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University of Zakho Faculty of Science Department of Mathematics

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55 views11 pages

University of Zakho Faculty of Science Department of Mathematics

Uploaded by

Wisal muhammed
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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University of zakho

Faculty of science
Department of mathematics

Tangent plane and normal line


supervision of : D. Fazel

Reported by students:
Viyan Mahdi
Wasan xalil
Zozan salih
Introduction

In single-variable differential calculus we saw how the


derivative defined the tangent line to the graph of a
differentiable function at a point on the graph. The
tangent line then provided for a linearization of the
function at the point. In this section, we will see
analogously how the gradient defines the tangent plane
to the level surface of a function w = ƒ(x, y, z) at a point
on the surface. In the same way as before, the tangent
plane then provides for a linear-ization of ƒ at the point
and defines the total differential of the function.

Tangent Planes and Normal Lines


If r(t) = x(t)i + y(t)j + z(t)k is a smooth curve on the level
surface ƒ(x, y, z) = c of a differentiable function ƒ, we
found in Equation (7) of the last section that
𝑑
ƒ(r(t)) = ∇ƒ(r(t)) ٠ r′(t).
𝑑𝑡

Since ƒ is constant along the curve r, the derivative on


the left-hand side of the equation is 0, so the gradient ∇ƒ
is orthogonal to the curve’s velocity vector r′.
Now let us restrict our attention to the curves that pass
through P₀. All the velocity vectors at P0 are orthogonal
to ∇ƒ at P₀ , so the curves’ tangent lines all lie in the
plane through P0 normal to ∇ƒ. We now define this
plane.
DEFINITIONS: Tangent Plane, Normal Line
The tangent plane at the point Po(x₀, y₀, z₀) on the level
surface f(x, y, z) = c of a differentiable function f is the
plane through Po normal to ∇f|Po
The normal line of the surface at Po is the line through
Po parallel to ∇f|Po .

Tangent Plane to ƒ(x, y, z) = c at P0(x0, y0, z0)


ƒx(P0)(x - x0) + ƒy(P0)(y - y0) + ƒz(P0)(z - z0) = 0 (1)

Normal Line to ƒ(x, y, z) = c at P0(x0, y0, z0)


x = x0 + ƒx(P0)t, y = y0 + ƒy(P0)t, z = z0 + ƒz(P0)t (2)

Example : Find the tangent plane and normal line of the


surface
ƒ(x, y, z) = 𝑥 2 + 𝑦 2 + z - 9 = 0 a circular paraboloid

at the point Po(1, 2, 4).


Solution
The tangent plane is the plane through Po perpendicular
to the gradient of f at Po. The gradient is
∇ƒ|P0 = (2xi + 2yj + k)(1,2,4) = 2i + 4j + k.
The tangent plane is therefore the plane
2(x – 1) + 4(y – 2) + (z − 4) = 0, or 2x + 4y + z = 14.
The line normal to the surface at Po is
x = 1 + 2t, y = 2 + 41, z = 4 + t.

To find an equation for the plane tangent to a smooth


surface z = ƒ(x, y) at a point P0(x0 , y0 , z0) where z0 = ƒ(x0 ,
y0), we first observe that the equation z = ƒ(x, y) is
equiva-lent to ƒ(x, y) - z = 0. The surface z = ƒ(x, y) is
therefore the zero level surface of the function F(x, y, z)
= ƒ(x, y) - z. The partial derivatives of F are

𝝏
Fx = 𝝏𝒙 (ƒ(x, y) - z) = fx - 0 = fx
𝝏
Fy = 𝝏𝒚 (ƒ(x, y) - z) = fy - 0 = fy
𝝏
Fz = 𝝏𝒛 (ƒ(x, y) - z) = 0 - 1 = -1.
for the plane tangent to the level surface at P0 therefore
reduces to
ƒx(x0 , y0)(x - x0) + ƒy(x0 , y0)(y - y0) - (z - z0) = 0.

Plane Tangent to a Surface z = ƒ(x, y) at (x0, y0, ƒ(x0, y0))


The plane tangent to the surface z = ƒ(x, y) of a
differentiable function ƒ at the point P0(x0 , y0 , z0) = (x0 ,
y0 , ƒ(x0 , y0)) is
ƒx(x0 , y0)(x - x0) + ƒy(x0 , y0)(y - y0) - (z - z0) = 0. (3)

Example: Find the plane tangent to the surface z = x cos


y - y𝑒 𝑥 at (0, 0, 0).

Solution We calculate the partial derivatives of ƒ(x, y) = x


cos y - yex and use Equation (3):
ƒx(0, 0) = (cos y - y𝑒 𝑥 )(0,0) = 1 – 0٠ 1 = 1
ƒy(0, 0) = (-x sin y - 𝑒 𝑥 )(0,0) = 0 - 1 = -1.
The tangent plane is therefore
1 · (x - 0) - 1 · (y - 0) - (z - 0) = 0, Eq. (3)
or
x - y - z = 0.
Example Find equations of the tangent plane and the
normal line to 𝒙𝟑 y - y² + 𝒛𝟐 =7 at the point (1, 2, 3).

solution
If we interpret the surface as a level surface of the
function f(x, y, z)= 𝑥 3 y - 𝒚𝟐 +𝒛𝟐 , a normal vector to the
tangent plane at the point (1, 2, 3) is given by ∇ f(1, 2,
3). We have ∇ f = (3x²y, x – 2y, 2z) and ∇ f(1, 2, 3) = (6, -
3, 6). Given the normal vector (6, -3, 6) and point (1, 2,
3), an equation of the tangent plane is
6(x – 1) – 3(y – 2) + 6(z – 3) = 0.
The normal line has equations
x = 1+6t, y =2 – 3t, z = 3+ 61.

