14
Functions of Several Variables
Book: Calculus and Analytic Geometry (11th Edition) by
George B. Thomas, Jr. and Ross L. Finney
Book: Calculus Early Transcendentals (6th Edition) by
James Stewert.
14.3
Partial Derivatives
In this section, we will learn about:
Various aspects of partial derivatives.
Partial Derivatives of a Function of Two Variables:
Suppose we have a multi-variable function of two variables defined
in domain D of 𝑥𝑦 −plane
𝑧 = 𝑓(𝑥, 𝑦)
Therefore our function 𝑓 depends on 𝑥 and 𝑦, both.
Now if we want to take derivative of 𝑓 , then we have two options:
either to take the derivative with respect to 𝑥 or with respect to 𝑦.
Partial Derivatives of a Function of Two Variables:
If 𝑓 is a function of two variables, its partial derivatives are the
𝜕𝑓 𝜕𝑓
functions = 𝑓𝑥 and = 𝑓𝑦 defined by:
𝜕𝑥 𝜕𝑦
f f ( x h, y ) f ( x , y )
f x ( x, y ) lim
x h 0 h
f f ( x, y h ) f ( x, y )
f y ( x, y ) lim
y h 0 h
NOTATIONS FOR PARTIAL DERIVATIVES
There are many alternative notations for partial
derivatives. If 𝑧 = 𝑓(𝑥, 𝑦), we write:
f z
f x ( x, y ) f x f ( x, y ) f1 D1 f Dx f
x x x
f z
f y ( x, y ) f y f ( x, y ) f 2 D2 f Dy f
y y y
Partial Derivatives of a Function at a point:
If 𝑓 is a function of two variables, its partial derivative with
respect to 𝑥 at a point 𝑥0 , 𝑦0 is
f f ( x0 h, y0 ) f ( x0 , y0 )
f x ( x0 , y0 ) lim
x ( x0 , y0 )
h 0 h
provided the limit exists.
Partial Derivatives of a Function at a point:
If 𝑓 is a function of two variables, its partial derivative with
respect to 𝑦 at a point 𝑥0 , 𝑦0 is
f f ( x0 , y0 h) f ( x0 , y0 )
f x ( x0 , y0 ) lim
y ( x0 , y0 )
h 0 h
provided the limit exists.
Example:
Find slope of the tangent at point 𝑃(1,2,11) on the curve of
intersection of surface
𝑓 𝑥, 𝑦 = 𝑥2 + 2𝑦2 + 𝑥𝑦
and the plane 𝑥 = 1
Sol: Slope of tangent on the curve of intersection of f(x,y) and plane
𝑥 = 1 will be:
𝜕𝑓
= 4𝑦 + 𝑥 (1,2) =9
𝜕𝑦 (1,2)
Example:
Find slope of the tangent at point 𝑃(1,2,11) on the curve of
intersection of surface
𝑓 𝑥, 𝑦 = 𝑥2 + 2𝑦2 + 𝑥𝑦
and the plane 𝑦 = 2
Sol: Slope of tangent on the curve of intersection of f(x,y) and plane
𝑦 = 2 will be:
𝜕𝑓
= 2𝑥 + y (1,2) =4
𝜕𝑥 (1,2)
Functions of more than Two Variables
Partial derivatives can also be defined for functions of
three or more variables.
For example, if 𝑓 is a function of three variables 𝑥, 𝑦, and 𝑧, then its
partial derivative with respect to 𝑥 is defined as:
f ( x h, y, z ) f ( x, y, z )
f x ( x, y, z ) lim
h 0 h
Note that we are:
treating 𝑦 and 𝑧 as constants.
Differentiating 𝑓(𝑥, 𝑦, 𝑧) with respect to 𝑥.
Functions of more than Two Variables
In general, if 𝑢 is a function of 𝑛 variables, i.e.,
𝑢 = 𝑓 𝑥1, 𝑥2, . . . , 𝑥𝑛 ,
its partial derivative with respect to the 𝑖th variable 𝑥𝑖 is given
by:
u f ( x1 ,..., xi 1 , xi h, xi 1 ,..., xn ) f ( x1 ,..., xi ,..., xn )
lim .
xi h0 h
u f
We can also write: f xi fi Di f
xi xi
Example:
Determine 𝑓𝑥 , 𝑓𝑦 , and𝑓𝑧 if 𝑓 𝑥, 𝑦, 𝑧 = 𝑥𝑦 4 𝑧 3 + 2𝑥𝑦
Treating 𝑦 and 𝑧 as a constant and differentiating with
respect to 𝑥, we have:
𝑓𝑥 = 𝑦 4 𝑧 3 + 2𝑦
Similarly,
𝑓𝑦 = 4𝑥𝑦 3 𝑧 3 + 2𝑥, 𝑓𝑧 = 3𝑥𝑦 4 𝑧 2
Higher Derivatives
• If f is a function of two variables, then its partial
derivatives 𝑓𝑥 and 𝑓𝑦 are also functions of two variables.
