Function of two variables Limits and continuity Partial derivatives Tangent planes and linear approximations Differentiable and

directional derivatives Maximum a

Calculus II
Partial derivatives

Nguyen Van Hoi

University of Information Technology

July 25, 2022

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Function of two variables Limits and continuity Partial derivatives Tangent planes and linear approximations Differentiable and directional derivatives Maximum a

Overview

1 Function of two variables

2 Limits and continuity

3 Partial derivatives

4 Tangent planes and linear approximations

5 Differentiable and directional derivatives

6 Maximum and minimum values

7 Lagrange’s method

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Function of two variables Limits and continuity Partial derivatives Tangent planes and linear approximations Differentiable and directional derivatives Maximum a

Function of two variables

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Function of two variables Limits and continuity Partial derivatives Tangent planes and linear approximations Differentiable and directional derivatives Maximum a

➬ f is an assignment to associate
(x, y ) in a set D a unique number
f (x, y ).
➬ D is called a domain.
➬ A range of f is
{f (x, y ) | (x, y ) ∈ D}.
➬ x, y are independent variables.
Figure 1: Pictorial illustration of a two-variables
➬ z = f (x, y ) is a dependent
function.
variable

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Function of two variables Limits and continuity Partial derivatives Tangent planes and linear approximations Differentiable and directional derivatives Maximum a

Evaluate f (2, 3) and sketch its domain and range if

√
x +y +1
f (x, y ) = , f (x, y ) = xLn(y 2 − x).
x −1

Figure 2:
D = {(x, y ) | x + y + 1 ≥ 0, x ̸= 1}. Figure 3: D = {(x, y ) | x ≥ y 2 }.

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Function of two variables Limits and continuity Partial derivatives Tangent planes and linear approximations Differentiable and directional derivatives Maximum a

Graphs
Graph of a function f with a domain D is the set of three-numbers (x, y , z) ∈ R3 with
z = f (x, y ) and (x, y ) ∈ D.

Figure 4: Graph of a function f .

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Level curves

Figure 5: Level curves or contour lines f (x, y ) = k.

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Function of two variables Limits and continuity Partial derivatives Tangent planes and linear approximations Differentiable and directional derivatives Maximum a

Figure 6: Level curves or contour lines f (x, y ) = k.

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Function of two variables Limits and continuity Partial derivatives Tangent planes and linear approximations Differentiable and directional derivatives Maximum a

Level curves

Figure 7: Level curves or contour lines f (x, y ) = k.

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Function of two variables Limits and continuity Partial derivatives Tangent planes and linear approximations Differentiable and directional derivatives Maximum a

Figure 8: Level curves or contour lines f (x, y ) = k.

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Function of two variables Limits and continuity Partial derivatives Tangent planes and linear approximations Differentiable and directional derivatives Maximum a

Figure 9: Level curves or contour lines f (x, y ) = k.

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Function of two variables Limits and continuity Partial derivatives Tangent planes and linear approximations Differentiable and directional derivatives Maximum a

Figure 10: Topographic maps of mountainous regions is an example of contour lines.

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Function of two variables Limits and continuity Partial derivatives Tangent planes and linear approximations Differentiable and directional derivatives Maximum a

Figure 11: Levels lines of

2 2 2
−y 2
f (x, y ) = −xye −x −y . Figure 12: Graph of f (x, y ) = −xye −x .

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Function of two variables Limits and continuity Partial derivatives Tangent planes and linear approximations Differentiable and directional derivatives Maximum a

Limits and continuity

If for every ϵ > 0 there exists δ > 0 such that

q
|f (x, y ) − L| ≤ ϵ, ∀(x, y ) ∈ D, s.t (x − a)2 + (y − b)2 ≤ δ, (1)
we say f has a limit at (a, b) and write
lim f (x, y ) = L f (x, y ) → L as (x, y ) → (a, b). (2)
(x,y )→(a,b)

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Function of two variables Limits and continuity Partial derivatives Tangent planes and linear approximations Differentiable and directional derivatives Maximum a

Limit’s laws
Suppose lim(x,y )→(a,b) f (a, y ) = L and lim(x,y )→(a,b) g (a, y ) = M, then the following
assertions hold
➬ First, we have the obvious limits

lim x = a, lim y = b, lim c = c, where c is a constant.

