Harvey Mudd College Math Tutorial:

Partial Differentiation
Suppose you want to forecast the weather this weekend in Los Angeles. You construct a
formula for the temperature as a function of several environmental variables, each of which
is not entirely predictable. Now you would like to see how your weather forecast would change
as one particular environmental factor changes, holding all the other factors constant. To
do this investigation, you would use the concept of a partial derivative.

Let the temperature T depend on variables x and y, T = f (x, y). The rate of change of f
with respect to x (holding y constant) is called the partial derivative of f with respect
to x and is denoted by fx (x, y). Similarly, the rate of change of f with respect to y is called
the partial derivative of f with respect to y and is denoted by fy (x, y).

We define
f (x + h, y) − f (x, y)
fx (x, y) = lim
h→0 h
f (x, y + h) − f (x, y)
fy (x, y) = lim .
h→0 h
Do you see the similarity beween these and the limit
definition of a function of one variable?

Example
Let f (x, y) = xy 2
(x+h)y 2 −xy 2 x(y+h)2 −xy 2
Then fx (x, y) = lim h
fy (x, y) = lim h
h→0 h→0
hy 2 2xyh+xh2
= lim = lim
h→0 h h→0 h
2
= y . = lim (2xy + xh)
h→0
= 2xy.

In practice, we use our knowledge of single-variable calculus to compute partial derivatives.

To calculate fx (x, y), you view y as a constant and differentiate f (x, y) with respect to x:
d
fx (x, y) = y 2 as expected since [x] = 1.
dx
Similarly,
d h 2i
fy (x, y) = 2xy since y = 2y.
dy

More Examples
 Notation

• Let z = f (x, y).

The partial derivative fx (x, y) can also be written as

∂f ∂z
(x, y) or .
∂x ∂x
Similarly, fy (x, y) can also be written as

∂f ∂z
(x, y) or .
∂y ∂y

• The partial derivative fy (x, y) evaluated at the point (x0 , y0 ) can be expressed in several
ways: 
∂f  ∂f
fx (x0 , y0 ),  , or (x0 , y0 ).
∂x (x0 ,y0 ) ∂x

There are analogous expressions for fy (x0 , y0 ).

Geometrical Meaning

Suppose the graph of z = f (x, y) is the sur-

face shown. Consider the partial derivative
of f with respect to x at a point (x0 , y0 ).

Holding y constant and varying x, we trace

out a curve that is the intersection of the
surface with the vertical plane y = y0 .

The partial derivative fx (x0 , y0 ) measures

the change in z per unit increase in x along
this curve. That is, fx (x0 , y0 ) is just the
slope of the curve at (x0 , y0 ). The geomet-
rical interpretation of fy (x0 , y0 ) is analo-
gous.
 Notes

• Functions of More than Two Variables

For g(x, y, z), the partial derivative gx (x, y, z) is calculated by holding y and z constant
and differentiating with respect to x. The partial derivatives gy (x, y, z) and gz (x, y, z)
are calculated in an analagous manner.

Example

• Higher-Order Partial Derivatives

For a function f (x, y), the partial derivatives ∂f
∂x
and ∂f
∂y
are themselves functions of x
and y, so we can take partial derivatives of them:
fxy and fyx are called
∂

∂f

∂2f ∂

∂f

∂2f mixed second-order
fxx = = fxy = = partial derivatives. If
∂x ∂x ∂x2 ∂y ∂x ∂y∂x
f , fx , fy , fxy , and fyx are
∂ ∂f ∂2f ∂ ∂f ∂2f continuous on an open
   
fyy = = fyx = = .
∂y ∂y ∂y 2 ∂x ∂y ∂x∂y region, then fxy = fyx at
each point in the region,
Higher-order partial derivatives (e.g. fxxy ) can
so the order in which the
also be calculated. Using the subscript notation,
differentiation is done
the order of differentiation is from left to right. does not matter.

Example

Key Concepts

Consider a function f (x, y).

rate of change of f f (x + h, y) − f (x, y)

fx (x, y) = = lim
with respect to x h→0 h
rate of change of f f (x, y + h) − f (x, y)
fy (x, y) = = lim .
with respect to y h→0 h

To calculate fx (x, y), differentiate f with respect to x holding y constant. Similarly, to

calculate fy (x, y), differentiate f with respect to y holding x constant.

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