Chapter 8: Functions of several variables

Nguyen Thu Huong

Faculty of Mathematics and Informatics

Hanoi University of Science and Technology

December 15, 2024

Functions of several variables

Content

8. Functions of several variables

8.4 Higher order partial derivatives
8.5 Tangent planes and approximations
8.6 Total differentials
Content

8. Functions of several variables

8.4 Higher order partial derivatives
8.5 Tangent planes and approximations
8.6 Total differentials
Functions of several variables

Definition
Second order partial derivatives of f (x, y ) are:

∂2f ∂ ∂f
∂2f ∂ ∂f

fxx00 = 2
= fyy00 = 2
=
∂x ∂x ∂x ∂y ∂y ∂y
2
∂ f ∂ ∂f
2
∂ f ∂ ∂f

fxy00 = = fyx00 = = .
∂y ∂x ∂y ∂x ∂x∂y ∂x ∂y
Functions of several variables

Example
1 Compute all the second order partial derivatives of the
function z = arctan(x 2 y ).
y 00 and z 00 .
2 Given z = y cos . Compute zxy yx
x
2 2
xy x − y

if (x, y ) 6= (0, 0),
3 Given the function f (x, y ) = x2 + y2
0 if (x, y ) = (0, 0).

Compute fxy00 (0, 0) and fyx00 (0, 0).
Functions of several variables

Schwarz theorem

Theorem
Assume that z = f (x, y ) has partial derivatives fxy00 và fyx00 near
M0 (x0 , y0 ) which are continuous at M0 . Then,

fxy00 (M0 ) = fyx00 (M0 ).

Question: higher derivatives of functions of two variables? Schwarz

theorem? higher derivatives of functions of three or more variables?
Content

8. Functions of several variables

8.4 Higher order partial derivatives
8.5 Tangent planes and approximations
8.6 Total differentials
Functions of several variables

Consider a surface S : z = f (x, y ), where f has continuous first

partial derivatives. P(x0 , y0 , z0 ) ∈ S.

Let C1 , C2 be two curves obtained by intersecting the planes y = y0

and x = x0 with S at P. Let T1 and T2 be the tangent lines to C1
and C2 at P. The plane contains T1 and T2 is called the tangent
plane to the surface S at P.
Functions of several variables

( (
y = y0 y = y0
C1 : ⇒ T1 :
z = f (x, y0 ) z − z0 = fx0 (x0 , y0 )(x − x0 ).
A directional vector of the tangent plane → −
u1 = (1; 0; fx0 (P)).
Similarly, →
−
u2 = (0; 1; fy0 (P)). Hence, a normal vector is
→
−
n = u1 × →
→
− −
u2 = (−fx0 (P); −fy0 (P); 1).
Functions of several variables

Tangent plane equation

An equation of the tangent plane to the surface S : z = f (x, y ) at

the point P(x0 , y0 , z0 ) is

z − z0 = fx0 (P)(x − x0 ) + fy0 (P)(y − y0 )

Example
Write an equation of the tangent plane at M(1; 1, ; 3) of the
surface z = x 2 y + 2xy 2 .
Functions of several variables

Linear approximation

Suppose that the first order partial derivative of f are continuous.

Then for (x, y ) close to (x0 , y0 ), we have the linear approximation

f (x, y ) ≈ f (x0 , y0 ) + fx0 (x0 , y0 )(x − x0 ) + fy0 (x0 , y0 )(y − y0 ).

Example
f (x, y ) = x 3 − 2xy 2 . Approximate f (2.01; 1.98).

Example
p
Approximate A = 3 1, 022 + 1, 983 − 1;
√ √
B = ln( 3 1, 02 + 4 0, 98 − 1).
Content

8. Functions of several variables

8.4 Higher order partial derivatives
8.5 Tangent planes and approximations
8.6 Total differentials
Functions of several variables

Total differentials

Definition
Given f (x, y ) : D ⊂ R2 → R, M0 (x0 , y0 ) ∈ D.If we can express

∆f = f (x0 +∆x, y0 +∆y )−f (x0 , y0 ) = A∆x +B∆y +ε1 ∆x +ε2 ∆y ,

where the constants A, B depend only on x0 , y0 , and

ε1 → 0, ε2 → 0 as ∆x, ∆y → 0, we say that f (x, y ) is
differentiable at M0 .
df (x0 , y0 ) = A∆x + B∆y : the total diffenrential of f at M0 .
f is said to be differentiable on D if f is differentiable at all
M0 ∈ D.

Example
Is the function z = 2x − y 2 differentiable at (1, 0)?
Functions of several variables

Properties

If f is differentiable at M0 then f is continuous at M0 .

Indeed, let ∆x, ∆y → 0, then
∆f = A∆x + B∆y + ε1 ∆x + ε2 ∆y → 0.
f (x0 + ∆x, y0 ) − f (x0 , y0 )
∆y = 0, = A + ε1 .
∆x
Passing to the limit as ∆x → 0: A = fx0 (x0 , y0 ).
Similarly, B = fy0 (x0 , y0 ). df = fx0 ∆x + fy0 ∆y .
If f is differentiable at M0 then f has partial derivatives at
M0 . However, the converse is not necessary true.
Take f (x, y ) = x, then df = ∆x = dx.
Similarly, ∆y = dy , df = fx0 dx + fy0 dy
Functions of several variables

Example
 xy
 if (x, y ) 6= (0, 0),
Is f (x, y ) = x2 + y2 differentiable at (0, 0)?
0 if (x, y ) = (0, 0),

f is not differentiable at (0, 0) although fx0 (0, 0) = fy0 (0, 0) = 0.

Functions of several variables

Theorem (Sufficient condition for differentiability)

If fx0 (x, y ), fy0 (x, y ) exist in B(M0 , ε) and are continuous at M0 .
Then, f (x, y ) is differentiable at M0 and

df (M0 ) = fx0 (M0 )dx + fy0 (M0 )dy .

Functions of several variables

Example
Compute the total differential of the following functions
1
a) z = (x 2 + y 2 ) b) z = x y
2
z
c) z = arctan xy d) u = p , du(1, 2, 3).
x + y2
2

Recall: linear approximation

∆f = f (x0 +∆x, y0 +∆y )−f (x0 , y0 ) ≈ fx0 (x0 , y0 )∆x + fy0 (x0 , y0 )∆y
| {z }
df (x0 ,y0 )

Homework: Textbook page 116: Ex. 3c, 4, 5,7.