WTW 164

Units 5.3 and 5.4: Partial

derivatives and tangent planes
Dr HR (Maya) Thackeray
<maya.thackeray@up.ac.za>
Partial derivatives
Consider z = f(x, y).
If we hold y constant at y = b, we get a function given by g1(x) = f(x, b). The partial
derivative of f with respect to x at (a, b) is
fx(a,b) = g1’(a) = .
If we hold x constant at x = a, we get a function given by g2(y) = f(a, y). The partial
derivative of f with respect to y at (a, b) is
fy(a,b) = g2’(b) = .
Notation:
fx(x, y) = fx = f1 = = = f(x, y) = Dxf = D1f
fy(x, y) = fy = f2 = = = f(x, y) = Dyf = D2f
Questions (page 1)
Let f(x, y) = x4 – 6x2y2 + 9y4. Find f/x, f/y, fx(–1, 1), and fy(–1, 1).
Solution. f/x = 4x3 – 12xy2; f/y = –12x2y + 36y3.
fx(–1, 1) = 4(–1)3 – 12(–1)(1)2 = –4 + 12 = 8.
fy(–1, 1) = –12(–1)2(1) + 36(1)3 = –12 + 36 = 24.

Let z = (x + 2y). Find z/x and z/y.

Solution. z/x = 1. + (x + 2y).2x.
z/y = 2 + (x + 2y).(–1).
Higher partial derivatives
Note the notation.
fxx = (fx)x = f11 = = =
fxy = (fx)y = f12 = = =
fyx = (fy)x = f21 = = =
fyy = (fy)y = f22 = = =
In each case, the first three ways of writing the derivative give the
variables from left to right, and the last three ways give the variables
from right to left.
Questions (page 2)
Let f(x, y) = x4 – 6x2y2 + 9y4. Find fxy and fyx.
Solution. Using the results from before, we have the following.
(fx)y = (/y)(4x3 – 12xy2) = –24xy.
(fy)x = (/x)(–12x2y + 36y3) = –24xy.
(For “suitably nice” functions f, we have fxy = fyx. However, it is not always the case
that fxy = fyx holds.)

Let z = (x + 2y). Find z/.

Solution. From previously, we have z/x = + (2x2 + 4xy), so
z/ = .2x + (4x + 4y) + (2x2 + 4xy).2x.
Partial derivatives and tangent planes
Consider a point P = (a, b, f(a, b)) on the graph z = f(x, y).
Let the graph’s intersection with the plane y = b (respectively, the plane x = a) be
the curve C1 (respectively, the curve C2).
The partial derivative fx(a,b) (respectively, fy(a,b)) is the slope of the tangent line
to C1 in the plane y = b (respectively, the slope of the tangent to C 2 in the plane x =
a).
The tangent plane to the graph at P is the plane that contains both tangent lines.
The tangent plane has equation
z – f(a,b) = fx(a,b).(x – a) + fy(a,b).(y – b).
(This is analogous to the equation y – b = m(x – a) for the line through (a, b) with
slope m in 2D space.)
Questions (page 3)
Find the tangent plane to the surface
z = x4 – 6x2y2 + 9y4
at the point (–1, 1, 4).
From before: fx(–1, 1) = 8 and fy(–1, 1) = 24. The plane is given by
z – 4 = 8(x + 1) + 24(y – 1), that is, z – 4 = 8x + 8 + 24y – 24, that is,
8x + 24y – z – 12 = 0.