(x,y )→(a,b) (x,y )→(a,b) (x,y )→(a,b)

➬ Sum and difference rules: lim(x,y )→(a,b) f (a, y ) ± lim(x,y )→(a,b) g (a, y ) = L ± M.
➬ Constant multiple rule: lim(x,y )→(a,b) (kf (x, y )) = kL.
➬ Product rule: lim(x,y )→(a,b) f (x, y )g (a, y ) = LM.
f (x,y ) L
➬ Quotient rule: lim(x,y ) g (x,y ) = M provided M ̸= 0.
➬ If f is a function of x only i.e., f (x, y ) = f (x), then
lim(x,y )→(a,b) f (x, y ) = limx→a f (x)

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Function of two variables Limits and continuity Partial derivatives Tangent planes and linear approximations Differentiable and directional derivatives Maximum a

➬ Find lim(x,y )→(1,2) (x 2 y + 2xy ).

Combining the rules mentioned above allows us to do the following

lim (x 2 y + 2xy ) = lim x 2y + lim 2xy

(x,y )→(1,2) (x,y )→(1,2) (x,y )→(1,2)

= lim x2 lim y +2 lim x lim y

(x,y )→(1,2) (x,y )→(1,2) (x,y )→(1,2) (x,y )→(1,2)

= 12 ∗ 2 + 2 ∗ 1 ∗ 2 = 6.
xy
➬ Find lim(x,y )→(1,1) x+y .
Combining the rules mentioned above allows us to do the following

xy lim(x,y )→(1,1) xy
lim =
(x,y )→(1,1) x + y lim(x,y )→(1,1) (x + y )
lim(x,y )→(1,1) x lim(x,y )→(1,1) y 1.1 1
= = = .
lim(x,y )→(1,1) x + lim(x,y →(1,1) y ) 1+1 2

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Function of two variables Limits and continuity Partial derivatives Tangent planes and linear approximations Differentiable and directional derivatives Maximum a

2
➬ Find lim(x,y )→(0,0) √x −xy
√ .
x− y
We cannot plug in the point as we get 00 an indeterminate form. Since this is a fraction
that involves a radical, we multiply by the conjugate
√ √
x 2 − xy (x 2 − xy )( x − y )
lim √ √ = lim √ √ √ √
(x,y )→(0,0) x − y (x,y )→(0,0) ( x − y )( x + y )
√ √
x(x − y )( x − y )
= lim
(x,y )→(0,0) x −y
√ √
x( x − y )
= lim
(x,y )→(0,0) 1
=0.

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Function of two variables Limits and continuity Partial derivatives Tangent planes and linear approximations Differentiable and directional derivatives Maximum a

−y 3 3
➬ Find lim(x,y )→(0,0) x 2x+xy +y 2
We cannot plug in the point as we get 0 in the denominator. We try to rewrite the
fraction to see if we can simplify

x3 − y3 (x − y )(x 2 + xy + y 2 )
lim = lim
(x,y )→(0,0) x 2 + xy + y 2 (x,y )→(0,0) x 2 + xy + y 2
(x − y )
= lim
(x,y )→(0,0) 1
=0.

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x2 − y2
Show that lim(x,y )→(0,0) does not exist.
x2 + y2

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Function of two variables Limits and continuity Partial derivatives Tangent planes and linear approximations Differentiable and directional derivatives Maximum a

x2 − y2
Let f (x, y ) = .
x2 + y2
➬ First let’s approach (0, 0) along the x−axis. Then, y = 0 and hence f (x, 0) =
x 2 /x 2 = 1 for all x ̸= 0, so

f (x, y ) → 1 as (x, y ) → (0, 0) along the x−axis.

➬ If we approach (0, 0) along the y −axis i.e., x = 0, then f (0, y ) = −y 2 /y 2 = 1, so

f (x, y ) → 11 as (x, y ) → (0, 0) along the y −axis.

Since has two different limits along two different lines, the given limit does not exist.

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Function of two variables Limits and continuity Partial derivatives Tangent planes and linear approximations Differentiable and directional derivatives Maximum a

xy
Show that lim(x,y )→(0,0) does not exist.
x2 + y2
➬ If we approach (0, 0) along
x−axis i.e., y = 0, we ob-
xy
tain lim(x,y )→(0,0) 2 =
x + y2
0
lim(x,y )→(0,0) 2 = 0.
x + 02
➬ If we approach there along a line
y = x, then
xy xx 1
lim = lim = .
(x,y )→(0,0) x 2 + y 2 (x,x)→(0,0) x 2 + x 2 1

➬ Therefore, the given limit does not

exist.

