BEngineering Mathematics 1 (MAT 2018) July 2020

Unit 2 Partial Differentiation

2.3 Total Derivative, Small Changes and Implicit Functions

2.3.1 Total Derivative and Small Change

In engineering, small increments and errors are very important. The slightest shift/ change can
result in disasters/ catastrophies. It can also increase or decrease cost and affect efficiency.
Resources are scarce and expensive so it is important that the engineer analyses situations
carefully, giving thought to the effect of the slightest adjustment.

Let us consider briefly a large cylindrically shaped storage medium with a circular face of area
𝐴1 and vertical height ℎ1 . The volume, or capacity, in cubic units is computed using the formula
𝑉1 = 𝐴1 ℎ1 . The cylinder rests on one of its face therefore applying pressure to the ground. The
engineer (and his team) should properly analyse how much pressure can be applied on the
particular piece of land. How the engineer increases/ decreases 𝐴1 or ℎ1 to get the optimal
storage capacity requires much thought. The engineering team should consider if the available
land area is a limitation/ constraint. What is to be stored in the container is an important factor,
combined with how the contents will be assessed (ladder, pipeline,etc). The material to be used
in the construction of such storage medium is important. Is the area prone to natural disasters
(earthquake, flooding, etc). The slightest shift in the dimensions of the unit should not be taken
lightly.

𝑑𝑦 𝑓(𝑥+ℎ)−𝑓(𝑥) 𝛿𝑦
Recall: = 𝑙𝑖𝑚 = 𝑙𝑖𝑚
𝑑𝑥 ℎ→0 ℎ 𝛿𝑥→0 𝛿𝑥

Let x represent a small increment/ change in the variable x

Let y represent the corresponding small change in the dependent variable y,
responding to the small change in x.
𝑑𝑦 𝛿𝑦 𝑑𝑦
Then, if x is small, ≈ . Transposing gives 𝛿𝑦 ≈ 𝛿𝑥 .
𝑑𝑥 𝛿𝑥 𝑑𝑥

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Simple example The area of a square, in square units, is given by 𝐴 = 𝑙 2 ; where l represents
the length of each side. A square with sides of length 4cm has an area of
16𝑐𝑚2 . The rate at which the area of the square is changing with respect to
𝑑𝐴 𝑑𝐴
the length of its sides is given by the derivative, = 2𝑙. At 4cm, = 8.
𝑑𝑙 𝑑𝑙
This is interpreted as for every unit increase in the length of each side, the
area increases by 8 units. Now what if the length of the side is increased by a
small amount (less than 5 %)? If the length of each side was then increased
to 4.1cm, then the new area would be 16.81𝑐𝑚2 .
An approximation for the change in area can be obtained using the formula
𝑑𝐴
𝛿𝐴 ≈ 𝛿𝑙 .
𝑑𝑙

𝛿𝐴 ≈ (0.1)(2 × 4) ≈ 0.8
The actual increase was 0.81, so as you can see this is a good approximation.

Similarly, if 𝒛 = 𝒇(𝒙, 𝒚) and there are small changes in x and y, then the approximate
𝝏𝒛 𝝏𝒛
corresponding small change in z is given by: 𝜹𝒛 ≈ 𝜹𝒙 + 𝜹𝒚 .
𝝏𝒙 𝝏𝒚

*small implies less than 5%.

𝝏𝒛 𝝏𝒛 𝝏𝒛
Note: By extension, if 𝒛 = 𝒇(𝒙𝟏 , 𝒙𝟐 , . . . , 𝒙𝒏 ), then 𝜹𝒛 ≈ 𝜹𝒙𝟏 + 𝜹𝒙𝟐 +. . . + 𝜹𝒙𝒏 .
𝝏𝒙𝟏 𝝏𝒙𝟐 𝝏𝒙𝒏

Example A right cylinder with height 10 meters has two opposing circular faces with
diameter 10 meters. Compute the following, to the nearest hundredth:

a) The volume of the cylinder.

b) The volume of the cylinder if the height is increased to 10.5 meters and the
diameter decreased to 9.5 meters.
c) Compute the change in volume
d) Using the total derivative, approximate the change in volume.

