Department of Mathematics

Faculty of Engineering
University of Moratuwa

MA1024 | Methods of Mathematics

Tutorial 03
Multivariate Calculus and PDE

1. a. Find the domain of the following functions indicated by the questions and indicate
these domains graphically.
√ 𝑥+𝑦+1
i. 𝑓(𝑥, 𝑦) = 𝑥−1
ii. 𝑓(𝑥, 𝑦) = 𝑥𝑙𝑛(𝑦 2 − 𝑥)

b. Sketch the level curves for the function ℎ(𝑥, 𝑦) = √9 − 𝑥 2 − 𝑦 2 for 𝑘 = 0,1,2,3

2. Prove or disprove whether the following limits exist.

5𝑥 2 𝑦 2
a. lim
(𝑥,𝑦)→(0,0) 𝑥 2 +𝑦 2
2𝑥 3 +𝑦 3
b. lim
(𝑥,𝑦)→(0,0) 𝑥𝑦 2

3. a. Give an example of a 2-variable function in which the iterated limits are equal, but the
double limit does not exist near the neighborhood (0,0).

b. Suggest a 2-variable function in which the iterated limits do not exist, and the double
limit exits near the neighborhood (0,0)

4. Let 𝑓1 , 𝑓2 , … . . , 𝑓𝑛 be 𝑛 number of real valued functions defined on a subset 𝑆 of the set of

all real numbers. Let 𝑎 ∈ 𝑆 and 𝑓𝑘 is continuous at 𝑎 for each 𝑘 𝜖 (1, … , 𝑛). Let 𝑓: 𝑆 → 𝑅
(𝑅 is the set of all real numbers) be defined by 𝑓(𝑥) = 𝑚𝑎𝑥{𝑓1 (𝑥), 𝑓2 (𝑥), . . . . . , 𝑓𝑛 (𝑥)} for
each 𝑥 𝜖 𝑆. Discuss the continuity of 𝑓 at 𝑎 and prove your assertions. (Hint: consider the
(𝑓𝑘 +𝑓𝑗 ) |𝑓𝑘 − 𝑓𝑗 |
function, 𝑔 = + ).
2 2

𝑥𝑦
5. Consider the function 𝑓: 𝑅 2 → 𝑅 defined by 𝑓(𝑥, 𝑦) = 𝑥 2 +𝑦 2 for each (𝑥, 𝑦) 𝜖𝑅 2 − {(0,0)}
and 𝑓(0,0) = 0. Prove that the partial derivatives 𝑓𝑥 (𝑥, 𝑦) and 𝑓𝑦 (𝑥, 𝑦) exist for every
(𝑥, 𝑦) 𝜖 𝑅 2 and evaluate these derivatives explicitly in terms of 𝑥 and 𝑦.

6. Find all second partial derivatives of 𝑓(𝑥, 𝑦, 𝑧) = 𝑒 𝑥𝑦 𝑙𝑛𝑧.

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 𝜕𝑧 𝜕𝑧
7. Use implicit differentiation to find and
𝜕𝑥 𝜕𝑦
a. 𝑦𝑧 = 𝑙𝑛(𝑥 + 𝑧)
b. 𝑠𝑖𝑛(𝑥𝑦𝑧) = 𝑥 + 2𝑦 + 3𝑧

8. a. If 𝑎, 𝑏, 𝑐 are the lengths of the three sides of a triangle and 𝐴, 𝐵, 𝐶 are the magnitudes
𝜕𝐴 𝜕𝐵 𝜕𝐶
(in radians) of the opposite angles of the sides 𝑎, 𝑏, 𝑐 respectively, find , , by
𝜕𝑎 𝜕𝑏 𝜕𝑐
𝜕𝐴 𝑘 𝜕𝐵 𝑘 𝜕𝐶 𝑘
implicit differentiation of the law of cosines, show that 𝜕𝑎 = 𝑏𝑐 , 𝜕𝑏 = 𝑎𝑐 , 𝜕𝑐 = 𝑎𝑏 where 𝑘
is a constant.

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b. The temperature at a point (𝑥, 𝑦) on a flat metal plate is given by 𝑇(𝑥, 𝑦) = 1+𝑥 2+𝑦 2,
where 𝑇 is measured in celsius and 𝑥, 𝑦 in meters. Find the rate of change of temperature
with respect to distance at the point (1,2),
i. in the 𝑥 − direction
ii. in the 𝑦 − direction

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c. The Kinetic energy of a body with mass 𝑚 and velocity 𝑣 is 𝐾 = 2 𝑚𝑣 2 .
𝜕𝐾 𝜕2 𝐾
Show that = 𝐾.
𝜕𝑚 𝜕𝑣 2

𝑛2 𝑎
9. a. The Vander Waals equation for 𝑛 moles of a gas is (𝑃 + 𝑉 2 )(𝑉 − 𝑛𝑏) = 𝑛𝑅𝑇 where
𝑃 is the pressure, 𝑉 is the volume, and 𝑇 is the temperature of the gas. The constant 𝑅 is
the universal gas constant and 𝑎 and 𝑏 are positive constants that are characteristic of a
𝜕𝑇 𝜕𝑃
particular gas. Evaluate 𝜕𝑃 and 𝜕𝑉.

b. The gas law of a fixed mass 𝑚 of an ideal gas at absolute temperature 𝑇, pressure 𝑃,
𝜕𝑃 𝜕𝑣 𝜕𝑇
and volume 𝑉 is 𝑃𝑉 = 𝑚𝑅𝑇, where 𝑅 is the gas constant. Show that 𝜕𝑉 𝜕𝑇 𝜕𝑃 = −1.

𝜕𝑃 𝜕𝑉
c. For the ideal gas in 𝑝𝑎𝑟𝑡 𝑏. above, show that 𝑇 𝜕𝑇 𝜕𝑇 = 𝑚𝑅.

10. Use Clairaut’s theorem to show that if the third order partial derivatives of 𝑓 are
continuous, then 𝑓𝑥𝑦𝑦 = 𝑓𝑦𝑥𝑦 = 𝑓𝑦𝑦𝑥

-End of the Tutorial-

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