1 Functions of Several Variables

Partial Derivatives

 Recall that for the function of single variable, the derivative of the function is defined as:

f ( x  h)  f ( x)
f '( x )  lim
h0 h
 For the function of several variables, the process of derivative is termed as partial
differentiation, as it involves differentiating the function with respect to only one of its
variables while keeping the other variables fixed.
 The resulting derivative is termed as the partial derivative of the function.

 Definition
If z  f ( x, y ) , then the (first) partial derivatives of f with respect to x and y are the
functions f x and f y , respectively, defined by:

f ( x  h, y )  f ( x , y )
f x ( x, y )  lim
h 0 h
f ( x, y  h )  f ( x, y )
f y ( x, y )  lim
h 0 h
provided the limits exist.

 Common Notations for First Partial Derivatives

 Partial derivatives of f with respect to x :
f ( x, y ) f z
f x , f x ( x, y ), , , ,zx
x x x
 Partial derivatives of f with respect to y :
f ( x, y ) f z
f y , f y ( x, y ), , , ,zy
y y y

 Rules for Finding Partial Derivatives of z = f(x,y)

 To find f x , regard y as a constant and differentiate f ( x, y ) with respect to x.
 To find f y , regard x as a constant and differentiate f ( x, y ) with respect to y.

Example 1

Find the partial derivative f x and f y for function f ( x, y )  3x 2 y 3  y 2 by using the definition of
partial derivative.

Solution

f ( x  h, y )  f ( x , y )
f x ( x, y )  lim
h0 h
 2 Functions of Several Variables

3( x  h ) 2 y 3  y 2  (3x 2 y 3  y 2 )
 lim
h 0 h
3 y ( x  2 xh  h 2 )  y 2  3x 2 y 3  y 2
3 2
 lim
h 0 h
3x y  6 xy h  3 y 3h 2  y 2  3x 2 y 3  y 2
2 3 3
 lim
h 0 h
6 xy h  3 y h
3 3 2
 lim
h 0 h
 lim 6 xy  3 y 3h
3
h 0

 6 xy 3

f ( x, y  h )  f ( x, y )
f y ( x, y )  lim
h0 h

3x 2 ( y  h )3  ( y  h ) 2  (3x 2 y 3  y 2 )
 lim
h 0 h
3x ( y  3hy  3 yh 2  h 3 )  y 2  2hy  h 2  3x 2 y 3  y 2
2 3 2
 lim
h 0 h
3x y  9 x hy  9 x yh  3x 2h 3  y 2  2hy  h 2  3x 2 y 3  y 2
2 3 2 2 2 2
 lim
h 0 h
9 x hy  9 x yh  3x h  2hy  h 2
2 2 2 2 2 3
 lim
h 0 h
 lim 9 x y  9 x yh  3x 2h 2  2 y  h
2 2 2
h 0

 9 x2 y2  2 y

Example 2

Let f ( x, y, z )  x 2  2 xy 2  yz 3 . Find f x , f y and f z and evaluate them at (1,2,1) .

Solution

f ( x, y, z )  x 2  2 xy 2  yz 3

fx  2x  2 y2
f x (1, 2,1)  2(1)  2(2) 2  10

f y  4 xy  z 3
f y (1, 2,1)  4(1)(2)  13  9
 3 Functions of Several Variables

f z  3 yz 2
f z (1, 2,1)  3(2)(1) 2  6

Higher Partial Derivatives

 The partial derivative of a function is a function, so it is possible to take the partial derivative
of a partial derivative.
 The resulting derivative by taking two consecutive partial derivatives with respect to the
same variable, is termed as second partial derivative.
 The resulting derivative by taking two consecutive partial derivatives with respect to
different variable, is termed as mixed partial derivative.

 Common Notations for Higher Partial Derivatives

Given that z  f ( x, y )
 Second Partial Derivatives:
2 f   f 
    ( f x ) x  f xx
x 2
x  x 
2 f   f 
    ( f y ) y  f yy
y 2
y  y 
 Mixed Partial Derivatives:
2 f   f 
    ( f y ) x  f yx
xy x  y 
2 f   f 
    ( f x ) y  f xy
yx y  x 

Example 1

For z  f ( x, y )  5x 2  2 xy  3 y 3 , find the requested higher partial derivatives.

2 z
a.
xy
2 f
b.
yx
2 z
c.
x 2
d. f xy (3,2)
 4 Functions of Several Variables

Solution

2 z
a. means differentiate with respect to y, then only differentiate with respect to x
xy
z  5 x 2  2 xy  3 y 3
z
 2 x  9 y 2
y
z   z  
    ( 2 x  9 y 2 )  2
xy x  y  x

2 f
b. means differentiate with respect to x, then only differentiate with respect to y
yx
f ( x, y )  5 x 2  2 xy  3 y 3
f
 10 x  2 y
x
2 f   f  
    (10 x  2 y )  2
yx y  x  y

2 z
c. means differentiate with respect to x twice
x 2
z  5 x 2  2 xy  3 y 3
z
 10 x  2 y
x
 2 z   z  
    (10 x  2 y )  10
x 2 x  x  x

d. f xy (3,2) means differentiate with respect to x, then only differentiate with respect to y, and
evaluate the value at (3,2)
From (b), f xy  2
 f xy (3,2)  2

Example 2

Find f xxyz if f ( x, y, z )  sin(3x  yz ) .

