MA2104 Semester 1 19/20

Midterm Test
Duration: 1 hour 15 minutes

Write all answers on this question paper only.

Name:

Student #:

Tutorial Group #:
(See table below)

Group # Day & Time

T1 Tuesday 16:00 - 17:00
T2 Friday 11:00 - 12:00
T3 Tuesday 15:00 - 16:00
T4 Friday 10:00- 11:00
T5 Friday 14:00 - 15:00

Question 1 2 3 4 5 6 Total
Marks

1
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1. [8 points] Lines L1 and L2 have respective equations

L1 : r(t) = h1, 0, −2i + th1, −3, 1i.
y+2 1−z
L2 : x − 3 = = .
5 2
(a) Find the equations of parallel planes P1 and P2 so that L1 lies on P1 and
L2 lies on P2 .
(b) Determine the (perpendicular) distance between P1 and P2 .
 3

2. [8 points] Suppose that the equations

rz 3 + sz = t, sin(s + t) = rs
determine z as a function of r, s, t and s as a function of r and t. Hence z
can be treated as a function z = f (r, t). Find ∂f
∂t .
[Simplifying the answer is NOT required.]
4

3. [8 points] A particle travels on the surface with equation

x2 − 2y − 11z = 0.
2
At time t, its x and y coordinates are 5t and 3t2 respectively. Find (the
exact value of) the distance traveled by the particle between time t = 0 and
t = 1.
 5

x
4. [8 points] Use the definition to show that the function f (x, y) = y is
differentiable at any point (x, y) where y 6= 0.
6

5. [10 points] Determine the absolute maximum and absolute minimum of

the function
f (x, y) = 4x3 − y 2
on the set D = {(x, y) : (x − 1)2 + y 2 ≤ 1} and where they occur.
 7

6. [8 points] Suppose that r(t) is a parametrized curve so that r(t) 6= 0 for

any t. Let
r(t)
p(t) = |r(t)| and w(t) = .
|r(t)|
Assume that both p and w are differentiable functions of t.
(a) Show that r(t) × r0 (t) and w(t) × w0 (t) are parallel vectors.
(b) Show that |r(t) × r0 (t)| = |p(t)|2 |w0 (t)|.
8

Midterm test solution

1. Lines L1 and L2 have respective equations
L1 : r(t) = h1, 0, −2i + th1, −3, 1i.
y+2 1−z
L2 : x − 3 = = .
5 2
(a) Find the equations of parallel planes P1 and P2 so that L1 lies on P1 and
L2 lies on P2 .
(b) Determine the (perpendicular) distance between P1 and P2 .

(a) Direction vector of L1 : v1 = h1, −3, 1i. Point on L1 : (1, 0, −2).

Direction vector of L2 : v2 = h1, 5, −2i. Point on L2 : (3, −2, 1).
Normal to planes P1 and P2 must be perpendicular to both v1 and v2 .
One such vector is n = v1 × v2 = h1, 3, 8i.
Equations of
P1 : 1(x − 1) + 3(y − 0) + 8(z + 2) = 0.
P2 : 1(x − 3) + 3(y + 2) + 8(z − 1) = 0.

(b) Let b be the vector from (1, 0, −2) on P1 to (3, −2, 1) on P2 . Then
b = h2, −2, 3i.
Distance between P1 and P2 = Distance from (1, 0, −2) to P2
|b · n| 20 20
= =√ =√ .
|n| 1 + 9 + 64 74
 9

2. Suppose that the equations

rz 3 + sz = t, sin(s + t) = rs
determine z as a function of r, s, t and s as a function of r and t. Hence z
can be treated as a function z = f (r, t). Find ∂f
∂t .
∂f
Chain rule for finding ∂t :
∂f ∂z ∂s ∂z
= + .
∂t ∂s ∂t ∂t

Differentiating with respect to s in the first equation, treating only z and s

as variables:
∂z ∂z
r(3z 2 ) +s + z = 0.
∂s ∂s
Hence
∂z −z
= .
∂s 3rz 2 + s

Differentiating with respect to t in the second equation, treating only s and

t as variables:
∂s ∂s
cos(s + t)( + 1) = r .
∂t ∂t
Hence
∂s cos(s + t)
= .
∂t r − cos(s + t)

Finally, differentiating with respect to t in the first equation, treating only

z and t as variables:
∂z ∂z
r(3z 2 ) +s = 1.
∂t ∂t
Hence
∂z 1
= .
∂t 3rz 2 + s

Therefore,
∂f −z cos(s + t) 1
= · + .
∂t 3rz 2 + s r − cos(s + t) 3rz 2 + s
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3. A particle travels on the surface with equation

x2 − 2y − 11z = 0.
2
At time t, its x and y coordinates are 5t and 3t2 respectively. Find (the
exact value of) the distance traveled by the particle between time t = 0 and
t = 1.

