Partial Differentiation

The Partial Derivative

The ordinary derivative of a function of one variable can be carried out
because everything else in the function is a constant and does not
affect the process of differentiation.
When there is more than one variable in a function it is often useful
to examine the variation of the function with respect to one of the
variables with all the other variables constrained to stay constant.
This is the purpose of a partial derivative.
For example, given the polynomial in variables x and y,

the partial derivative with respect to x is written

and the partial derivative with respect to y is written

The ordinary derivative of a function of several variables with
respect to one of the independent variables, keeping all other
independent variables constant, is called the partial derivative
of the function.

Partial derivatives of f(x,y) with respect to x and y are denoted by

f f
 fx  fy
x y
f f ( x  x, y)  f ( x, y)
By definition  lim
x x0 x

f f ( x, y  y )  f ( x, y )
 lim
y y0 y
When these limits exist
Example:

If f ( x, y)  2 x3  3xy 2

f
 6x2  3y 2
x

f
 6 xy
y
 Higher order partial derivatives

If f(x,y) has partial derivatives at each point (x.y) in a region, then f / x and f / y
are themselves fuctions of x and y, which may also have partial derivatives. These
second derivatives are denoted by

  f   2 f   f   2 f   f   2 f
   2  f xx    2
y  y  y    2  f zz
x  x  x z  z  z

  f   2 f   f   2 f
   f yx    f xy
x  y  xy y  x  yx
Example:

If  ( x, y)  x y  e
3 xy 2
find
         
(a) (b) (c)   (d)  
x y x  x  y  y 

 2  2
(e) (f)
yx xy

Solution:

(a)

x

 3
x

x ye xy 2
  3x y  e . y
2 xy 2 2
 3x y  y e
2 2 xy 2

(b)

y

 3
y

x ye xy 2
  x  e .2 xy
3 xy 2
 x  2 xy.e
3 xy 2
  2U  2U  2U
suppose U x, y, z   x 2  y 2 , z 2 1/ 2 show that   2 0
x 2
y 2
z

We asume here that x, y, z   0,0,0 Then,

U 1 2
 x y z 2
 2 3 / 2

.2 x   x x  y  z
2 2 2 3 / 2
 
x 2

 2U    xx 2  y 2  z 2 3 / 2
x 2 x

 3

  x  x 2  y 2  z 2
5 / 2 

.2 x  x 2  y 2  z 2
3 / 2
. 1 
 2 


3x 2

x 2
 y2  z2  
2x2  y 2  z 2
x 2
y z
2

2 5/ 2
x 2
y z 2

2 5/ 2
x 2
y z
2

2 5/ 2
 2U 2 y2  x2  z 2  2U 2z 2  x2  y2
 
y 2
x 2  y 2  z 2 5 / 2 z 2
x 2  y 2  z 2 5 / 2
 2U  2U  2U
Adding  2  2
x 2
y z

2x2  y 2  z 2 2 y2  x2  z 2 2z 2  x2  y 2
  
x 2
y z
2

2 5/ 2
x 2
y z2

2 5/ 2
x 2
 y2  z2 
5/ 2

2x2  y 2  z 2  2 y 2  x2  z 2  2z 2  x2  y 2

x 2
 y2  z2 
5/ 2

2x2  2x2  2 y 2  2 y 2  2z 2  2z 2
 0
x 2
y z 2

2 5/ 2
Homogeneous Function:
A function f  x1 , x2 , ...... xk  is a homogeneous function of
degree n in x1 , x2 , ...... xk if
f  tx1, tx2 , ......txk   t n f  x1 , x2 , ...... xk  .

For example: 1.
f  x, y   ax 2  2hxy  by 2
is a homogeneous function of degree 2 in x and y,
because
f  tx, ty   a  tx   2h  tx  ty   b  ty 
2 2


 t 2 ax 2  2hxy  by 2 
 t 2 f  x, y 
For example:
2x  3y
2. g  x, y  
x y
is a homogeneous function of degree 0 in x and y.
 y
3. h  x, y, z   x 2 tan 1    2 yz  z 2
 x
is a homogeneous function of degree 2 in x, y and z.
x
4. f  x, y  
x  y2
4 2

is a homogeneous function of degree 1/2 in x and y.

 Euler’s Theorem on Homogeneous Function:
Statement: If u(x, y, z) be a homogeneous function of
degree n in x, y and z, then
u u u
x y z  nu.
x y z
Q.1. If     
3 3 3
u x, y , z x y z then prove that
u u u
x y z  3u.
x y z
How can you justify it with the Euler’s Theorem.
u  3 u
  x  y  z   3x
3 3 2
 x  3 x3
x x x

Similarly, we have u
y  3 y3 ,
y
u
and z  3z 3
z

Adding,

u u u
x
x
y z
y z

 3 x3  y 3  z 3   3u
2nd Part: since
u  tx, ty, tz    tx    ty    tz 
3 3 3


 t 3 x3  y 3  z 3 
 t 3u  x, y, z 
So, u is a homogeneous function of degree 3 in x, y and z.
Therefore, by Euler’s Theorem have,

u u u
x y z  3u.
x y z
 Self Study:
1
Q.1: If V  then prove that Vxx  Vyy  Vzz  0.
x y z
2 2 2

Q.2: If V  x 2  y 2  z 2 then prove that Vxx  Vyy  Vzz  2 V .

 2
u  2
u
Q.3: If u  e  x cos y  y sin y  then prove that
x
 2  0.
x 2
y
 2
 2

 
u u
Q.4: If u  ln x  y
2 2
then prove that  2  0.
x 2
y
 
1 2
Q.5: If u  x 2  y 2  z 2 then prove that
u u u
x y z  u
x y z
Q.6: If u is a homogeneous function of degree n in x and y then
prove that 2
   
 x  y  u  n  n  1 u
 x y 
 M. M. Billah,
Assistant Professor of Mathematics
AUST