• So, we can consider their partial derivatives
f x x f xx , fx y f xy , f
y x f yx , f
y y
f yy .
• These are called the second partial derivatives of f.
Notation
If 𝑧 = 𝑓(𝑥, 𝑦), we use the following notation:
f 2 f 2 z
( f x ) x f xx f11 2 2
x x x x
f 2 f 2 z
( f x ) y f xy f12
y x y x y x
f 2 f 2 z
( f y ) x f yx f 21
x y x y x y
f 2 f 2 z
( f y ) y f yy f 22 2 2
y y y y
Second Partial Derivatives
𝜕2 𝑓
• Thus, the notation 𝑓𝑥𝑦 (or ) means that we first
𝜕𝑦𝜕𝑥
differentiate with respect to 𝑥 and then with respect to 𝑦.
• In computing 𝑓𝑦𝑥 , the order is reversed.
Example:
Find the second partial derivatives of
𝑓(𝑥, 𝑦) = 𝑥3 + 𝑥2𝑦3 – 2𝑦2
Note that:
𝑓𝑥 (𝑥, 𝑦) = 3𝑥2 + 2𝑥𝑦3
𝑓𝑦 𝑥, 𝑦 = 3𝑥2𝑦2 − 4𝑦
Thus,
f xx 3 x 2 xy 6 x 2 y
2 3 3
x
f xy 3 x 2 xy 6 xy
2 3 2
y
f yx 3 x y 4 y 6 xy
2 2 2
x
f yy 3x y 4 y 6 x y 4
2 2 2
y
Second Partial Derivatives
• Notice that 𝑓𝑥𝑦 = 𝑓𝑦𝑥 in the previous example.
• The following theorem, discovered by the French
mathematician Alexis Clairaut (1713–1765), gives
conditions under which we can assert that
𝑓𝑥𝑦 = 𝑓𝑦𝑥
Clairaut’s Theorem
Suppose 𝑓 is defined on a disk 𝐷 that contains the point
(𝑎, 𝑏).
If the functions 𝑓𝑥𝑦 and 𝑓𝑦𝑥 are both continuous on 𝐷, then
𝑓𝑥𝑦 (𝑎, 𝑏) = 𝑓𝑦𝑥 (𝑎, 𝑏)
Higher Derivatives
Partial derivatives of order 3 or higher can also be defined.
For instance,
f 2
f
3
f xyy f xy y 2
y y x y x
Using Clairaut’s Theorem, it can be shown that
f xyy f yxy f yyx .
if these functions are continuous.
Example:
Evaluate 𝑓𝑥𝑥𝑦𝑧 if, 𝑓(𝑥, 𝑦, 𝑧) = sin(3𝑥 + 𝑦𝑧)
𝑓𝑥 = 3 cos(3𝑥 + 𝑦𝑧)
𝑓𝑥𝑥 = – 9 sin(3𝑥 + 𝑦𝑧)
𝑓𝑥𝑥𝑦 = – 9𝑧 cos(3𝑥 + 𝑦𝑧)
𝑓𝑥𝑥𝑦𝑧 = – 9 cos(3𝑥 + 𝑦𝑧) + 9𝑦𝑧 sin(3𝑥 + 𝑦𝑧)
Practice Questions:
1. Find 𝑓𝑥 , 𝑓𝑥𝑥 , 𝑓𝑥𝑦 , 𝑓𝑦 , 𝑓𝑦𝑥 , 𝑓𝑦𝑦 of 𝑓 𝑥, 𝑦 = (𝑥 + 𝑦)𝑒𝑥𝑦
𝑥
2. Find 𝑓𝑥 , 𝑓𝑥𝑥 , 𝑓𝑥𝑦 , 𝑓𝑦 , 𝑓𝑦𝑥 , 𝑓𝑦𝑦 of 𝑓 𝑥, 𝑦 = sin
1+𝑦
3. Find 𝑓𝑥 , 𝑓𝑥𝑥 , 𝑓𝑥𝑦 , 𝑓𝑦 , 𝑓𝑦𝑥 , 𝑓𝑦𝑦 of 𝑓 𝑥, 𝑦 = 𝑦𝑥2 + 𝑥𝑦3 𝑒 (𝑥−𝑦)
4. Find 𝑓𝑥𝑦𝑧𝑧 of 𝑓 𝑥, 𝑦, 𝑧 = 𝑥𝑦4𝑧3 + 2𝑥𝑦
5. Prove that 𝑓𝑥𝑦𝑦 = 𝑓𝑦𝑥𝑦 = 𝑓𝑦𝑦𝑥 if 𝑓 𝑥, 𝑦 = 𝑥2𝑦3 + 𝑥5 − 𝑥 ln𝑦