, 0) along the curve y = x2 , we get

x2 + y 2 x2 + x4
lim = lim = lim (1 + x2 ) = 1.
(x,y)(0,0) y x0 x2 x0

So the limit (c) does not exist.

(d) If (x, y) (0, 0) along the y-axis, then

sin(xy) 0
lim = lim = 0.
(x,y)(0,0) x2 + y 2 y0 0 + y 2

However, approaching (0, 0) along the curve y = x, we get

sin(xy) sin x2 1
lim 2 2
= lim 2 2
= .
(x,y)(0,0) x + y x0 x +x 2

So the limit (d) does not exist.

2. Show that the function f (x, y) = ln(x2 +y 2 ) is harmonic everywhere except at the origin.

 
2 2
Solution: A function is called harmonic when x2
+ y 2
f (x, y) = 0. We note that

2x 2(x2 + y 2 ) 2x(2x) 2(y 2 x2 )

f1 (x, y) = , f11 (x, y) = = ,
x2 + y 2 (x2 + y 2 )2 (x2 + y 2 )2

and
2y 2(x2 + y 2 ) 2y(2y) 2(x2 y 2 )
f2 (x, y) = , f2 (x, y) = = .
x + y2
2 (x2 + y 2 )2 (x2 + y 2 )2
Therefore, we have f11 (x, y) + f22 (x, y) = 0.

where z(u, v) = tan1 u


3. Find x
z(u(x, y), v(x, y)), v
and u = 2x + y, v = 3x y.

Solution: One way to solve this question is via the chain rule. We have
z u z v
z= +
x u x v!x !
1
v
vu2 2v 3u 5y
= (2) + (3) = = .
u 2 u 2 2
u +v 2 13x 2xy + 2y 2
2



1+ v
1+ v

Alternatively, we can do the following.

 
1 2x + y
z(u(x, y), v(x, y)) = tan
3x y
1 (2)(3x y) (2x + y)(3) 5y
= z= 2 2
= .
x (3x y) 13x 2xy + 2y 2
2

2x+y
1 + 3xy

z 2
4. Find x
, where z = (cos(xy))x .

Solution: One way to solve this question is via the chain rule. Let u = cos(xy) and
v = x2 . We have z = uv and
z z u z v
= +
x u x v x
= (vuv1 )( sin(xy))(y) + (uv ln u)(2x)
2 1 2
= x2 y sin(xy)(cos(xy))x + 2x(cos(xy))x ln(cos(xy))

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 Alternatively, one can use the logarithmic differentiation. We have

ln z = x2 ln(cos(xy))

Take the partial derivative w.r.t. x on both sides, we have

1 z 1
= 2x ln(cos(xy)) + x2 ( sin(xy))(y)
z x cos(xy)
x2 y sin(xy)
 
z
= z 2x ln(cos(xy))
x cos(xy)
x2
= (cos(xy)) 2x ln(cos(xy)) x2 y tan(xy)
 

This gives the same answer as above.

0 if (x, y) = (2, 1),
3 3 4
5. Let f (x, y) = 3(x 2) + sin (3(x 2) + 4(y 1) )
otherwise.
2(x 2)2 + 3(y 1)3


What can be said about x
f (2, 1) and y
f (2, 1)?

Solution: To find the partial derivative of f with respect to x and y at the point
(2, 1) we have to find the limit of the fractions
3h3 +sin(3h3 )
f (2 + h, 1) f (2, 1) 2h2
0 6
f (2, 1) = lim = lim = = 3,
x h0 h h0 h 2
sin(4h4 )
f (2, 1 + h) f (2, 1) 3h3
0 4
f (2, 1) = lim = lim = .
y h0 h h0 h 3

6. Use the change of variables r = x + ct and s = x ct in order to transform the function

u = u(x, t) satisfying the one-dimensional wave equation

2u 2
2 u
=c
t2 x2
into another function w(r(x, t), s(x, t)) = u(x, t). What is the equation that w(r, s) has
to satisfy? Find the general solution of that equation and use it to give the general
solution of the one-dimensional wave equation.

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 Solution: Using the chain rule, we have
 
u w r w s w w
= + =c
t r t s t r s

Similarly, we find that

2u 2w 2w 2w
   
w w 2
2
=c =c 2 +
t t r s r2 rs s2

In the same manner, one obtains

u w r w s w w
= + = + .
x r x s x r s
It follows that
2u 2w 2w 2w
= + 2 + .
x2 r2 rs s2
2 2
Since u(x, t) satisfies t2u = c2 xu2 , one has
 2
2w 2w
 2
2w 2w 2w
 
2 w 2 w
c 2 + = c + 2 + = 0.
r2 rs s2 r2 rs s2 rs

So, weve shown if u(x, t) satisfies the one-dimensional wave equations, w(r, s) satis-
fies the equation
2w
= 0.
rs
The equation above implies that w(r, s) has to be of the form f (r) + g(s) for some
single-variable functions f and g which are twice differentiable (Why?). Conse-
quently, solutions of the one-dimensional wave equations are of the form

u(x, t) = f (x + ct) + g(x ct).

