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Chapter 6
PARTIAL DIFFERENTIATION

6.1 PARTIAL DERIVATIVES

Partial Derivative is the derivative of a function of two or more variables with
respect to one independent variable treating the other variable/s as constant. Partial
Differentiation is the process of finding such derivative.

First Order Partial Derivatives

The First Partial derivatives of f ( x , y , z ) with respect to x, y and z are denoted

and
obtained as follows:

First Partial derivatives of f ( x , y , z ) with respect to x:

∂f /∂x ,
fx , f x ( x , y , z ) ; treating y and z as constant

First Partial derivatives of f ( x , y , z ) with respect to x:

∂f /∂ y ,
fy , f y ( x , y , z ) ; treating x and z as constant

First Partial derivatives of f ( x , y , z ) with respect to x:

∂f /∂z ,
f z , f z ( x , y , z ) ; treating x and y as constant

2 3 4 2 3 f x , (ii) f y and (iii)

Example 1. If f ( x , y , z ) =5 x y z −3 y +z , find (i)
f z ( 1 , 2,3 )
Solution:
f ( x , y , z ) =5 x 2 y 3 z 4 −3 y 2 +z 3
3 4
f x =10 xy z
f y =15 x 2 y 2 z 4 −6 y
2 3 3 2
f z ( x , y , z )=20 x y z +3 z
f z ( 1 , 2,3 )=20 ( 1 )2 ( 2 )3 ( 3 )3 +3 ( 3 )2=4347

∂f ∂f
f x ( 0 , π2 )
Example 2. If f ( x , y )=x sin y−cos xy , find ∂ x , ∂ y and .
Solution:
∂f
=sin y+ y sin xy
∂x
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∂f
=xcos y+x sin xy
∂y
f x ( x , y ) =sin y+ y sin xy
π
f x ( 0 , π2 )=sin π2 + sin 0=1
2
3
xy
Example 3. If φ ( x , y ,z ) =xze , determine φ y ( 1, 2,0 ) .
Solution:
3
φ ( x , y ,z ) =xze xy
3
φ y ( x , y ,z )=3 x 2 y 2 ze xy
3
φ y ( 2 , −1,1 )=3 ( 2 )2 (−1 )2 e 2 (−1 ) =12 e−2

Second Order Partial Derivatives

The Second Partial derivatives of f ( x , y ) with respect to x and y are expressed

and found as:

∂2 f ∂ ∂ f =∂ f x ∂2 f ∂ ∂f = ∂ f y
(i) ∂ x
2
=f xx = ( )
∂ x ∂x ∂x (ii) ∂ y
2
=f yy = ( )
∂ y ∂ y ∂x

∂2 f ∂f ∂ f y ∂2 f ∂f ∂ f x
(iii) ∂ x∂ y
=f yx= ∂ =
∂x ∂ y ∂x ( ) (iv) ∂ y ∂ x
=f xy= ∂ =
∂ y ∂x ∂ y ( )
Note: If
f xy and f yx are continuous, then f xy =f yx .

3
Example 4. If f ( x , y )=2 x +3 y −x y , find (a)
2 3 f xy , (b)
f yx , (c)
f xx ,

and (d)
f yy
Solution:
2 2 2
f x =6 x −3 x y f =12 x−6 xy
; (a) f xy =−3 x ; (c) xx
f y =6 y−x 3 2
; (b) f yx =−3 x ; (d) yy
f =6

xy 2
Example 5. If f ( x , y ) =e sin xy , find ∂ f /∂ x∂ y at ( 0,π ) .
Solution:
xy
f ( x , y ) =e sin xy
∂f
=xe xy cos xy+xe xy sin xy=xe xy ( cos xy +x sin xy )
∂y
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2
∂ f
=xe xy (− ysin xy+ y sin xy )+(cos xy+sin xy )[ xye xy +e xy ]
∂ x∂ y
At ( 0,π ) ,
2
∂f
=1
∂ x∂ y .

Example 7. If f ( x , y ) =x ln xy , find f xx at ( 1,e )

Solution:
f x =ln xy
1 1
f xx= ( y )=
xy x
At ( 1,e ) ,
1
f xx = =1
1

6.2 TOTAL DIFFERENTIAL

The total differential of the function f ( x , y , z ) is given by

∂f ∂f ∂f
df ( x, y ,z )= dx+ dy + dz
∂x ∂y ∂z .

2 3 4
Example 8. If f ( x , y , z )=3 x y z , find df ( 3, 2,1 )
Solution:
∂f ∂f ∂f
df ( x, y ,z )= dx+ dy + dz
∂x ∂y ∂z
f ( x , y , z )=3 x 2 y 3 z 4
∂f ∂f ∂f
=6 xy 3 z 4 =9 x 2 y 2 z 4 =12 x 2 y 3 z 3
∂x ; ∂y ; ∂x
df ( x , y , z )=( 6 xy 3 z 4 ) dx + ( 9 x 2 y 2 z 4 ) dy+ ( 12 x 2 y 3 z 3 ) dz
df ( 3 , 2,1 ) =( 6 ( 3 ) ( 2 )3 ( 1 )4 ) dx+ ( 9 ( 3 )2 ( 2 )2 ( 1 )4 ) dy + ( 12 ( 3 )2 ( 2 )3 ( 1 )3 ) dz
df ( 3 , 2,1 ) =( 432 ) dx+ ( 324 ) dy +(864 )dz

Example 9. If f ( x , y , z )=sin xy+cos yz , find the total differential of

f (x , y , z) .
Solution:
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∂f ∂f ∂f
df ( x, y ,z )= dx+ dy+ dz
∂x ∂y ∂z
∂f
= yscos xy
∂x
∂f
=xscos xy−zsin yz
∂y
∂f
=− ysin yz
∂z
df ( x, y , z )= yz cos xydx +xs cos xy−zsin yzdy− y sin yzdz