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Function of two variables Limits and continuity Partial derivatives Tangent planes and linear approximations Differentiable and directional derivatives Maximum a

Continuity

A function of f of two variables is called continuous at (a, b) if

lim f (x, y ) = f (a, b). (3)

(x,y )→(a,b)

We say f is continuous on D if f is continuous at every point in D.

Remark: the intuition meaning of continuity is that the surface of the graph of a
function does not have a hole or break.

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Function of two variables Limits and continuity Partial derivatives Tangent planes and linear approximations Differentiable and directional derivatives Maximum a

Continuity’s laws
The following results are true for multivariable functions:
1. The sum, difference and product of continuous functions is a continuous function.
2. The quotient of two continuous functions is continuous as long as the
denominator is not 0.
3. Polynomial functions are continuous, for instance,

f (x, y ) = x 3 + x 2 y + 4xy 2 + y 3 + 1.

4. A rational function is continuous on its domain, for instance,

2xy
f (x, y ) = .
x2 −1
5. If f (x, y ) is continuous and g (x) is defined and continuous on the range of f ,
then g (f (x, y ) is also continuous.
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Function of two variables Limits and continuity Partial derivatives Tangent planes and linear approximations Differentiable and directional derivatives Maximum a

➬ Is f (x, y ) = x 2 y + 3x 3 y 4 − 2x − 3y continuous at (0, 0)? Where is it continuous?

f (x, y ) is a polynomial function, therefore it is continuous on R2 .
x −y +1
➬ Where is f (x, y ) = 2 continuous?
x + y2
f is the quotient of the two continuous functions, then it is continuous as long as its
denominator is not 0 that is on R2 /{(0, 0)}.
x
➬ Find where sin( ) is continuous?
y
x x
Since sin x is continuous on R, then sin( ) is continuous where is continuous that is
y y
on R2 /{y = 0}.

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Function of two variables Limits and continuity Partial derivatives Tangent planes and linear approximations Differentiable and directional derivatives Maximum a

Partial derivatives

➬ A function for a surface that depends on two variables x and y

➬ When we find the slope in the x (resp. y ) direction (while keeping y (resp. x) as a
constant) we have found a partial derivative.
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Function of two variables Limits and continuity Partial derivatives Tangent planes and linear approximations Differentiable and directional derivatives Maximum a

Indeed, if f is a function of two variables, its partial derivatives are the functions fx and
fy defined by

f (x + h, y ) − f (x, y ) f (x, y + h) − f (x, y )

fx (x, y ) = lim fy (x, y ) = lim . (4)
h→0 h h→0 h
Others notation, if z = f (x, y )

∂f ∂ ∂z
fx (x, y ) = fx = = f (x, y ) = = f1 = D1 f = Dx f (5)
∂x ∂x ∂x
∂f ∂ ∂z
fy (x, y ) = fx = = f (x, y ) = = f2 = D 2 f = D y f . (6)
∂y ∂y ∂y

➬ They represent the rate of change of f w.r.t x (resp. y when y (resp. x) is fixed.

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Function of two variables Limits and continuity Partial derivatives Tangent planes and linear approximations Differentiable and directional derivatives Maximum a

The rule for finding partial derivatives

1. To find fx , regard y as a constant and differentiate with respect to x.
2. To find fy , regard x as a constant and differentiate with respect to y .
Example: If f (x, y ) = 4 − x 2 − 2y 2 , find fx (2, 1) and fy (2, 1).
One has

fx = 2x fy = −4y .

Then,

fx (1, 1) = −2 fy (1, 1) = −4.

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Function of two variables Limits and continuity Partial derivatives Tangent planes and linear approximations Differentiable and directional derivatives Maximum a
 x  ∂f ∂f
➬ If f (x, y ) = sin , find and .
1+y ∂x ∂y
∂f  x  ∂  x   x  1
= cos · = cos .
∂x 1+y ∂x 1 + y 1+y 1+y
∂f  x  ∂  x   x  x
= cos · = cos · .
∂x 1+y ∂y 1 + y 1+y (1 + y )2
∂z
➬ Evaluate where z is defined implicitly as a function of x, y by
∂x
x 3 + y 3 + 6xyz = 1.
∂z
To find we differentiate implicitly with respect to x
∂x
∂z ∂z ∂z x 2 + 2yz
3x 2 + 3x 2 + 6yz + 6xy =0→ =− 2 .
∂x ∂x ∂x z + 2xy
∂z
➬ Evaluate where x, y , z given as above?
∂y
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Function of two variables Limits and continuity Partial derivatives Tangent planes and linear approximations Differentiable and directional derivatives Maximum a

Second partial derivatives

➬ fxy (a, b) = fyx (a, b) if they are continuous at (a, b).

