MATH2023 Multivariable Calculus Problem Set 4

L2/L3 (Fall 2019)

Extra Problem Set 4

Note: The extra problem sets serve as additional exercise problems for your own practice. Some
problems may be a bit more difficult than those you encounter in WeBWorK.

1. Express the derivative of

𝑓(𝑥, 𝑦) = 𝑥 2 + 3𝑥𝑦 + 4𝑦
along the direction of 12𝐢 − 5𝐣 as a limit using the definition, and compute this directional
derivative by evaluating the limit.
2. Find the unit vector 𝐯̂ along which the directional derivative of the function
𝑓(𝑥, 𝑦, 𝑧) = ln|𝑥𝑦| + ln|𝑦𝑧| + ln|𝑧𝑥|
at (1, 1, 1) is the largest. Hence compute this directional derivative.
3. Let 𝑓 be a function of two real variables such that the derivative of 𝑓 at (1, 2) is 2√2 along
the direction of 𝐢 + 𝐣, and is −3 along the direction of −2𝐣.
(a) What is the derivative of 𝑓 at (1, 2) along the direction of −𝐢 − 2𝐣?
(b) Find all unit vectors 𝐯̂ such that the derivative of 𝑓 at (1, 2) along 𝐯̂ is √2.
(c) Find all unit vectors 𝐯̂ such that the derivative of 𝑓 at (1, 2) along 𝐯̂ is 4.
4. Find the parametric equations of the line tangent to the curve of intersection of the surfaces
𝑧 2 = 𝑥 3 + 3𝑥 2 𝑦 2 + 𝑦 3 + 4𝑥𝑦 and 𝑥 2 + 𝑦 2 + 𝑧 2 = 11
at the point (1, 1, 3).
5. If three resistors with resistances 𝑅1 , 𝑅2 and 𝑅3 are connected
in parallel, then the equivalent resistance 𝑅 of the circuit is
calculated by the formula 𝑅1 𝑅2 𝑅3

1 1 1 1
= + + .
𝑅 𝑅1 𝑅2 𝑅3
Suppose that the resistances are measured in ohms to be 𝑅1 = 25, 𝑅2 = 40 and 𝑅3 = 50,
with a possible percentage error of 0.5% in each measurement. Estimate the maximum
absolute error when one calculates the value of 𝑅 using the above formula.
6. Find the absolute extrema of the function
𝑓(𝑥, 𝑦) = 𝑥𝑦 − 2
on the closed elliptic region in ℝ2 defined by the inequality
𝑥 2 + 4𝑦 2 ≤ 8.
7. Find all the critical points of each of the following functions, and for each critical point
determine whether it is a local minimum, a local maximum, or a saddle point.
1 1
(a) 𝑓(𝑥, 𝑦) = 𝑥𝑦 + 𝑥 + 𝑦

(b) 𝑓(𝑥, 𝑦) = (𝑥 − 1)(𝑥 2 − 𝑦 2 )

2 +𝑦 2 )
(c) 𝑓(𝑥, 𝑦) = (𝑥 − 𝑦)𝑒 −(𝑥

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MATH2023 Multivariable Calculus Problem Set 4
L2/L3 (Fall 2019)

8. Find the distance from the point (3, 0, 0) to the graph of the function
𝑓(𝑥, 𝑦) = 𝑥 2 + 𝑦 2 .
9. Each of the following functions 𝑓 has a critical point at the origin at which 𝐷(0, 0) = 0, so the
second derivative test fails to classify this critical point. Using some other method, determine
whether (0, 0) is a local maximum, a local minimum or a saddle point for each of these
functions.
(a) 𝑓(𝑥, 𝑦) = 𝑥 2 𝑦 2
(b) 𝑓(𝑥, 𝑦) = 𝑥 3 𝑦 3
(c) 𝑓(𝑥, 𝑦) = −𝑥 4 𝑦 4
(d) 𝑓(𝑥, 𝑦) = 𝑥 2 − 𝑦 4
10. Find all the critical points of the function
2 2
𝑓(𝑥, 𝑦) = (𝑥 2 + 𝑦 2 )𝑒 −(𝑥 +𝑦 )
and for each critical point determine whether it is a local minimum, a local maximum, or a
saddle point. Does 𝑓 have any absolute maxima or minima?
11. Let 𝑥1 , 𝑦1 , 𝑥2 , 𝑦2 , … , 𝑥𝑛 , 𝑦𝑛 be real numbers so that 𝑥1 , 𝑥2 , … , 𝑥𝑛 are not all the same, and let
𝑓(𝑚, 𝑏) = (𝑚𝑥1 + 𝑏 − 𝑦1 )2 + (𝑚𝑥2 + 𝑏 − 𝑦2 )2 + ⋯ + (𝑚𝑥𝑛 + 𝑏 − 𝑦𝑛 )2 .
Find the values of 𝑚 and 𝑏 (in terms of 𝑛 and the given numbers 𝑥1 , 𝑦1 , 𝑥2 , 𝑦2 , … , 𝑥𝑛 , 𝑦𝑛 )
such that 𝑓 attains its minimum.
Hint: You may use the Cauchy-Schwarz inequality, which states that
(𝑢1 𝑣1 + 𝑢2 𝑣2 + ⋯ + 𝑢𝑛 𝑣𝑛 )2 < (𝑢1 2 + 𝑢2 2 + ⋯ + 𝑢𝑛 2 )(𝑣1 2 + 𝑣2 2 + ⋯ + 𝑣𝑛 2 )
if the vectors 〈𝑢1 , 𝑢2 , … , 𝑢𝑛 〉 and 〈𝑣1 , 𝑣2 , … , 𝑣𝑛 〉 are not parallel (cf. Remark 1.26).
Remark: If we denote these optimal values of 𝑚 and 𝑏 as 𝑚∗ and 𝑏 ∗ , then the line in ℝ2
defined by the equation
𝑦 = 𝑚∗ 𝑥 + 𝑏 ∗
is called the least-squares regression line for the data (𝑥1 , 𝑦1 ), (𝑥2 , 𝑦2 ), … , (𝑥𝑛 , 𝑦𝑛 ).
12. Let 𝑓 be a function of two real variables, and (𝑎, 𝑏) be an interior point of the domain of 𝑓.
Determine whether the following statements are true or false.

