Math S21a: Multivariable calculus Oliver Knill, Summer 2011 1 What is the linear approximation of the function f (x,

What is the linear approximation of the function f (x, y) = sin(πxy 2) at the point (1, 1)? We
have (fx (x, y), yf (x, y) = (πy 2 cos(πxy 2 ), 2yπ cos(πxy 2 )) which is at the point (1, 1) equal to
∇f (1, 1) = hπ cos(π), 2π cos(π)i = h−π, 2πi.
Lecture 10: Linearization 2 Linearization can be used to estimate functions near a point. In the previous example,

In single variable calculus, you have seen the following definition: −0.00943 = f (1+0.01, 1+0.01) ∼ L(1+0.01, 1+0.01) = −π0.01−2π0.01+3π = −0.00942 .

The linear approximation of f (x) at a point a is the linear function

3 Here is an example in three dimensions: find the linear approximation to f (x, y, z) = xy +
L(x) = f (a) + f ′ (a)(x − a) . yz + zx at the point (1, 1, 1). Since f (1, 1, 1) = 3, and ∇f (x, y, z) = (y + z, x + z, y +
x), ∇f (1, 1, 1) = (2, 2, 2). we have L(x, y, z) = f (1, 1, 1) + (2, 2, 2) · (x − 1, y − 1, z − 1) =
3 + 2(x − 1) + 2(y − 1) + 2(z − 1) = 2x + 2y + 2z − 3.
√
4 Estimate f (0.01, 24.8, 1.02) for f (x, y, z) = ex yz.
Solution: take (x0 , y0 , z0 ) = (0, 25, 1), where f (x0 , y0 , z0 ) = 5. The gradient is ∇f (x, y, z) =
y=LHxL √ √ √
(ex yz, ex z/(2 y), ex y). At the point (x0 , y0 , z0 ) = (0, 25, 1) the gradient is the vector
(5, 1/10, 5). The linear approximation is L(x, y, z) = f (x0 , y0 , z0 ) + ∇f (x0 , y0 , z0 )(x − x0 , y −
y0 , z − z0 ) = 5 + (5, 1/10, 5)(x − 0, y − 25, z − 1) = 5x + y/10 + 5z − 2.5. We can approximate
f (0.01, 24.8, 1.02) by 5 + (5, 1/10, 5) · (0.01, −0.2, 0.02) = 5 + 0.05 − 0.02 + 0.10 = 5.13. The
actual value is f (0.01, 24.8, 1.02) = 5.1306, very close to the estimate.
y=fHxL

5 Find the tangent line to the graph of the function g(x) = x2 at the point (2, 4).
Solution: the level curve f (x, y) = y − x2 = 0 is the graph of a function g(x) = x2 and
the tangent at a point (2, g(2)) = (2, 4) is obtained by computing the gradient ha, bi =
The graph of the function L is close to the graph of f at a. We generalize this now to higher ∇f (2, 4) = h−g ′ (2), 1i = h−4, 1i and forming −4x + y = d, where d = −4 · 2 + 1 · 4 = −4.
dimensions: The answer is −4x + y = −4 which is the line y = 4x − 4 of slope 4.

The linear approximation of f (x, y) at (a, b) is the linear function 6 The Barth surface is defined as the level surface f = 0 of

L(x, y) = f (a, b) + fx (a, b)(x − a) + fy (a, b)(y − b) . f (x, y, z) = (3 + 5t)(−1 + x2 + y 2 + z 2 )2 (−2 + t + x2 + y 2 + z 2 )2

+ 8(x2 − t4 y 2 )(−(t4 x2 ) + z 2 )(y 2 − t4 z 2 )(x4 − 2x2 y 2 + y 4 − 2x2 z 2 − 2y 2z 2 + z 4 ) ,
The linear approximation of a function f (x, y, z) at (a, b, c) is √
where
√ t = ( 5 + 1)/2 is a constant called the golden ratio. If we replace t with 1/t =
L(x, y, z) = f (a, b, c) + fx (a, b, c)(x − a) + fy (a, b, c)(y − b) + fz (a, b, c)(z − c) . ( 5 − 1)/2 we see the surface to the middle. For t = 1, we see to the right the surface
f (x, y, z) = 8. Find the tangent plane of the later surface at the point (1, 1, 0). Answer:
We have ∇f (1, 1, 0) = h64, 64, 0i. The surface is x + y = d for some constant d. By plugging
Using the gradient in (1, 1, 0) we see that x + y = 2.
∇f (x, y) = hfx , fy i, ∇f (x, y, z) = hfx , fy , fz i ,

the linearization can be written more compactly as

L(~x) = f (~x0 ) + ∇f (~a) · (~x − ~a) .

How do we justify the linearization? If the second variable y = b is fixed, we have a one-dimensional
situation, where the only variable is x. Now f (x, b) = f (a, b) + fx (a, b)(x − a) is the linear ap-
proximation. Similarly, if x = x0 is fixed y is the single variable, then f (x0 , y) = f (x0 , y0 ) +
fy (x0 , y0 )(y − y0 ). Knowing the linear approximations in both the x and y variables, we can get
the general linear approximation by f (x, y) = f (x0 , y0 ) + fx (x0 , y0 )(x − x0 ) + fy (x0 , y0 )(y − y0 ).
 7 The quartic surface
f (x, y, z) = x4 − x3 + y 2 + z 2 = 0 Homework
is called the piriform. What is the equation for the tangent plane at the point P = (2, 2, 2)
of this pair shaped surface? We get ha, b, ci = h20, 4, 4i and so the equation of the plane
20x + 4y + 4z = 56, where we have obtained the constant to the right by plugging in the
1 If 2x + 3y + 2z = 9 is the tangent plane to the graph of z = f (x, y) at the point (1, 1, 2).
Extimate f (1.01, 0.98).
point (x, y, z) = (2, 2, 2).
2 Estimate 10001/5 using linear approximation

3 Find f (0.01, 0.999) for f (x, y) = cos(πxy)y + sin(x + πy).

4 Find the linear approximation L(x, y) of the function

q
f (x, y) = 10 − x2 − 5y 2

at (2, 1) and use it to estimate f (1.95, 1.04).

5 Sketch a contour map of the function

f (x, y) = x2 + 9y 2

find the gradient vector ∇f = hfx , fy i of f at the point (1, 1). Draw it together with the
tangent line ax + by = d to the curve at (1, 1).

Remark: some books use differentials etc to describe linearizations. This is 19 century notation
and terminology and should be avoided by all means. For us, the linearlization of a function at
a point is a linear function in the same number of variables. 20th century mathematics has
invented the notion of differential forms which is a valuable mathematical notion, but it is a
concept which becomes only useful in follow-up courses which build on multivariable calculus like
Riemannian geometry. The notion of ”differentials” comes from a time when calculus was still
foggy in some areas. Unfortunately it has survived and appears even in some calculus books.