T HE U NIVERSITY OF S YDNEY

S CHOOL OF M ATHEMATICS AND S TATISTICS

Solutions to Tutorial 10
MATH1001: Differential Calculus Summer School, 2008
Web Page: http://www.maths.usyd.edu.au/u/UG/SS/SS1001/

Preparatory questions
1. Find the first order partial derivatives fx (x, y) and fy (x, y) of the following functions of two vari-
ables:
(a) f (x, y) = 3x2 − y4
Solution: fx (x, y) = 6x, fy (x, y) = −4y3 .
(b) f (x, y) = xe3y
Solution: fx (x, y) = e3y , fy (x, y) = 3xe3y .
(c) f (x, y) = y ln x
y
Solution: fx (x, y) = , fy (x, y) = ln x.
x
xy
(d) f (x, y) = 2
x + y2
Solution: By the quotient rule,

y(y2 − x2 )
fx (x, y) = ,
(x2 + y2 )2

and, by symmetry,
x(x2 − y2 )
fy (x, y) = .
(x2 + y2 )2

2. Find all second order partial derivatives fxx (x, y), fxy (x, y), fyx (x, y) and fyy (x, y) of the each of the
functions in Question ??.
Solution:
∂ ∂
−4y3 = 0, fyy = −12y2 .



(a) fxx = 6, fxy = 6x = 0, fyx =
∂y ∂x
(b) fxx = 0, fxy = fyx = 3e3y , fyy = 9xe3y .
y 1
(c) fxx = − 2
, fxy = fyx = , fyy = 0.
x x
2
2xy(x − 3y ) 2 6x2 y2 − x4 − y4 2xy(y2 − 3x2 )
(d) fxx = , f xy = f yx = , fyy = .
(x2 + y2 )3 (x2 + y2 )3 (x2 + y2 )3

Questions to do in class
3. Let f (x, y) = x3 + x2 y3 − 2y2 .
(a) Calculate the partial derivatives fx , fy , fxx , fxy , fyx and fyy and find the value of each
derivative at the point (1, 2).

Copyright
c 2008 The University of Sydney 1
 Solution: By direct calculation:

fx (x, y) = 3x2 + 2xy3 fx (1, 2) = 19,

2 2
fy (x, y) = 3x y − 4y fy (1, 2) = 4,
fxx (x, y) = 6x + 2y3 fxx (1, 2) = 22,
∂
3x2 + 2xy3 = 6xy2


fxy (x, y) = fxy (1, 2) = 24,
∂y
∂
3x2 y2 − 4y = 6xy2


fyx (x, y) = fyx (1, 2) = 24,
∂x
fyy (x, y) = 6x2 y − 4 fyy (1, 2) = 8.

(b) Explain why fxy = fyx .

Solution: According to one of the results that we saw in lectures (Clairaut’s mixed deriva-
tives theorem), the mixed derivatives fxy and fyx will be equal whenever they are continu-
ous. Clearly, in the case of the given function f , all of the partial derivatives of all orders
are continuous, and so the conditions of the theorem are met.
Actually the two mixed derivatives are necessarily equal even if only one is continuous.
Your lecturer may or may not have mentioned the following variant of the mixed deriva-
tives theorem due to Hermann Schwarz:
Suppose that f , fx and fxy exist and are continuous on an open disc D containing the point
(a, b) and that fy (x, b) exists on an open interval containing x = a. Then fyx (a, b) also
exists and equals fxy (a, b).

4. Let f (x, y) = 2x − 3y + 2.
(a) Find the tangent plane to the surface z = f (x, y) at the point (x, y) = (3, 1).
Solution: Since f (x, y) = 2x − 3y + 2, we have fx (x, y) = 2 and fy (x, y) = −3. In par-
ticular, fx (3, 1) = 2 and fy (3, 1) = −3. Therefore, the equation of the tangent plane to
z = f (x, y) when (x, y) = (3, 1) is

z − 5 = 2(x − 3) − 3(y − 1),

which can be rearranged into either of the equivalent forms,

z = 2x − 3y + 2, 2x − 3y − z = −2.

(b) Can you explain the relationship between the tangent plane and f (x, y)?
Solution: The tangent plane is exactly the original surface z = f (x, y). This is what we
should expect because, just as the tangent line to a line at any point is the same line, the
tangent plane to a plane at any point is the same plane.