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Function of two variables Limits and continuity Partial derivatives Tangent planes and linear approximations Differentiable and directional derivatives Maximum a

Partial derivatives in real life

➬ Wave equation ➬ Laplace equation

∂2u 2
2∂ u
∂2u ∂2u ∂2u
= a . (7) + + 2 = 0. (8)
∂t 2 ∂x 2 ∂x 2 ∂y 2 ∂z

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Function of two variables Limits and continuity Partial derivatives Tangent planes and linear approximations Differentiable and directional derivatives Maximum a

Tangent planes and linear approximations

Suppose f has continuous partial derivatives. An equation of the tangent plane to the
surface z = f (x, y ) at the point P(x0 , y0 , z0 ) is
z − z0 = fx (x0 , y0 )(x − x0 ) + fy (x0 , y0 )(y − y0 ). (9)
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Function of two variables Limits and continuity Partial derivatives Tangent planes and linear approximations Differentiable and directional derivatives Maximum a

Find the tangent plane to the elliptic paraboloid z = 2x 2 + y 2 at the point P(1, 1, 3)?

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Function of two variables Limits and continuity Partial derivatives Tangent planes and linear approximations Differentiable and directional derivatives Maximum a

Remember that the tangent plane to the elliptic paraboloid z = 2x 2 + y 2 at the point
P(1, 1, 3)
L(x, y ) = 4x + 2y − 3.
Therefore, in view of the visual evidence in the above figures, L is a good approximation
t0 f near P. For instance,

L(1.1, 0.95) = 3.3 ≈ f (1.1, 0.95) = 3.3225.

In general, the tangent plane to the surface z = f (x, y ) at (a, b, f (a, b))

L(x, y ) = f (a, b) + fx (a, b)(x − a) + fy (a, b)(y − b) (10)

is called a linear approximation or the tangent plane approximation of f at (a, b).

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Function of two variables Limits and continuity Partial derivatives Tangent planes and linear approximations Differentiable and directional derivatives Maximum a

Differentiable
If z = f (x, y ) and suppose x changes from a to a + ∆x and y changes from b to b + ∆y ,
then the corresponding incremant of z is

∆z = f (a + ∆x, b + ∆y ) − f (a, b). (11)

We say f is differentiable at (a, b) if ∆z can be expressed in the form

∆z = fx (a, b)∆x + fy (a, b)∆y + ε1 ∆x + ε2 δy , (12)

where ε1 and ε2 → 0 as (∆x, ∆y ) → (0.0).

It convinces that a differentiable function is one for which the linear approximation is a
good approximation when (a, y ) is near (a, b).
Theorem
If the partial derivatives fx and fy exist near (a, b) and are continuous at (a, b), then f
is differentiable at (a, b).
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Function of two variables Limits and continuity Partial derivatives Tangent planes and linear approximations Differentiable and directional derivatives Maximum a

Directional derivatives

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Function of two variables Limits and continuity Partial derivatives Tangent planes and linear approximations Differentiable and directional derivatives Maximum a

f (x0 + h, y0 ) − f (x0 , y0 ) f (x0 , y0 + h) − f (x0 , y0 )

fx (x0 , y0 ) = lim , fy (x0 , y0 ) = lim
h→0 h h→0 h
represent the rate of change of z in the x−axis and y −axis directions respectively.
Similarly, the rate of change of z in an arbitrary direction u =< a, b > at (x0 , y0 ) is

f (x0 + ha, y0 + hb) − f (x0 , y0 )

Du f (x0 , y0 ) = lim . (13)
h→0 h

Theorem
If f is a differentiable function of x and y , then f has a directional derivative in the
direction of any unit vector u =< a, b > and

Du f (x0 , y0 ) = ∇f (x0 , y0 ) · u = fx (x0 , y0 )a + fy (X0 , y0 )b. (14)

The vector ∇f (x0 , y0 ) =< fx (x0 , y0 ), fy ((x0 , y0 ) > is gradient of f at (x0 , y0 ).

