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13 Partial Differentiation

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20 views

13 Partial Differentiation

Uploaded by

Umar farouk Kamilu
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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D13: Partial Differentiation

Let us suppose that we have the equation for a paraboloid with an


elliptical cross-section such as z = x2 + 4y2 . In this case we have a
function of two independent variables, z = f ( x, y) , and its graph is
a 3-dimensional surface. We need to be able to differentiate z with
respect to either x or y. If we treat one of the variables, say y, as
a constant, then we can treat z as a function of just one variable,
x. We can then calculate the derivative of z with respect to x. This
derivative is called the partial derivative of z with respect to x and
∂z
is denoted by ∂x . If we treat x as a constant then we can treat z as a
∂z
function of y and we can then calculate ∂y the partial derivative of z
with respect to y.

Examples

1) If z = x2 + 4y2 find ∂z
∂x and ∂z
∂y

∂z
= 2x + 0 [since y is treated as a constant]
∂x
= 2x
∂z
= 0 + 8y [since x is treated as a constant]
∂y
= 8y.

∂f ∂f
2) If f ( x, y) = xy + 2y2 find ∂x and ∂y

∂f
= y+0 [Just as the derivative of 2x is x,the derivative of xy is y
∂x
when y is treated as a constant]
=y
∂f
= x + 4y
∂y
2

∂f ∂f
3) If f ( x, y) = x2 y + y2 sin x find ∂x and ∂y

∂f
= 2xy + y2 cos x
∂x
∂f
= x2 + 2y sin x
∂y
∂f ∂f
4) If f ( x, y) = xy2 sin( xy) find ∂x and ∂y

∂f
= y2 sin( xy) + xy2 × y cos( xy)[applying the product rule]
∂x
= y2 sin( xy) + xy3 cos( xy)
∂f
= 2xy sin( xy) + xy2 × x cos( xy)
∂y
= 2xy sin( xy) + x2 y2 cos( xy)

Alternative Notation and Evaluation at a Point


∂f
An alternative notation for partial derivatives is f x for ∂x and f y for
∂f
∂y .
Partial derivatives may be evaluated at particular points: f x (2, 1)
refers to the value of the partial derivative of f with respect to x at
the point where x = 2 and y = 1.

Example
If f ( x, y) = 2x3 y + 3y2 find f y (1, 3)

f ( x, y) = 2x3 y + 3y2
⇒ f y = 2x3 + 6y
⇒ f y (1, 3) = 2 + 18
= 20.

Higher Order Partial Derivatives

As we have seen, a function z= f ( x, y) has two partial derivatives.


∂f ∂f
They are ∂x and ∂y .
A function such as this will have four second order partial deriva-
tives:

1. It can be differentiated with respect to x and then with respect to


∂2 f
 
∂ ∂f
x again ∂x ∂x = ∂x2 = f xx

2. It can bedifferentiated with respect to y and then with respect to y


∂2 f

∂ ∂f
again ∂y ∂y = ∂y2 = f yy
3

 bedifferentiated with respect to x and then with respect to


3. It can
∂ ∂f ∂2 f
y ∂y ∂x = ∂x∂y = f xy

 bedifferentiated with respect to y and then with respect to


4. It can
∂ ∂f ∂2 f
x ∂x ∂y = ∂y∂x = f yx

Example
Find all second order partial derivatives of f ( x, y) = x2 y3 + 2x cos y

f x = 2xy3 + 2 cos y
⇒ f xx = 2y3 and f xy = 6xy2 − 2 sin y
f y = 3x2 y − 2x cos y
⇒ f yy = 6x2 y − 2x sin yand f yx = 6xy2 − 2 sin y

(Note that f xy = f yx . This will always be the case.)

Exercises
∂z ∂z
1. Find the partial derivatives ∂x and ∂y for each of the following
a) z = 3x4 + 2y3
b) z = x2 y
c) z = 3xe2y
d) z = ln( x3 y5 − 2)
Answers
∂z
a) ∂x = 12x3 , ∂y
∂z
=6y2
∂z ∂z 2
b) ∂x = 2xy, ∂y = x
∂z 2y ∂z 2y
c) ∂x = 3e , ∂y = 6xe
∂z 3x2 y5 ∂z 5x3 y4
d) ∂x = x3 y5 −2 , ∂y = x3 y5 −2
2. Find the value of the indicated partial derivative at the given point
a) f ( x, y) = x4 − 4y2 , find f x (2, 3)
b) f ( x, y) = ln( x2 + y3 ), find f y (−1, 1)
Answers
a) 32
b) 1.5
3. Find the first and second order partial derivatives of the following
a) f ( x, y) = x ln(y)
b) f ( x, y) = x3 + x2 y − 3xy2 + y3
c) f ( x, y) = sin( xy)
d) f ( x, y) = x cos y + ye x
Answers
a) f x = ln y, f y = yx , f xx = 0, f xy = − yx2 , f xy = f yx = y1
b) f x = 3x2 + 2xy − 3y2 , f y = x2 − 6xy + 3y2 ,
4

f xx = 6x + 6y, f yy = −6x + 6y, f xy = f yx = 2x − 6y


c) f x = y cos( xy), f y = x cos( xy), f xx = −y2 sin( xy),
f yy = − x2 sin( xy), f xy = f yx = − xy sin( xy) + cos( xy)
d) f x = cos y + ye x , f y = x sin y + e x , f xx = ye x ,
f yy = − x cos y, f xy = f yx = e x − sin y

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