Solutions to Examples on Partial Derivatives

f
f
= 3;
= 4.
x
y
f
f
f (x, y) = xy 3 + x2 y 2 ;
= y 3 + 2xy 2 ;
= 3xy 2 + 2x2 y.
x
y
f
f
f (x, y) = x3 y + ex ;
= 3x2 y + ex ;
= x3 .
x
y
f
f
f (x, y) = xe2x+3y ;
= 2xe2x+3y + e2x+3y ;
= 3xe2x+3y .
x
y
xy
.
f (x, y) =
x+y
f
x + y (x y)
2y
=
=
;
x
(x + y)2
(x + y)2
f
(x + y) (x y)
2x
=
=
.
2
y
(x + y)
(x + y)2

1. (a) f (x, y) = 3x + 4y;

(b)
(c)
(d)
(e)

(f) f (x, y) = 2x sin(x2 y).

f
= 2x . cos(x2 y) . 2xy + 2 sin(x2 y) = 4x2 y cos(x2 y) + 2 sin(x2 y);
x
f
= 2x . cos(x2 y) . x2 = 2x3 cos(x2 y).
y
2.

f (x, y, z) = x cos z + x2 y 3 ez .
f
= cos z + 2xy 3 ez ,
x
f
= 3x2 y 2 ez ,
y
f
= x sin z + x2 y 3 ez .
z

3. (i) f (x, y) = x2 sin y + y 2 cos x.

fx = 2x sin y y 2 sin x;

fy = x2 cos y + 2y cos x.

fxx = 2 sin y y 2 cos x;

fyy = x2 sin y + 2 cos x;

fxy = 2x cos y 2y sin x;

fyx = 2x cos y 2y sin x.

So fxy = fyx .
y
ln x.
x
y 1
y
y
1
fx = . 2 ln x = 2 (1 ln x); fy = ln x.
x x x 
x
x
y
1
2y
y
fxx = 2 .
3 (1 ln x) = 3 (2 ln x 3); fyy = 0.
x
x
x
x
1
1 1
1
1
fxy = 2 (1 ln x); fyx = . 2 ln x = 2 (1 ln x).
x
x x x
x

(ii) f (x, y) =

 

So fxy = fyx .

4.

1
.
+ y2
f
f x f y
=
+
.
t
x t
y t
f
2x
2r cos t x
= 2
=
;
= r sin t;
2
2
x
(x + y )
r4
t
f
2y
2r sin t y
= 2
=
;
= r cos t.
2
2
y
(x + y )
r4
t
f
2r2 sin t cos t 2r2 sin t cos t
Hence,
=

= 0.
t
r4
r4
f
f x f y
=
+
.
r
x r
y r
f
f
x
y
and
are as above.
= cos t,
= sin t
x
y
r
r
f
2r cos2 t 2r sin2 t
2(cos2 t + sin2 t)
2
Hence,
=
=
= 3.
r
r4
r3
r
f (x, y) =

x2

5.

f (x, y) = x2 + xy y 2 .

(i) f (r, ) = (r cos )2 + (r cos ) (r sin ) (r sin )2

= r2 (cos2 + cos sin sin2 ).
f
= 2r (cos2 + cos sin sin2 ).
r
f
= r2 (2 cos sin + cos cos sin sin 2 sin cos )

= r2 (cos2 sin2 4 cos sin ).

(ii)

x
= cos ;
r

x
y
y
= r sin ;
= sin ;
= r cos .

f
f x f y
By the chain rule
=
+
= (2x + y) cos + (x 2y) sin
r
x r y r
= (2r cos + r sin ) cos + (r cos 2r sin ) sin
= 2r(cos2 + cos sin sin2 ).
f
f x f y
=
+
= (2x + y) (r sin ) + (x 2y) r cos

x
y
= (2r cos + r sin ) (r sin ) + (r cos 2r sin ) r cos
= r2 (cos2 sin2 4 cos sin ).

