Multivariable Calculus, Homework 2 Due date: 25 September, 2025
Problem Set 2: Multivariable Calculus
Instructions: Please work in groups of three and submit only one copy per group.
Please submit your solutions through LMS dropbox or directly coordinate with the TAs for
a physical handing in of the work.
1. Equations of Planes:
(a) Consider the plane:
5x + 2y − 3z = 7
Does this plane contain the point (1, 0, 1)? If not find the equation of a plane
which contains this point and is parallel to this plane. (Hint: If two planes are
parallel, what is the relation between their normals?)
(b) If we have two lines that are either parallel or intersect, there is a unique plane
that contains both of them. But if they are skew, no one plane contains them.
i. Draw three figures showing the three casesand argue from figures that the
above statement is plausible.
ii. Consider the two lines
x = 5 + 2t, y = 1 − t, z = 4 + t
and
x = 1 + 3s, y = 3 + 2s, z = 2 − s.
A. Are these lines parallel?
B. If they aren’t parallel, do they intersect? If they do, find the point of
intersection. ( Hint: For the point of intersection to exist, thw two set
of equations are simultanously satisfied. Solve the equations for s and t,
putting (x, y, z) coordinates equal on both lines, and find the values of s
and t which corresponds to the common point. You have to make sure
that all three equations are satisfied for these to be not skew.)
C. Find the plane containing these two lines. (Hint: Find a vector which is
perpendicular to both of these lines (Easy: you just need a cross-product)
and that will be your normal to the plane. You can also easily find a point
on this plane to use normal point formula for equation of the plane).
Due date: 25 September, 2025 1
Multivariable Calculus, Homework 2 Due date: 25 September, 2025
iii. How will you find the equation of a plane that contains two parallel lines.
We can’t take cross product of these two lines to get the normal vector of the
plane because the cross is zero. However, we can find a third line which lies
in this plane. Simply pick two points on the two parallel lines, one on each
line, and construct a line passing through these two points. This line is also
in the plane and not parallel to the original two lines. Now take a cross to
construct a vector normal to the plane and write down the equation of the
plane.
Conside the following two parrallel lines:
x−1 y−2 z+1
= =
2 1 −1
and
x−2 y+1 z−1
= = .
2 1 −1
Find the equation of the plane containing these two lines.
(c) Consider a plane containing a line and a point not on this line. Then we can pick
a point on the line, construct a line from this point to the other given point and
now we have two lines in the plane and can write the equation of the plane. Find
the equation of the plane that contains the line :
x−1 y−2 z+1
= =
2 1 −1
and the point (3, 2, 1).
(d) Find equation of a plane through (1, 0, 1) and (0, 1, 1) and parallel to i − j + 2k.
(Hint: The normal to the plane will be perpendicular to the given vector and the
vector formed by the two given point. Why? Draw this situation to depict what
is happening)
(e) Planes perpendicular to other planes:
If the two planes are perpendicular, that means their normal vectors are per-
pendicular to each other. Using this idea find the equations of the following
planes:
i. The plane that passes through the points (0, −2, 5) and (−1, 3, 1) and is
perpendicular to the plane 5x + 4y − 2z = 0.
Due date: 25 September, 2025 2
Multivariable Calculus, Homework 2 Due date: 25 September, 2025
ii. The plane that contains the point (1, 5, 1) and is perpendicular to the planes
2x + y − 2z = 2 and x + 3z = 4.
(f) Find the equation of the plane that passes through the points on the x, y and
z−axes where x = a, y = b, z = c respectively.
Give the equation in the form Ax + By + Cz = 1
2. Lines Intersecting Planes:
(a) At what point does the line passing through the points (0, 1, 2) and (2, 0, 3)
intersect the plane x + 4y + z = 4?
(b) The line passing through (1, 1, −1) and perpendicular to the plane x + 2y − z = 3
intersects the plane 2x − y + z = 1 at what point?
3. Intersection of Planes: As we saw in class, when two planes intersect, their set
of intersecction is a line. Also, they have an angle between them which is the angle
between the normal.
For the following planes, find the equation of the line of intersection, both in symmetric
and parametric form. Also find the angle between the planes:
(a)
x + y + z = 1, x + 2y + 2z = 1.
(b)
z = 2x − y − 5, z = 4x + 3y − 5
4. Distance between Two Non-intersecting Lines: For two skew lines, if we just
compute the distance between two points on the lines, one each on two each lines,
the distance would be the smallest such value. This would be along the line that is
perpendicular to both the skew lines. However, given the equations of two skew lines,
finding the equation of this line that crosses both skew lines at right angle usually
involves terrible ( but straightforward) linear algebra.
There is a short-cut to find the distance. Just pick two arbitrary points on the two lines
and write the distance square formula between them. This will involve the parameters
of both lines. Now, minimize this distance with respect to each parameter separately
Due date: 25 September, 2025 3
Multivariable Calculus, Homework 2 Due date: 25 September, 2025
( i.e., take derivative with respect to first parameter of the distance square and put it
equal to zero ( there is no macimum distance, so we don’t need to check for second
derivative test), this gives us one equation involving the two parameters. Now do the
same for the parameter of the second equation and get another equation). This will
give you two linear equations involving the two parameters. Solve them simultanously
and you will get the values of the parameters which give the closest points to each
other on the two lines.
(a) Show that the two lines are skew:
x = 1 + t, y = 1 + 6t, z = 2t; and x = 1 + 2s, y = 5 + 15s, z = −2 + 6s
(b) Find the distance between these two lines.
5. Distance Between Two Parallel Planes: If two planes do not intersect, we can
find the distance between them. This is going to be much easier than the distance
between two lines.
Just pick any point on the first plane and write the equation of a line passing through
this point in the direction of the normal. This line will intersect the other plane at
right angle too. Just find the point at which this line intersects the other plane. Now,
simply compute the distance between these two points. This would be the correct
distance because it has been compute along the normal line between the two planes
and hence is the shortest.
(a) Show the the distance between two parrallel planes:
ax + by + cz + d1 = 0 and ax + by + cz + d2 = 0,
is
|d1 − d2 |
D=√
a2 + b 2 + c 2
6. Prove the identity for vector function:
d
(v(t) · w(t)) = v′ (t) · w(t) + v(t) · w′ (t)
dt
Due date: 25 September, 2025 4
Multivariable Calculus, Homework 2 Due date: 25 September, 2025
7. Consider the helix we discussed in class:
r(t) = a cos(t)i + a sin(t)j + btk,
where t is the parameter.
(a) Compute the unit tangent to this curve, the principal normal, the binormal and
also the curvature of the curve. Show that the curvature is constant for this
curve.
(b) Compute r′ (t) and r′′ (t) and show that r′ (t) · r′′ (t) = 0 everywhere. Argue that
this is a consequence of |r′ (t)| =constant.
8. Consider the Elliptical Helix:
r(t) = 2 cos(t)i + 4 sin(t)j + tk,
and repeat the part (a) of previous problem.
Does the result of part (b) of previous problem holds in this case? Why or why not?
Also compute the length of this curve from t = 0 to t = 8π
9. Consider the curve:
1
r(t) = (t + 2)i + (1 − t)j + ( t2 )k,
2
Compute its osculating plane and hence show that it is a plane curve. i.e., its osculating
plane is same for all t.
10. From the book, do the following problems from Exercises 12.5:
2, 4, 7, 9, 13, 14, 15, 21, 22, 41, 42, 65
11. From the book, do the following problems from Exercises 13.3:
1, 3, 4, 17, 19, 20, 24, 25, 47, 48
Due date: 25 September, 2025 5