Department of Mathematics

I.I.T Madras
MA1101 : Functions of Several Variables
Assignment-I(a) (July-Nov, 2017)

(1) In Exercises (i)-(iii),

(a) Find the function’s domain.
(b) Find the function’s Range.
(c) Describe the function’s level curves.
(d) Find the boundary of the function’s domain.
(e) Determine if the domain is an open region(open set), a closed or neither .
(f) Decide if the domain is Bounded or Unbounded.

(i) f (x, y) = y − x
(ii) f (x, y) = 4x2 + 9y 2
(iii) f (x, y) = √ 1 (x, y ∈ R)
16−x2 −y 2

(2) Find the limit of f as (x, y) → (0, 0) or show that the limit does not exist.
When,
3 2
(i) f (x, y) = xx2−xy
+y 2
y2
(ii) f (x, y) = x2 +y 2
2y
(iii) f (x, y) = x2x
4 +y 2

(3) (a) Is f : R2 → R defined as,

xy(x2 −y 2 )
(
x2 +y 2
if (x, y) 6= (0, 0)
f (x, y) =
0 if (x, y) = (0, 0)
a continuous function? Justify your answer.

(b) For a given  > 0, show that there exists δ > 0 such that for all (x, y, z) in domainf satisfying
|x| < δ, |y| < δ, |z| < δ =⇒ |f (x, y, z) − f (0, 0, 0)| <  when,
(i) f (x, y, z) = x2 + y 2 + z 2
(ii) f (x, y, z) = xyz
x+y+z
(iii)f (x, y, z) = 2
2x + 3y 2 + 4z 2 + 5

(4) (a) For the function

xy(x2 −y 2 )
(
x2 +y 2
if (x, y) 6= (0, 0)
f (x, y) =
0 if (x, y) = (0, 0)
Use the limit definitions of partial derivatives to show that fxy (0, 0) 6= fyx (0, 0).
(b) Let f (x, y) = xy + x + 2, (x, y) ∈ R2 . Is this function differentiable at each (a, b) ∈ R2 ?
Justify your answer.

1
 (5) (a) Show that each of the following functions satisfies the three-dimensional Laplace equations

∂2f ∂2f ∂2f

+ + =0
∂x2 ∂y 2 ∂z 2

(i)f (x, y, z) = x2 + y 2 − 2z 2
(ii)f (x, y, z) = 2z 3 − 3(x2 + y 2 )z
(iii)f (x, y, z) = exp(3x + 4y). cos(5z)
(b) For
xy 2
(
x2 +y 4
if (x, y) 6= (0, 0)
f (x, y) =
0 if (x, y) = (0, 0)
∂f ∂f
Show that ∂x (0, 0) =0= ∂y (0, 0). Is this function continuous at (0, 0) ? Justify your answer.

dy
(6) (a) Find , if (i) cos(xy) = x, (ii) x = a(t − sin t), y = a(1 − cos t).
dx
(b) Find the total differential of the function f (x, y, z) = z 2 sin(2x − 3y).

∂y ∂y ∂2y
(7) If log(zy) + y log(z) = x, find , and .
∂z ∂x ∂x2
(8) In the following, find ythe
 directional derivative of the function f at P0 in the direction of ~s.
−1
√ −1 xy

(a) f (x, y) = tan + 3 sin , P0 = (1, 1), ~s = 3î − 2ĵ
x 2
2 2
(b) f (x, y, z) = x yz , P0 = (1, 2, 3), ~s = −2î + 3ĵ − 6k̂

Also, calculate the maximum rate of change of f at P0 .

(9) Find the values of the constants a, b, c so that the directional derivative of f (x, y, z) = axy 2 +
byz + cz 2 x3 at P0 = (1, 2, −1) has a maximum magnitude of 64 in the direction parallel to z-axis.

(10) Find the directions in which the function increase and decrease most rapidly at P0 . Then find
the derivatives of the functions in these directions.
(a) f (x, y) = x2 y + exy sin y; P0 = (1, 0)
(b) f (x, y, z) = ln xy + ln yz + ln xz; P0 = (1, 1, 1)