Function of several variables
Function of several variables
Hoang Hai Ha
HCMC — 2020.
EXAMPLE 1.1
The volume V of a circular cylinder depends on its
radius R and its height h according to the formula
V = πR 2 h. So V is a function of R and h.
EXAMPLE 1.1
The volume V of a circular cylinder depends on its
radius R and its height h according to the formula
V = πR 2 h. So V is a function of R and h.
EXAMPLE 1.2
A manufacture determines that x units of a particular
commodity can be sold domestically for 90$ per unit,
and y units can be sold to foreing markets for 110$,
then the total profit is P = 90x + 110y .
DEFINITION 1.1
A function f of two variables
f : D ⊂ R2 → R
(x, y) 7−→ z = f (x, y)
1
The set D is the domain of f and is denoted by D f .
2
The set of values that f takes on
E = {z, ∃(x, y) ∈ D : z = f (x, y)} is called range of f
and is denoted by E f .
EXAMPLE 1.3
Evaluate f (3, 2) and sketch the domain for functions:
1
z = x ln(y 2 − x)
p
2
z = 9 − x2 − y 2
SOLUTION
1
D f = {(x, y) : x < y 2 }
2
D f = {(x, y) : x 2 + y 2 ≤ 9}
DEFINITION 1.2
If f is a function of two variables with domain D,
then the graph of f is the set of all points (x, y, z) in R3
such that z = f (x, y) and (x, y) is in D.
In other words, function z = f (x, y) is interpreted
geometrically as a surface in space. So the graph of
z = f (x, y) is a surface whose projection on Ox y is D .
EXAMPLE 1.4
2 −y 2
Using Matlab to graph the function z = e −x
syms x y ;
z=exp(−x 2 − y 2 );
fsurf( f ,’FaceColor’,’y’)
Some commands to sketch surface in Matlab: fsurf,
mesh, surf, ezsurf...
DEFINITION 1.3
Another way to visualize function of two variables is
using level curve. The level curves of a function f are
the curves with equations f (x, y) = k on Oxy plane( k
is a constant in the range of f ).
EXAMPLE 1.5
A contour map for a function f is shown below. Use it
to guess the value f (1, 3) and f (4, 5).
DEFINITION 1.4
A function of n variables
f : D ⊂ Rn → R
(x 1 , x 2 , . . . , x n ) 7−→ f (x 1 , x 2 , . . . , x n )
or u = f (x 1 , x 2 , . . . , x n ).
DEFINITION 1.4
A function of n variables
f : D ⊂ Rn → R
(x 1 , x 2 , . . . , x n ) 7−→ f (x 1 , x 2 , . . . , x n )
or u = f (x 1 , x 2 , . . . , x n ).
EXAMPLE 1.6
The temperature T at a point on the surface of the
earth depends on the longitude x and latitude y of the
point and on the time t . So we can write T = f (x, y, t ).
ELLIPSOID
x2 y 2 z2
+ + = 1, (a, b, c ∈ R)
a2 b2 c 2
ELLIPTIC PARABOLOID
x2 y 2
z= +
a2 b2
HYPERBOLIC PARABOLOID
x2 y 2
z= −
a2 b2
CYLINDERS
x2 y 2
Elliptic Cylinder 2 + 2 = 1, z ∈ R
a b
CYLINDERS
CONE
x2 y 2 z2
+ =
a2 b2 c 2
CONE
q
z= x2 + y 2
EXAMPLE 2.1
2 2
Sketch the level
p curves for paraboloid z = x + y and
the cone z = x 2 + y 2 for k = 1, 3, 5, 7.
EXAMPLE 2.1
2 2
Sketch the level
p curves for paraboloid z = x + y and
the cone z = x 2 + y 2 for k = 1, 3, 5, 7.