(a) If 𝑓 is continuous at (𝑎, 𝑏), then lim 𝑓(𝑥, 𝑦) exists.

(𝑥,𝑦)→(𝑎,𝑏)

(b) If 𝑓 is discontinuous at (𝑎, 𝑏), then lim 𝑓(𝑥, 𝑦) does not exist.
(𝑥,𝑦)→(𝑎,𝑏)

(c) If 𝑓𝑥 (𝑎, 𝑏) = 𝑓𝑦 (𝑎, 𝑏) = 0, then 𝑓 attains either local maximum or local minimum at the
point (𝑎, 𝑏).
(d) If 𝑓𝑥𝑥 (𝑎, 𝑏) and 𝑓𝑦𝑦 (𝑎, 𝑏) are of opposite signs and if the second partial derivatives of 𝑓
are all continuous near (𝑎, 𝑏), then (𝑎, 𝑏) is a saddle point of 𝑓.

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MATH2023 Multivariable Calculus Problem Set 4
L2/L3 (Fall 2019)

13. Find the maximum and minimum values of each of the following functions subject to the given
equality constraint.
(a) 𝑓(𝑥, 𝑦, 𝑧) = 𝑥𝑦𝑧 subject to 𝑥 2 + 2𝑦 2 + 4𝑧 2 = 9
(b) 𝑓(𝑥, 𝑦) = 𝑥 − 𝑦 subject to 𝑥 2 + 𝑦 2 = 20 + 3𝑥𝑦
(c) 𝑓(𝑥1 , 𝑥2 , … , 𝑥𝑛 ) = 𝑥1 + 2𝑥2 + ⋯ + 𝑛𝑥𝑛 subject to 𝑥1 2 + 𝑥2 2 + ⋯ + 𝑥𝑛 2 = 1
(d) 𝑓(𝑥1 , 𝑥2 , … , 𝑥𝑛 ) = 𝑎1 2 𝑥1 2 + 𝑎2 2 𝑥2 2 + ⋯ + 𝑎𝑛 2 𝑥𝑛 2 subject to
𝑏1 𝑥1 + 𝑏2 𝑥2 + ⋯ + 𝑏𝑛 𝑥𝑛 = 𝑐,
where 𝑎1 , 𝑎2 , … , 𝑎𝑛 , 𝑏1 , 𝑏2 , … , 𝑏𝑛 and 𝑐 are all positive real numbers.
Remark: In geometry, the minimum value in (d) is simply the square of the distance of
the hyperplane
𝑏1 𝑏2 𝑏𝑛
𝑥1 + 𝑥2 + ⋯ + 𝑥𝑛 = 𝑐
𝑎1 𝑎2 𝑎𝑛
from the origin. In finance, if we consider a portfolio of 𝑛 assets with risks 𝑎𝑘
and expected returns 𝑏𝑘 , then the minimum (𝑥1 , 𝑥2 , … , 𝑥𝑛 ) gives the optimal
weights of assets which minimize the portfolio risk subject to a required return
𝑐 (assuming for simplicity that the assets are pairwise uncorrelated).
14. (a) Let
𝑓(𝑥, 𝑦, 𝑧) = 𝑥𝑦𝑧
be a function defined for non-negative numbers 𝑥, 𝑦 and 𝑧, and let 𝑎 be a positive real
number. Find the maximum value of 𝑓 subject to the equality constraint
𝑥 + 𝑦 + 𝑧 = 𝑎.
(b) (AM-GM inequality) Using (a), establish that for every non-negative numbers 𝑥, 𝑦 and 𝑧
we have
3
𝑥+𝑦+𝑧
√𝑥𝑦𝑧 ≤ ,
3
i.e. the geometric mean of these numbers is never greater than their arithmetic mean.
When does the equality hold?
15. A closed rectangular box is designed to have volume 𝑉 cm3 . The cost of the material used in
making the box is $𝑎 per cm2 for the top and bottom, $𝑏 per cm2 for the front and back,
and $𝑐 per cm2 for the two faces on the sides. Assuming that 𝑎, 𝑏, 𝑐 and 𝑉 are all
positive real numbers, what are the optimal dimensions of the box so that the total cost of
materials is minimized? What is the minimum cost?

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