Multivariable calculus formula
Waqar Ahmed
September 2025
Multivariable Calculus – Quick Revision
Sheet
Projectile Motion (Q1a)
Trajectory in 2D:
r(t) = (vx t)i + (vy t − 12gt2 )j
Time to maximum height:
vy
t=
g
Line Equation (Q1b)
Line through P (x1 , y1 , z1 ) and Q(x2 , y2 , z2 ):
r(s) = P + s(Q − P )
Parallel check: compare direction vector Q − P with given vector.
Gradient & Directional Derivative (Q2a)
Gradient:
∂f ∂f ∂f
∇f = , ,
∂x ∂y ∂z
Directional derivative:
Dû f = ∇f · û
Always normalize ⃗u before use.
Gradient Descent (Q2b)
Update rule:
(x, y)new = (x, y) − α∇f (x, y)
where α = step size.
1
Unit Tangent Vector (Q3a)
Curve r(t): derivative r′ (t). Unit tangent:
r′ (t)
T (t) =
|r′ (t)|
Linearization (Q3b)
Formula:
L(x, y) = f (a, b) + fx (a, b)(x − a) + fy (a, b)(y − b)
Approximation: f (x, y) ≈ L(x, y) near (a, b).
Critical Points & Classification (Q4)
Solve fx = 0, fy = 0. Second derivative test:
D = fxx fyy − (fxy )2
{ D > 0, fxx > 0 ⇒ localminD > 0, fxx < 0 ⇒ localmaxD < 0 ⇒ saddlepoint
Lagrange Multipliers (Q5)
For f (x, y) subject to g(x, y) = c:
∇f = λ∇g
Solve with constraint to find extrema.
Tips:
• Normalize direction vectors.
• Write gradients & tangent formulas before plugging values.
• For optimization, use discriminant D or Lagrange multipliers.