5. Find the first-order partial derivatives fx (x, y) and fy (x, y) of the following functions:
√
(a) f (x, y) = x + y
1
Solution: fx (x, y) = fy (x, y) = √ .
2 x+y
(b) f (x, y) = sin xy
Solution: fx (x, y) = y cos xy, fy (x, y) = x cos xy.
√ √
(c) f (x, y) = x + y
1 1
Solution: fx (x, y) = √ , fy (x, y) = √ .
2 x 2 y

2
 (d) f (x, y) = cosh x + x2 y3 + cos y + 1
Solution: fx (x, y) = sinh x + 2xy3 , fy (x, y) = 3x2 y2 − sin y.

6. Find the two first-order partial derivatives of the following functions:

(a) w = cos u sin v
∂w ∂w
Solution: = − sin u sin v, = cos u cos v.
∂u ∂v
(b) V = π r2 a
∂V ∂V
Solution: = 2π ra, = π r2 .
∂r ∂a

7. Find the equation of the tangent plane to the paraboloid z = x2 + 4y2 at the point (2, 1, 8).
Solution: The partial derivatives of z are
∂z ∂z
= 2x, = 8y.
∂x ∂y
At the point (2, 1), these derivatives take the values,

∂z ∂z
(2, 1) = 4, (2, 1) = 8.
∂x ∂y
Therefore, the equation of tangent plane is

z − 8 = 4(x − 2) + 8(y − 1),

which can be rearranged to

z = 4(x + 2y − 2).

Questions for further practice

8. Find the following indicated partial derivatives:
∂f ∂f
(a) f (x, y) = x3 y5 − 2x2 y + x; ,
∂x ∂y
Solution: fx (x, y) = 3x2 y5 − 4xy + 1, fy (x, y) = 5x3 y4 − 2x2 .
√
(b) f (x, y) = 2x + 3y ; fy (2, 4)
3 3 3
Solution: fy (x, y) = √ , fy (2, 4) = √ = .
2 2x + 3y 2 4 + 12 8
∂f
(c) f (x, y) = xe−y + 3y; (1, 0)
∂y
∂f ∂f
Solution: = −xe−y + 3, (1, 0) = fy (1, 0) = −1 + 3 = 2.
∂y ∂y
√ y ∂z ∂z
(d) z = x y − √ ; ,
x ∂x ∂y
∂z √
 
Solution: 1 −3/2 √ y
= y −y − x = y + 3/2 ,
∂x 2 2x
∂z
 
1 −1/2 1 x 1
=x y −√ = √ −√ .
∂y 2 x 2 y x

3
 u ∂ f ∂ f
(e) f (u, v) = tan−1 ; ,
v ∂u ∂v
Solution: Given that (d/dx)(tan −1 x) = 1/(1 + x2 ), we get
1 1 v
fu (u, v) = = ,
1 + (u/v)2 v u2 + v2
1  u u
fv (u, v) = 2
− 2 =− 2 .
1 + (u/v) v u + v2

9. Find the equation of the tangent plane to the given surface at the specified point.
(a) z = 5 + (x − 1)2 + (y + 2)2 ; (2, 0, 10).
Solution:
∂z ∂z
= 2(x − 1) = 2, = 2(y + 2) = 4,
∂x ∂y
when (x, y) = (2, 0). Therefore, the equation of the tangent plane is

z − 10 = 2(x − 2) + 4(y − 0),

which can be rearranged to

z = 2(x + 2y + 3).
(b) z = sin(x + y); (1, −1, 0).
Solution: We have
∂z ∂z
= = cos(x + y) = cos 0 = 1,
∂x ∂y
when (x, y) = (1, −1). Therefore, the equation of the tangent plane is

z − 0 = 1(x − 1) + 1(y + 1),

which can be rearranged to

z = x + y.
(c) z = ln(2x + y); (−1, 3, 0).
Solution: We have
∂z 2 ∂z 1
= = 2, = = 1,
∂ x 2x + y ∂ y 2x + y

when (x, y) = (−1, 3). Therefore, the equation of the tangent plane is

z − 0 = 2(x + 1) + 1(y − 3),

which can be rearranged to

z = 2x + y − 1.