Let r(t) be the position of the particle at time t.

2
Then r(t) = h5t, 3t2 , z(t)i, where
1 3t2
z(t) = ((5t)2 − 2( )) = 2t2 .
11 2
Distance traveled is
5 √ √
Z 1 Z 1 Z 1p
0
|r (t)| dt = |h5, 3t, 4ti| dt = 5 1 + t2 dt = ( 2 + ln(1 + 2)).
0 0 0 2
 11

x
4. Use the definition to show that the function f (x, y) = y is differentiable
at any point (x, y) where y 6= 0.

Assume that y 6= 0.
1 −x
∇f = hfx , fy i = h , 2 i.
y y
Thus
 x + h x hy − xk 
|f (x + h, y + k) − f (x, y) − ∇f · hh, ki| =  − − 
y+k y y2
 (x + h)y 2 − x(y + k)y − (hy − xk)(y + k) 
= 
(y + k)y 2
 xk 2 − hky   k(xk − hy) 
= = .
(y + k)y 2 (y + k)y 2
√
On the other hand, |hh, ki| = h2 + k 2 ≥ |k|. Therefore,
 f (x + h, y + k) − f (x, y) − ∇f · hh, ki 
 
|hh, ki|
 xk − hy 
≤ →0
(y + k)y 2
as (h, k) → (0, 0). This completes the proof that f is differentiable at (x, y).
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5. Determine the absolute maximum and absolute minimum of the function

f (x, y, z) = 4x3 − y 2
on the set D = {(x, y) : (x − 1)2 + y 2 ≤ 1} and where they occur.

To find critical points inside D:

∇f = h12x2 , −2yi = h0, 0i =⇒ x = 0, y = 0.
Critical point: (0, 0).

On the boundary, (x − 1)2 + y 2 = 1.

Solve the problem: maximize/minimize f subject to the condition g(x, y) =
(x − 1)2 + y 2 = 1 using Lagrange multipliers.
We need to solve

2
12x = 2λ(x − 1)
( (
h12x2 , −2yi = λh2(x − 1), 2yi

∇f = λ∇g
=⇒ =⇒ −2y = 2λy .
g=1 (x − 1)2 + y 2 = 1
(x − 1)2 + y 2 = 1



From the second equation, either λ = −1 or y = 0.

Case 1. λ = −1.
Then ( (
12x2 = −2(x − 1) 6x2 + x − 1 = 0
=⇒ .
(x − 1)2 + y 2 = 1 (x − 1)2 + y 2 = 1
Now
−1 1
6x2 + x − 1 = 0 =⇒ x = or .
2 3
Since we must also have (x − 1)2 + y 2 = 1, x = −12 is impossible.
√
5
For x = 31 , we obtain two solutions ( 13 , ± 3 ) .

Case 2. y = 0.
From the equation (x − 1)2 + y 2 = 1, we find x = 0 or 2.
So we obtain another two solutions (0, 0), (2, 0) .
√
(0,0) ( 13 , ± 35 ) (2,0)
−11
f 0 27 32

So the absolute max is 32 occuring at (2, 0).

√
The absolute min is −11 1 5
27 occuring at ( 3 , ± 3 ).
 13

6. Suppose that r(t) is a parametrized curve so that r(t) 6= 0 for any t. Let
r(t)
p(t) = |r(t)| and w(t) = .
|r(t)|
Assume that both p and w are differentiable functions of t.
(a) Show that r(t) × r0 (t) and w(t) × w0 (t) are parallel vectors.
(b) Show that |r(t) × r0 (t)| = |p(t)|2 |w0 (t)|.

(a) Since r(t) = p(t)w(t),

r0 (t) = p0 (t)w(t) + p(t)w0 (t).
Therefore,
r(t)×r0 (t) = p(t)p0 (t)w(t)×w(t)+(p(t))2 w(t)×w0 (t) = (p(t))2 w(t)×w0 (t).
Thus r(t) × r0 (t) is a multiple of w(t) × w0 (t). So r(t) × r0 (t) is parallel to
w(t) × w0 (t).

(b) By the last equation in part (a),

r(t) × r0 (t) = (p(t))2 w(t) × w0 (t).
Hence
|r(t) × r0 (t)| = p(t))2 |w(t) × w0 (t)| = (p(t))2 |w(t)| |w0 (t)| sin θ,
where θ is the angle between w(t) and w0 (t). But since |w(t)| = 1 for all t,
w(t) ⊥ w0 (t). Therefore, θ = 90◦ . Thus
|r(t) × r0 (t)| = (p(t))2 |w(t)| |w0 (t)| = (p(t))2 |w0 (t)|
since |w(t)| = 1.