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Function of two variables Limits and continuity Partial derivatives Tangent planes and linear approximations Differentiable and directional derivatives Maximum a

➬ Use the weather map in Figure 1 to estimate the value of the directional derivative
of the temperature function at Reno in the southeasterly direction.
➬ Find the directional derivative Du f (x, y ) and the gradient ∇f (x, y ) if
π π
1. f (x, y ) = x 3 − 3xy + 4y 2 and u =< cos , sin > and u =< 1, −1 >
6 6
2. f (x, y ) = sin x + e xy
3. f (x, y ) = xx 2 y 3 − 4y and u =< 2, −1 >.

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Function of two variables Limits and continuity Partial derivatives Tangent planes and linear approximations Differentiable and directional derivatives Maximum a

Maximizing directional derivatives

➬ f is differentiable, then it has a directional in any unit vector. In which of these
directions does f change fastest?
Answer: The maximum value of the directional derivative Du f (x, y ) is ∇f (x) and it
occurs when u has the same direction as ∇f (x) (see theorem 15, Jame Stewazts).

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Function of two variables Limits and continuity Partial derivatives Tangent planes and linear approximations Differentiable and directional derivatives Maximum a

➬ ∇f (x0 , y0 ) gives the direction of fastest increase of f at (x0 , y0 ). ➬ Moreover,

∇f (x0 , y0 ) is perpendicular to the level curve f (x, y ) = k that passes through (x0 , y0 ).

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Function of two variables Limits and continuity Partial derivatives Tangent planes and linear approximations Differentiable and directional derivatives Maximum a

Maximum and minimum values

➬ (a, b) is a local minimum (resp.

maximum) if f (a, b) ≤ f (x, y ) for
(x, y ) near (a, b).
➬ (a, b) is an absolute minimum
(resp. an absolute maximum) if
f (a, b) ≤ f (x, y ) for all (x, y )
belonging to the domain of f .
➬ The first-order necessary
condition: (a, b) is either a local
minimum or maximum then
∇f (a, b) = 0.

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Function of two variables Limits and continuity Partial derivatives Tangent planes and linear approximations Differentiable and directional derivatives Maximum a

Sufficient condition: Suppose the second partial derivatives of f are continuous around
(a, b), and suppose that ∇f (a, b) = 0 (i.e., a, b) is a critical point of f ). Let

fxx fxy
D= = fxx fyy − fxy2 . (15)
fxy fyy

1. If D > 0 and fxx (a, b) > 0, then is a local minimum.

2. If D > 0 and fxx (a, b) < 0, then is a local maximum.
3. If D < 0, then is not a local maximum or minimum. In such a case, (a, b) is
called a saddle point.
Examples: (1) Find the local maximum and minimum values and saddle points of

f (x, y ) = x 4 + y 4 − 4xy + 1.

(2) Find the shortest distance from (1, 0, −2) to the plane x + 2y + 4 = 4.

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Function of two variables Limits and continuity Partial derivatives Tangent planes and linear approximations Differentiable and directional derivatives Maximum a

Find the absolute maximum and minimum values of the function f (x, y ) = x 2 −2xy +2y
on the rectangle D = {(x, y ) | 0 ≤ x ≤ 3, 0 ≤ y ≤ 2} .
Step 1: finds critical points and value of f at these points
fx = 2x − 2y = 0, fy = −2x + 2 = 0.
Then the critical point is (1, 1) and f (1, 1) = 1.
Step 2 -3: find the extreme values of f on D and compare the values from 1 and 2.

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Function of two variables Limits and continuity Partial derivatives Tangent planes and linear approximations Differentiable and directional derivatives Maximum a

Lagrange’s method

➬ find extreme of f (x, y ) under a

constraint g (x, y ) = k.
➬ Lagrange’s method: if (x0 , y0 ) is
an extreme point and
∇g (x0 , y0 ) ̸= 0, then

∇f (x0 , y0 ) = λ∇g (x0 , y0 ) (16)

for some λ.
➬ Similarly, if (x0 , y0 , z0 ) is a extreme of f (x, y , z) subject to g (x, y , z) = k and suppose
∇g (x0 , yy , z0 ) ̸= 0 then
∇f (x0 , y0 , z0 ) = λ∇g (x0 , y0 , z0 ) (17)
for some
Nguyenλ.
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Function of two variables Limits and continuity Partial derivatives Tangent planes and linear approximations Differentiable and directional derivatives Maximum a

Example: Find the extreme values of the function f (x, y ) = x 2 + 2y 2 on the circle
x 2 + y 2 = 1.

➬ step 1: solve

∇f (x, y ) = λ∇g (x, y ) (18)

for x, y , λ
➬ step 1: evaluate f at these
points. The largest one is
maximum; the smallest is
minimum.

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