Partial Derivatives 2.1 First Order Partial Derivatives Definition
Partial Derivatives 2.1 First Order Partial Derivatives Definition
Partial Derivatives 2.1 First Order Partial Derivatives Definition
Definition:
The partial derivative f x ( x, y ) of f ( x, y) with
respect to x is obtained by holding y constant
and differentiating with respect to x. The
partial derivative f y ( x, y ) with respect to y is
obtained by holding x constant and
differentiating with respect to y.
f ( x + δx, y ) − f ( x, y )
f x ( x, y ) = lim
δx → 0 δx
f ( x , y + δy ) − f ( x , y )
f y ( x, y ) = lim
δy → 0 δy
∂f ∂f
Notations: f x = , f y = ∂y
∂x
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The values of the partial derivatives at the
point (a, b) are denoted by
∂f
= f x (a, b) and
∂x (a,b)
∂f
= f y ( a, b)
∂y (a,b)
Note
• The stylized “d” symbol in the notation is
called roundback d, curly d or del d.
• It is not the usual derivative d (dee) or δ
(delta d).
2
Example:
If f ( x, y ) = x y + x y , find
3 2 2
Example:
Let f ( x , y , z ) = x 2
+ 2 xy 2
+ yz 3
, find:
(a) f x (b) f y (c) f z
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The rules for differentiating functions of a
single variable holds in calculating partial
derivatives.
Example:
Determine the partial derivatives of the
following functions with respect to each of
the independent variables:
(a) f ( x, y ) = ln( x + y ) .
(b) z = ( x + 3 y )
2 5
(c) z = x sin( 2 x 2 + 5 y )
2y
(d) f ( x, y ) =
y + cos x
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Example: (implicit)
∂z
Find if the equation
∂x
yz − ln z = x + y
defines z as a function of two independent
variables x and y.
Example (implicit)
If
cos( x + 2 z ) + 3 y 2 + 2 xyz = 0
defines z as a function of two independent
variables x and y. Determine expressions for
∂z and ∂z in terms of x, y and z.
∂x ∂y
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2.2 Higher order Partial Derivatives
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Notations:
∂ ∂ ∂f ∂ 2 f
f x = f xx = = 2
∂x ∂x ∂x ∂x
∂ ∂ ∂f ∂ 2 f
f x = f xy = =
∂y ∂y ∂x ∂y∂x
∂ ∂ ∂f ∂ 2 f
f y = f yx = =
∂x ∂x ∂y ∂x∂y
∂ ∂ ∂f ∂ 2 f
f y = f yy = = 2
∂y ∂y ∂y ∂y
If z = f ( x, y ) , then
∂2 ∂2z
f ( x, y ) = f xx ( x, y ) = = z xx
∂x 2
∂x 2
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Example:
f , f , f , f
Find xx xy yx yy of f ( x , y ) = x 2 y
ye
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2.3 Chain rules
Theorem If z = f (u , v) , u = g ( x, y ) and
v = h( x, y ) and the partial derivatives of f, g,
and h exist, then
∂z ∂z ∂u ∂z ∂v
= +
∂x ∂u ∂x ∂v ∂x
∂z ∂z ∂u ∂z ∂v
= +
∂y ∂u ∂y ∂v ∂y
Example:
∂z ∂z
find and if z = u 2 + v 2 with u = x 2 y and
∂x ∂y
v = x 2 cos y .
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Chain rule can be extended to function with
any multiple variables.
If w = f (u , v, r ) , u = g ( x, y, z ), v = h( x, y, z ) and
r = s ( x, y, z ) then
∂w ∂w ∂u ∂w ∂v ∂w ∂r
= + +
∂x ∂u ∂x ∂v ∂x ∂r ∂x
∂w ∂w ∂u ∂w ∂v ∂w ∂r
= + +
∂y ∂u ∂y ∂v ∂y ∂r ∂y
∂w ∂w ∂u ∂w ∂v ∂w ∂r
= + +
∂z ∂u ∂z ∂v ∂z ∂r ∂z
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Example:
∂w ∂w ∂w
,
Find ∂x ∂y and if 𝑤 = 𝑟 2 + 𝑠 + 2𝑡,
∂z
r = x 2 + y 2 + z 2 , s = xyz and t = yz 2 .
Example:
dw
Find dt by using the chain rule if w = xyz
with x = t 3 , y = t 2 and z = t 4 .
