Week #22 - The Chain Rule, Higher Partial Derivatives & Optimization

Section 14.6

From “Calculus, Single Variable” by Hughes-Hallett, Gleason, McCallum et. al.

Copyright 2005 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
This material is used by permission of John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

SUGGESTED PROBLEMS
For Exercises 1-6, find dz
dt using the chain rule. Assume the variables are restricted to domains
on which the functions are defined.

1. z = xy 2 , x = e−t , y = sin t

dz ∂z dx ∂z dy
= +
dt ∂x dt ∂y dt
= (y 2 )(−e−t ) + (2xy)(cos(t))
Now put everything in terms of t:
= −(sin2 t)e−t + 2e−t sin(t) cos(t)

We can also solve this by writing everything in terms of t to begin with, and then doing
d
taking :
dt

dz d −t 2
= e sin t
dt dt
= −e−t sin2 t + e−t (2 sin t cos t)

This is the same answer as we achieved through using the multivariate chain rule. In
many cases, however, using the multi-variate chain rule will result in easier steps along
the way than writing everything in terms of t before you begin.

3. z = xey , x = 2t,y = 1 − t2

dz ∂z dx ∂z dy
= +
dt ∂x dt ∂y dt
= (e )(2) + (xey )(−2t)
y

2 2
Put in terms of t: = 2e1−t − 4t2 e1−t

∂z ∂z
For Exercises 7-14, find ∂u and ∂v . The variables are restricted to domains on which
the functions are defined.

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 9. z = xey , x = u2 + v 2 ,y = u2 − v 2

∂z ∂z ∂x ∂z ∂y
= +
∂u ∂x ∂u ∂y ∂u
= (e )(2u) + (xey )(2u)
y

∂z 2 2 2 2
Put in terms of u, v: = (eu −v )(2u) + 2u(u2 + v 2 )eu −v
∂u
∂z ∂z ∂x ∂z ∂y
= +
∂v ∂x ∂v ∂y ∂v
= (e )(2v) + (xey )(−2v)
y

∂z 2 2 2 2
Put in terms of u, v: = (eu −v )(2v) − 2v(u2 + v 2 )eu −v
∂v

11. z = sin(x/y), x = ln u,y = v

∂z 11 −x
= cos(x/y) + cos(x/y) 2 (0)
∂u yu y
 
∂z 1 ln u
Put in terms of u, v: = cos
∂u uv v
∂z 1 −x
= cos(x/y) (0) + cos(x/y) 2 (1)
∂v y y
 
∂z ln u ln u
Put in terms of u, v: = − cos
∂v v v2

17. Corn production, C, is a function of rainfall, R, and temperature, T . Figures 14.49 and
14.50 show how rainfall and temperature are predicted to vary with time because of global
warming. Suppose we know that ∆C ≈ 3.3.∆R − 5∆T . Use this to estimate the change
dC
in corn production between the year 2020 and the year 2021. Hence, estimate when
dt
t = 2020.

Figure 14.49:
Rainfall as a function of time

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Figure 14.50:
Temperature as a function of time
dR dT
We will need to estimate the rates and from the graphs.
dt dt

∆R −2 ∆T 3
From these, we can say that ≈ and ≈ .
∆t 30 ∆t 40
Now both R and T are functions of time t (in years), and we want to find the effect of a
small change in time, ∆t, on R and T . For a change of ∆t = 1, we can estimate
−2 −2
∆R = ∆t =
30 30
3 3
∆T = ∆t =
40 40

From those, we can estimate ∆C:

∆C = 3.3∆R − 5∆T
−2 3
= 3.3 −5
30 40
= −0.595

From these calculations we would estimate that corn production will drop by 0.595 over
the next year 2020 to 2021.

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19. The voltage, V , (in volts) across a circuit is given by Ohm’s law: V = IR, where I is the
current (in amps) flowing through the circuit and R is the resistance (in ohms). If we
place two circuits, with resistance R1 and R2 , in parallel, then their combined resistance,
R, is given by

1 1 1
= +
R R1 R2
Suppose the current is 2 amps and increasing at 10−2 amp/sec and R1 is 3 ohms and
increasing at 0.5 ohm/sec, while R2 is 5 ohms and decreasing at 0.1 ohm/sec. Calculate
the rate at which the voltage is changing.

V =I R
dV dI dR
= R+I
dt dt dt
 
dI ∂R dR1 ∂R dR2
= R+I +
dt ∂R1 dt ∂R2 dt
∂R
To determine , it is easier to express
∂R1
R1 R2
R=
R1 + R2
∂R R2 (R1 + R2 ) − R1 R2
From the quotient rule, =
∂R1 (R1 + R2 )2
∂R R1 (R1 + R2 ) − R1 R2
and =
∂R2 (R1 + R2 )2
Subbing in R1 = 3, R2 = 5
∂R 5(3 + 5) − (3)(5) 25
= 2
=
∂R1 (3 + 5) 64
∂R 3(3 + 5) − (3)(5) 9
= 2
=
∂R2 (3 + 5) 64
dR1 dR2 dI (3)(5) 15
Using the other values, = 0.5, = −0.1, I = 2, = 0.01, R = =
dt dt   dt 3+5  8
dV 15 25 9
= (0.01) + (2) (0.5) + (−0.1)
dt 8 64 64
≈ 0.3812

20. Air pressure decreases at a rate of 2 pascals per kilometer in the eastward direction. In
addition, the air pressure is dropping at a constant rate with respect to time everywhere.
A ship sailing eastward at 10 km/hour past an island takes barometer readings and records
a pressure drop of 50 pascals in 2 hours. Estimate the time rate of change of air pressure
on the island. (A pascal is a unit of air pressure.)
Pressure, P is a function of x, the distance east of the island, in kilometers, and t, the
time in hours since the ship passes the island.

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The S(t) be the air pressure on the ship at time t, so that S(t) = p(10t, t). By the chain
rule we have

dS ∂P dx ∂P dt
= +
dt ∂x dt ∂t dt
∂P dx ∂P
= +
∂x dt ∂t

Of these terms, we know

dS −50 Pa
=
dt 2 hours
∂P Pa
= −2
∂x km
dx km
= 10
dt hour

dP
Using these, we can solve for the rate of temperature change, :
dt

−50 ∂P
= (−2)(10) +
2 ∂t
∂P
= −5
∂t

From this, the pressure is dropping everywhere at 5 Pa per hour.