7. Show that if f = f (x) is a twice differentiable function, then the function u(t, r) defined
by
1
u(t, r) = f (r ct)
r
for some real number c, is a solution of the equation
 
2 2
utt c urr + ur = 0.
r

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 Solution: Via chain rule we have the following
1 1
ut (t, r) = f 0 (r ct) (r ct) = c f 0 (r ct),
r t r
1 0 1 00 1
utt (t, r) = (c f (r ct)) = c f (r ct) (r ct) = c2 f 00 (r ct),
t r r t r
1 1 0 1 1
ur (t, r) = 2 f (r ct) + f (r ct) (r ct) = 2 f (r ct) + f 0 (r ct),
r r r r r
2 1 0 1 0 1 00
urr (t, r) = 3 f (r ct) 2 f (r ct) 2 f (r ct) + f (r ct)
r r r r
2 2 0 1 00
= 3 f (r ct) 2 f (r ct) + f (r ct)
r r r
To simplify the notation we drop the argument (r ct). It is easy to verify
     
2 2 2 1 00 2 2 2 0 1 00 2 1 1 0
utt c urr + ur = c f c f 2f + f + 2f + f =0
r r r3 r r r r r

8. Estimate the value of the function below at the given point by starting with a known
value at a nearby point.
2
z = xey+x , (x, y) = (2.05, 3.92).

Solution: One can follow the discussion made in class and write the equation of the
tangent plane to the graph z = f (x, y) at the point (2,-4) as

z = L(x, y) = f (2, 4) + f1 (2, 4)(x 2) + f2 (2, 4)(y + 4).

and evaluate L(2.05, 3.92) to give the desired approximate value. Since f1 (x, y) =
2 2
ey+x (1 + 2x2 ) and f2 (x, y) = xey+x , we have

L(x, y) = 2+9(x2)+2(y +4) z(2.05, 3.92) L(2.05, 3.92) = 2+0.61 = 2.61.

Alternatively, we can solve this problem as follows. The differential of z is found to

be
z z 2 2
dz = dx + dy = ey+x (1 + 2x2 )dx + xey+x dy.
x y
Recall that the differential dz encodes the infinitesimal change of z at each point.
Now, suppose dy = y = (3.92 (4)) = 0.08 and dx = x = 2.05 2 = 0.05.
As a result, we have

z f1 (2, 4)x + f2 (2, 4)y = (9)(0.05) + (2)(0.08) = 0.61.

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 Therefore, it is obtained

z = z(2.05, 3.92) z(2, 4) 0.61 z(2.05, 3.92) 2.61

z z
9. Find x
and y
for z = z(x, y) given by the equation

sin(x)e4xz + 2z 2 y = cos(z).

z
Solution: We start with finding x . Differentiate both sides with respect to x and
z
remember to add on a x whenever we differentiate a z.
 
4xz 4xz 4xz z z z
cos(x)e + sin(x) e (4z) + e (4x) + 4yz = sin(z)
x x x

Remember that since we are assuming z = z(x, y) then any product of xs and zs
will be a product and so will need the product rule.
z
Now solve for x
.

z
(4x sin(x)e4xz + 4yz + sin(z)) = (cos(x) + 4z sin(x))e4xz
x
z (cos(x) + 4z sin(x))e4xz
=
x (4x sin(x)e4xz + 4yz + sin(z))

z
Now well do the same thing for y except this time well need to remember to add
z
on a y whenever we differentiate a z.

z z z
sin(x)e4xz (4x) + 2z 2 + 4yz = sin(z)
y y y
z
(4x sin(x)e4xz + 4yz + sin(z)) = 2z 2
y
z 2z 2
=
y (4x sin(x)e4xz + 4yz + sin(z))

10. Find a plane H, which is perpendicular to the curve of intersection of planes H1 :

x y + z = 0, H2 : 2x y + 3z 2 = 0 and is tangent to the sphere x2 + y 2 + z 2 = 4.

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 Solution: Denote by ~n, ~n1 , ~n2 the normal vectors of H, H1 , H2 respectively. Since
H is perpendicular to the curve of intersection of H1 and H2 , we have

~n1 = (1, 1, 1)
~n2 = (2, 1, 3)
~i ~j ~k 
 

~n = ~n1 ~n2 = 1 1 1 = 2~i ~j + ~k = (2, 1, 1)

 
2 1 3

Therefore H is given by 2x y + z + D = 0. To determine what D is, notice that H

is tangent to the sphere of radius 2 centered at origin. Therefore the distance from
the origin to the plane H is 2. By the distance formula

| 2(0) (0) + (0) + D|

p =2
(2)2 + (1)2 + 12

we have
D = 2 6. The desired plane is either 2x y + z + 6 = 0 or 2x y +
z 6 = 0.
Alternatively, assume that the plane H and the sphere is tangent at the point P =
~ k ~n is a normal line to the plane H, whose equation is given
(x0 , y0 , z0 ). Then OP
by
x0 0 y0 0 z0 0
= = = t.
2 1 1
This implies that x0 = 2t, y0 = t and z0 = t. Plugging into the sphere equation,
we can solve for t and t = 26 . Therefore P = ( 46 , 26 , 26 ) and the equation
of H is:
4 2 2
2(x ) (y ) + (z ) = 0
6 6 6
i.e.
2x y + z 6 = 0.

11. Find the equation of the tangent plane to the level surface of the function
2 +2y+2z
f (x, y, z) = ex ,
passing through the point (2, 1, 1) , its maximum rate of increase at this point and
the direction along which this rate is achieved.

Solution: We have
2 +2y+2z
f (x, y, z) = ex (2xi + 2j + 2j) ,

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and
f (2, 1, 1) = (4i + 2j + 2k) .
The plane passing through the point (2, 1, 1) with its normal vector parallel to
(4i + 2j + 2j) can be expressed as

4(x 2) + 2(y + 1) + 2(z + 1) = 0 2x + y + z 2 = 0.

The maximum rate of increase of f at this point is given by

|f (2, 1, 1)| = 24,

which is achieved along the direction of the vector 2i + j + k.

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