6.

f (x, y) = x3 y y 3 x;
f
f x f y
=
+
;
u
x u y u

u
.
v
f
f x f y
=
+
.
v
x v
y v

x = uv;

y=

f
u u3
u3
= 3x2 y y 3 = 3u2 v 2 3 = 3u3 v 3 .
x
v
v
v
3
2
3
u
u
3u
f
= x3 3y 2 x = 3 3 2 uv = u3 v 3
.
y
v
v
v
x
x
y
1
y
u
= v;
= u;
= ;
= 2.
u
v
u
v
v
v
!

3u3
u3
3u v 3 v + u3 v 3
v
v
3
3
u
3u
= 3u3 v 2 2 + u3 v 2 2 = 4u3 v 2
v
v
f
=
u

1
v
4u3
.
v2

u3
3u3 u
3u v 3 u + u3 v 3
v
v
v2
u4
3u4
2u4
= 3u4 v 3 u4 v + 3 = 2u4 v + 3 .
v
v
v
f
=
v

7. f (x, y, z) = 2y sin(xz), x = 3t, y = et1 , z = ln t.

f
t
f
x
dx
dt
f
t

f dx f dy
f dz
+
+
.
x dt
y dt
z dt
f
f
= z cos(xz);
= 2;
= x cos(xz).
y
z
dy
dz
1
= 3;
= et1 ;
= .
dt
dt
t
x cos(xz)
= 3z cos(xz) + 2et1
t
3t cos(3t ln t)
= 3 ln t cos(3t ln t) + 2et1
t
=

= 3 cos(3t ln t)(1 + ln t) + 2et1 .

8. f (x, y) = x2 + xy + y 2 , x = uv, y = u/v.
To show that ufu + vfv = 2xfx and ufu vfv = 2yfy
we need to find fu , fv , fx and fy .
f
f x f y
=
+
;
u
x u y u

f
f x f y
=
+
.
v
x v
y v
1
2u
fu = (2x + y)(v) + (x + 2y)( ) = 2uv 2 + 2u + 2 .
v
v
2
2u
u
fv = (2x + y)(u) + (x + 2y)( 2 ) = 2u2 v 3 .
v
v
u
fx = 2x + y = 2uv + . So, 2xfx = 2uvfx = 4u2 v 2 + 2u2 .
v
2u
4u2
2u
fy = x + 2y = uv +
. So, 2yfy =
fx = 2u2 + 2 .
v
v
v
2
2
2u
2u
Now ufu + vfv = 2u2 v 2 + 2u2 + 2 + 2u2 v 2 2
v
v
= 4u2 v 2 + 2u2 = 2xfx as required,
fu =

fv =

and ufu vfv = 2u2 v 2 + 2u2 +

= 2u2 +

2u2
2u2
2 2

2u
v
+
v2
v2

4u2
= 2yfy as required.
v2

9. u(x, y) = ln(1 + xy 2 ).
u
1
y2
2u
y 2 . y 2
y4
2
=
.
y
=
;
=
=

.
x
1 + xy 2
1 + xy 2
x2
(1 + xy 2 )2
(1 + xy 2 )2
2u
(1 + xy 2 ) . 2y 2xy . y 2
2y
=
=
.
yx
(1 + xy 2 )2
(1 + xy 2 )2
2u
2u
2y 4
2y 4
Hence 2 2 + y 3
=
+
= 0.
x
yx
(1 + xy 2 )2 (1 + xy 2 )2
10. u(x, y) = x2 cosh(xy 2 + 1).
NOTE.

d
d
(sinh x) = cosh x; (cosh x) = sinh x.
dx
dx

u
= x2 sinh(xy 2 + 1) . y 2 + 2x cosh(xy 2 + 1)
x
= x2 y 2 sinh(xy 2 + 1) + 2x cosh(xy 2 + 1)
u
= x2 sinh(xy 2 + 1) . 2xy = 2x3 y sinh(xy 2 + 1)
y
Hence
2x

u
u
y
= 2x3 y 2 sinh(xy 2 +1)+4x2 cosh(xy 2 +1)2x3 y 2 sinh(xy 2 +1)
x
y
= 4x2 cosh(xy 2 + 1) = 4u.

11.

Hence

1
w
=
2c
t
2x + 2ct

2w
4c2
=
t2
(2x + 2ct)2

w
1
=
2
x
2x + 2ct

2w
4
=
2
x
(2x + 2ct)2

2
2w
2 w
=
c
.
t2
x2