Solution

Given that f ( x, y, z )  sin(3x  yz )

 5 Functions of Several Variables

f x  3cos(3x  yz )
f xx  9sin(3x  yz )
f xxy  9 z cos(3x  yz )
f xxyz  9 z[ y sin(3x  yz )]  cos(3x  yz )( 9)

 9 yz sin(3x  yz )  9cos(3x  yz)

Chain Rule

 Recall that for functions of a single variable, if y  f ( x ) and x  g (t ) , where f and g are
differentiable functions, by using the Chain Rule, y is indirectly a differentiable function of t,
where
dy dy dx

dt dx dt
 For functions with several variables, we have
Chain Rule (Case 1)
Suppose that z  f ( x, y ) is a differentiable function of x and y, where x  g (t )
and y  h(t ) are both differentiable functions of t. Then z is a differentiable
function of t and
z
dz z dx z dy
  x y
dt x dt y dt
t t

Chain Rule (Case 2)

Suppose that z  f ( x, y ) is a differentiable function of x and y, where
x  g ( s, t ) and y  h( s, t ) are both differentiable functions of s and t. Then
z z x z y z z x z y z
   
s x s y s t x t y t
x y

s t s t
 6 Functions of Several Variables

Example 1

dz
If z  x 2 y  3xy 4 , where x  sin 2t and y  cos t , find when t = 0.
dt

Solution
z
dz z dx z dy
  x y
dt x dt y dt
t t
 (2 xy  3 y 4 )(2cos2t )  ( x 2  12 xy 3 )(  sin t )

When t  0, x  sin 0  0

When t  0, y  cos0  1

dz
 (0  3)(2cos0)  (0  0)(  sin 0)  6
dt t 0

Example 2

1 dz
Given that z  x 2  y 2 , where x  2
and y  2t 3. Find by:
t dt

1
a. Substituting x  2
and y  2t 3 into z  x 2  y 2 .
t
b. Using Chain Rule.

Solution

a. z  x2  y 2
2
1
  2   (2t 3 )2
t 
1
 4  4t 6
t

dz 4
  5  24t 5
dt t
 7 Functions of Several Variables

dz z dx z dy
b.   z
dt x dt y dt
 2 x y
 2 x   3   2 y (6t 2 )
 t 
t t
 1  2 
 2  2    3   2(2t 3 )(6t 2 )
 t  t 
4
  5  24t 5
t

Example 3

w w
Given that w  x 2  y 2  z 2 , where x  st, y  s cos t and z  s sin t . Find and .
s t

Solution

w w x w y w z
   w
s x s y s z s
x y z
 2 xt  2 y cos t  2 z sin t
s t s t s t
w w x w y w z
  
t x t y t z t

 2 xs  2 y (  s sin t )  2 z ( s cos t )
 2 xs  2 ys sin t  2 zs cos t

Example 4

f
Given that f ( x, y, z )  sin( x y  z ) , where x  sr, y  r  3s and z  r 2 . Find
2 3
.
s

Solution f

f f x f y x y z
 
s x s y s
s r s r r
 2 xy cos( x y  z )(r)  x cos( x y  z )(3)
2 2 2

 2rxy cos( x 2 y  z )  3x 2 cos( x 2 y  z )

 cos( x 2 y  z )(2rxy  3x 2 )
 8 Functions of Several Variables

 cos[( sr)2 (r 3  3s)  r 2 ][2r( sr )(r 3  3s)  3( sr )2 ]

 cos( s 2r5  3s3r 2  r 2 )(2sr5  9s 2r 2 )

Example 5

Given that w  f ( x, u, v), u  g ( x, v, y ) and v  h( x, y ) . Show that

w
 f u g y  f v hy  f u g v hy
y

Solution

w  w   x   w   u   w   v  w
     
y  x   y   u   y   v   y 
x u v
 u 
 f x (0)  f u    f v hy x v y x y
 y 

 u  x y
 f u    f v hy
 y 

u u x u v u y
  
y x y v y y y

u
 (0)  g v hy  g y (1)
x
 gv hy  g y

w
 f u ( gv hy  g y )  f v hy
y

 f u g y  f v hy  f u g v hy

Implicit Partial Differentiation

 Definition
Suppose that z is given implicitly as a function z  f ( x, y ) by an equation of the form
F ( x, y, z )  0 , where F ( x, y, f ( x, y ))  0 for all ( x, y ) in the domain of f, thus,
9 Functions of Several Variables

F F
z z y
  x and 
x F y F
z z

or in the simplest form,

z F z F
 x and  y
x Fz y Fz

Example 1
z z
Find and if x 3  y 3  z 3  6 xyz  1 .
x y

Solution
Let F ( x, y, z )  x 3  y 3  z 3  6 xyz  1  0
z F
  x
x Fz
3x 2  6 yz

3z 2  6 xy
x 2  2 yz

z 2  2 xy

z F
  y
y Fz
3 y 2  6 xz
 2
3z  6 xy
y 2  2 xz
 2
z  2 xy

Example 2
z z
Find and if x 2  y 3  2 z  sin x 2   .
x y

Solution

Let F ( x, y, z )  x 2  y 3  2 z  sin x 2    0 .
z F
  x
x Fz
10 Functions of Several Variables

2 x  2 x cos x 2

2
2 x (1  cos x 2 )

2
  x (1  cos x 2 )

z F
  y
y Fz
3y2

2