Solution
a) 𝑉 = 𝜋𝑟 2 ℎ = 𝜋(5𝑚)2 10𝑚 = 785.40 𝑚3
b) 𝑉 = 𝜋𝑟 2 ℎ = 𝜋(4.75𝑚)2 10.5𝑚 = 744.26 𝑚3

2
 c) 𝛿𝑉 = 744.26 − 785.40 = 41.14 𝑐𝑢𝑏𝑖𝑐 𝑚𝑒𝑡𝑟𝑒𝑠
𝜕𝑉 𝜕𝑉
d) 𝛿ℎ = 0.5𝑚; 𝛿𝑟 = −0.25𝑚 and = 𝜋𝑟 2 ; = 2𝜋𝑟ℎ
𝜕ℎ 𝜕𝑟

𝜕𝑉 𝜕𝑉
𝛿𝑉 ≈ 𝛿𝑟 + 𝛿ℎ ≈ 2𝜋(5𝑚)(10𝑚)(−0.25𝑚) + 𝜋(5𝑚)2 0.5𝑚
𝜕𝑟 𝜕ℎ
≈ (−25𝜋 + 12.5𝜋)𝑚 ≈ −12.5𝜋 𝑐𝑢𝑏𝑖𝑐 𝑚𝑒𝑡𝑟𝑒𝑠
So, the overall volume decreases by approximately 39.27 cubic metres

𝑉
Example If 𝐼 = , and 𝑉 = 220𝑉𝑜𝑙𝑡𝑠 and 𝑅 = 55𝑜ℎ𝑚𝑠, find the change in 𝐼 resulting from
𝑅

an increase of 2𝑉𝑜𝑙𝑡𝑠 in V and increase of 1𝑜ℎ𝑚 in R .

𝜕𝐼 𝜕𝐼
Solution 𝐼 = 𝑉𝑅−1 = 𝑅−1 = −𝑉𝑅−2 𝛿𝑉 = +2 𝛿𝑅 = +1
𝜕𝑉 𝜕𝑅

𝜕𝐼 𝜕𝐼 2 220
𝛿𝐼 ≈ 𝛿𝑉 + 𝛿𝑅 ≈ 𝑅−1 (2) + −𝑉𝑅−2 (1) ≈ − ≈
𝜕𝑉 𝜕𝑅 55 552
2
− 𝐴𝑚𝑝𝑒𝑟𝑒𝑠 𝑜𝑟 0.036 𝐴𝑚𝑝𝑒𝑟𝑒𝑠
55

8𝑏5 𝑐 2
Example If 𝑧 = , find the percentage change in z if c is increased by 2%, b and d are
√𝑑

decreased by 1% and 3%, respectively.

1 1 1 3
𝜕𝑧 𝜕𝑧 𝜕𝑧
Solution 𝑧 = 8𝑏 5 𝑐 2 𝑑 − 2 ; = 40𝑏4 𝑐 2 𝑑 − 2 ; = 16𝑏 5 𝑐𝑑 − 2 ; = −4𝑏 5 𝑐 2 𝑑 − 2
𝜕𝑏 𝜕𝑐 𝜕𝑑

𝛿𝑐 = +0.02𝑐 ; 𝛿𝑏 = −0.01𝑏 ; 𝛿𝑑 = −0.03𝑑

1 1 3
−
𝛿𝑧 ≈ 40𝑏 𝑐 𝑑 4 2 2 (−0.01𝑏) + 16𝑏 5 𝑐𝑑 − 2 (0.02𝑐) + −4𝑏 5 𝑐 2 𝑑 − 2 (−0.03𝑑) ≈
1 1 1 1
−0.4𝑏 5 𝑐 2 𝑑 − 2 + 0.32𝑏 5 𝑐 2 𝑑 − 2 + 0.12𝑏 5 𝑐 2 𝑑 − 2 ≈ 0.04𝑏5 𝑐 2 𝑑 − 2 ≈
1
0.005 × 8𝑏 5 𝑐 2 𝑑 − 2 ≈ 0.005𝑧

This is a 0.5% increase in z.