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Implicit Function
Let F ( x, y ) = 0 with y = f (x) is defined
implicitly. We define F as:
w = F (u , y ) with u = x, y = f ( x)
u x
w
y x
du dy
=1 and = f ' ( x)
dx dx
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dw ∂w du ∂w dy
Therefore, from dx = ∂u dx + ∂y dx , we get
∂w ∂w
0 = (1) + f ' ( x)
∂u ∂y
dy ∂w / ∂u ∂w / ∂x F ( x, y )
= f ' ( x) = − =− =− x
dx ∂w / ∂y ∂w / ∂y Fy ( x, y )
Theorem
If F ( x, y) = 0 defines an implicit function with
𝑓(𝑥), then
dy F ( x, y )
=− x
dx Fy ( x, y )
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Example:
dy
Find dx , if y = f (x) is defined as
𝑦 4 + 3𝑦 − 4𝑥 3 = 5𝑥 + 1
Theorem
If F ( x, y, z ) = 0 implicitly defines a
differentiable function z as a function of two
variables x and y , then
∂z Fx ( x, y, z ) ∂z Fy ( x, y, z )
=− , =−
∂x Fz ( x, y, z ) ∂y Fz ( x, y, z )
Example:
∂z ∂z
Find and ∂y if z as a function of two
∂x
variable x and y is implicitly defined as
𝑥𝑦 2 + 𝑧𝑦 = −𝑥 sin 𝑧
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2.4 Increments and Differential
f ( x + δx , y ) − f ( x , y )
We know that fx ≈
δx
f ( x , y + δy ) − f ( x , y )
and f y ≈ δy
,
which implies
𝑓(𝑥 + 𝛿𝑥, 𝑦) − 𝑓(𝑥, 𝑦) ≈ 𝑓𝑥 (𝑥, 𝑦)𝛿𝑥
If we take
δz = [ f ( x + δx, y ) − f ( x, y )] + [ f ( x, y + δy ) − f ( x, y )]
then,
δz ≈ f x ( x, y )δx + f y ( x, y )δy .
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Definition: (2 variables)
Suppose 𝑧 = 𝑓(𝑥, 𝑦), and 𝑓𝑥 and 𝑓𝑦 exist. If
𝛿𝑥 and 𝛿𝑦 are increments of x and y
respectively, then an approximate
increment 𝜹𝒛 of z is given by
δz ≈ f x ( x, y )δx + f y ( x, y )δy
Definition: (3 variables)
Suppose 𝑤 = 𝑓(𝑥, 𝑦, 𝑧), and 𝑓𝑥 ,𝑓𝑦 and
𝑓𝑧 exist. If 𝛿𝑥, 𝛿𝑦 and 𝛿𝑧 are increments of
x, y and z respectively, then an approximate
increment 𝛿𝑤 of w is given by
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If δx → 0 and δy → 0 , then the increment in δx
is denote as dx, increment in δy as dy, and
increment in δz as df. The df is known as the
differential of f.
Therefore
δz ≈ dz .
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Example:
(i) If z = f ( x, y ) = 3x 2 − xy , approximate the
change in f ( x, y ) as ( x, y) varies from the
point (1,2) to the point (1.01,1.98)
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We can use differential to estimate change
and estimating error
𝛿𝑧
• is the relative error
𝑧
𝛿𝑧
• × 100% is the percentage error
𝑧
𝛿𝑧
• � � × 100% maximum percentage error
𝑧
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Example: (continue from previous example)
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2.5 Local Extrema
Extrema refers to either maximum or
minimum.
maximum
minimum
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Point (a,b,f(a,b)) is a saddle point
*Saddle point: The name derives from the fact that the
prototypical example in two dimensions is a surface that
curves up in one direction, and curves down in a different
direction, resembling a saddle or a mountain pass.
(source: wikipedia)
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Definition
Suppose 𝑧 = 𝑓(𝑥, 𝑦) is a function of two
variables defined in a domain D, and that
(𝑎, 𝑏) is in D.
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note: The reverse statement of the theorem
is not necessarily true.
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Let
2
𝐺 (𝑎, 𝑏) = 𝑓𝑥𝑥 (𝑎, 𝑏)𝑓𝑦𝑦 (𝑎, 𝑏) − �𝑓𝑥𝑦 (𝑎, 𝑏)�
Then
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Examples: Find the critical point(s) of the
following functions and determine the
nature of those points.
.
(i) 𝑓(𝑥, 𝑦) = 2𝑦 3 − 6𝑥𝑦 − 𝑥 2
𝑦3
(ii) 𝑓(𝑥, 𝑦) = − 𝑥 2 − 𝑦
3
(iii) 𝑓(𝑥, 𝑦) = 𝑥 4 + 16𝑥𝑦 + 𝑦 4
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2.6 Absolute Extrema
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If the above rectangular shape is the actual
shape of the region, then the region is not
closed since a closed region is a region that
includes its boundary. R is closed and
bounded if
𝑅 = {(𝑥, 𝑦)| |𝑥 | ≤ 𝑎, |𝑦| ≤ 𝑏}.
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Note: in this case, no need to use the second
derivatives test
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Example:
Find the absolute extrema of the function
f ( x, y ) = x 2 + y 2 over the disk x 2 + y 2 ≤ 1 .
Solution:
Step 1:
x y
fx = fy =
x +y ,
2 2
x2 + y2
find that
f ( x, y ) = x 2 + (1 − x 2 ) = 1
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That is, for every point on the boundary
circle, the value of f is 1.
Step 3: Evaluating the value of f at each
of the points we have found:
Critical point: f(0, 0) = 0
Boundary points: f ( x, y ) = 1
We conclude that the absolute minimum
value of f on R is 0 and the absolute
maximum value is 1.
Example:
If an open rectangular box is to have a fixed
volume of 500m3, what relative dimensions
will make the surface area minimum?
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