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2.3.2 Implicit Functions

Recall An implicit function in which y is the dependent and x is the independent variable
is expressed in a form in which y is not the subject of the formula; for example
3𝑥𝑦 = 4𝑥 2 − 7.

The rules of differentiation are generally stated with y as the subject.

Sometimes it is either too tedious or extremely difficult to make y the subject of the formula.
𝑑𝑦
Implicit differentiation involves differentiating the function to obtain the derivative, , without
𝑑𝑥

actually making y the subject; that is in its implicit form

𝑑𝑦
Example Using implicit differentiation, find the derivative, , of 𝑥 2 − 2𝑥𝑦 − 𝑦 2 = 0
𝑑𝑥

𝑑𝑦 𝑑𝑦
Solution 2𝑥 − (2𝑥 + 2𝑦) − 2𝑦 =0
𝑑𝑥 𝑑𝑥

𝑑𝑦 𝑑𝑦
2𝑥 − 2𝑦 − 2𝑥 − 2𝑦 =0
𝑑𝑥 𝑑𝑥

𝑑𝑦
2𝑥 − 2𝑦 = (2𝑥 + 2𝑦)
𝑑𝑥

𝑑𝑦 2𝑥−2𝑦 𝑥−𝑦
= =
𝑑𝑥 2𝑥+2𝑦 𝑥+𝑦

Partial derivatives can be used to obtain the derivative of an implicit function.

Let 𝑧 = 𝑓(𝑥, 𝑦) = 0 represent an implicit function in which y is dependent on x.

𝜕𝑧 𝜕𝑧 𝛿𝑧 𝜕𝑧 𝛿𝑦 𝜕𝑧
Given 𝛿𝑧 ≈ 𝛿𝑥 + 𝛿𝑦 , dividing through by 𝛿𝑥gives: ≈ +
𝜕𝑥 𝜕𝑦 𝛿𝑥 𝜕𝑥 𝛿𝑥 𝜕𝑦

𝑑𝑧 𝜕𝑧 𝑑𝑦 𝜕𝑧 𝑑𝑦
As 𝛿𝑥 → 0, then = + . But 𝑧 = 𝑓(𝑥, 𝑦) = 0, hence 0 = 𝑧𝑥 + 𝑧𝑦 .
𝑑𝑥 𝜕𝑥 𝑑𝑥 𝜕𝑦 𝑑𝑥

𝒅𝒚 −𝒛𝒙
This transposes to give = .
𝒅𝒙 𝒛𝒚

Note There is no need to study the proof above, the final result will be useful.
Let us repeat the previous example, using partial differentiation…
Let 𝑧 = 𝑓(𝑥, 𝑦) = 𝑥 2 − 2𝑥𝑦 − 𝑦 2 = 0
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 𝒅𝒚 −𝒛𝒙 2𝑥−2𝑦 2𝑥−2𝑦 𝑥−𝑦
Then = =− = =
𝒅𝒙 𝒛𝒚 −2𝑥−2𝑦 2𝑥+2𝑦 𝑥+𝑦

This method is rather efficient and produces the same end result.

𝑑𝑦
Example Use partial derivatives to find at the point (1, 1) if 𝑦 = 𝑓(𝑥) is determined
𝑑𝑥

implicitly by the equation 𝑥 3 − 2𝑦 2 + 𝑥𝑦 = 0.

𝑑𝑦 3𝑥 2 +𝑦 3𝑥 2 +𝑦 3+1 4
Solution =− = = = .
𝑑𝑥 −4𝑦+𝑥 4𝑦−𝑥 4−1 3

Prepared by T-A Russell (tarussell@utech.edu.jm) July 22, 2020