Estimating Change in a Specific Direction


The directional derivative plays the role of an ordinary
derivative when we want to esti-mate how much the
value of a function ƒ changes if we move a small distance
ds from a point P0 to another point nearby. If ƒ were a
function of a single variable, we would have
dƒ = ƒ’(P0) ds. Ordinary derivative x increment
For a function of two or more variables, we use the
formula
dƒ = (∇ƒ | P0 ٠u) ds, Directional derivative x increment
where u is the direction of the motion away from P0 .
Estimating the Change in ƒ in a Direction u
To estimate the change in the value of a differentiable
function ƒ when we move a small distance ds from a
point P0 in a particular direction u, use the formula
dƒ = (∇ƒ|P0٠ u) ds
↓ ↓
Directional derivetive
Distance increment

Example Estimate how much the value of


ƒ(x, y, z) = y sin x + 2yz
will change if the point P(x, y, z) moves 0.1 unit from
P0(0, 1, 0) straight toward P1(2, 2, -2).

As P(x, y, z) moves off the level surface


at P0 by 0.1 unit directly toward P1, the
function ƒ changes value by
approximately -0.067 unit (Example ).

Solution We first find the derivative of ƒ at P0 in the


direction of the vector ⃑⃑⃑⃑⃑⃑⃑⃑⃑⃑⃑
𝑷0𝑷1 =2i + j - 2k. The direction of

this vector is
⃑⃑⃑⃑⃑⃑⃑⃑⃑⃑⃑
𝑃0𝑃1 ⃑⃑⃑⃑⃑⃑⃑⃑⃑⃑⃑
𝑃0𝑃1 2 1 2
U= ⃑⃑⃑⃑⃑⃑⃑⃑⃑⃑⃑⃑⃑
= = i+ 3 j - 3 k
|𝑃0𝑃1| 3 3

The gradient of ƒ at P0 is
∇ƒ| (0,1,0) = ((y cos x)i + (sin x + 2z)j + 2yk)(0,1,0) = i +2k.

Therefore,
2 1 2 2 4 2
∇ƒ|P0 · u = (i + 2k) . (3 i + 3 j - k) = 3 - 3 = -3
3

The change dƒ in ƒ that results from moving ds = 0.1 unit


away from P0 in the direction of u is approximately
2
dƒ = (∇ƒ|P0٠ u)(ds) = (- )(0.1) ≈ -0.067 unit.
3

How to Linearize a Function of Two Variables


Functions of two variables can be complicated, and we
sometimes need to approximate them with simpler ones
that give the accuracy required for specific applications
without being so difficult to work with. We do this in a
way that is similar to the way we find linea
replacements for functions of a single variable .Suppose
the function we wish to approximate is z = ƒ(x, y) near a
point (x0 , y0) at which we know the values of ƒ, ƒx , and
ƒy and at which ƒ is differentiable. If we move from (x0 ,
y0) to any nearby point (x, y) by increments ∆x = x - x0
and ∆y = y - y0 , then the definition of differentiability
from Section 14.3 gives the change

ƒ(x, y) - ƒ(x0 , y0) = fx(x0 , y0)∆x + ƒy(x0 , y0)∆y + ∈1∆x + ∈2∆y,


where ∈1, ∈2 → 0 as ∆x, ∆y → 0. If the increments ∆x
and ∆y are small, the products ∈1∆x and ∈2∆y will
eventually be smaller still and we have the
approximation
ƒ(x, y) ≈ ƒ(x0 , y0) + ƒx(x0 , y0)(x - x0) + ƒy(x0 , y0)(y - y0).
↓
L(x, y)
In other words, as long as ∆x and ∆y are small, ƒ will
have approximately the same value as the linear
function L.

Definitions The linearization of a function ƒ(x, y) at a


point (x0 , y0) where ƒ is differentiable is the function
L(x, y) = ƒ(x0 , y0) + ƒx(x0 , y0)(x - x0) + ƒy(x0 , y0)(y - y0).
The approximation
ƒ(x, y) ≈ L(x, y)
is the standard linear approximation of ƒ at (x0 , y0).
From Equation (3), we find that the plane z = L(x, y) is
tangent to the surface z = ƒ(x, y) at the point (x0 , y0).
Thus, the linearization of a function of two variables is a
tangent-plane approximation in the same way that the
linearization of a function of a sin-gle variable is a
tangent-line approximation.

Example: Find the linearization of


1
ƒ(x, y) = x2 - xy + 2 𝑦 2 + 3
at the point (3, 2).
Solution
We first evaluate ƒ, ƒx , and ƒy at the point (x0 , y0) = (3,2):
1
ƒ(3, 2) = (𝑥 2 𝑥𝑦 + 𝑦 2 + 3)(3,2)= 8
2
𝜕 1
ƒx(3, 2) = 𝜕𝑥 (𝑥 2 − 𝑥𝑦 + 𝑦 2 + 3)(3,2)= (2x - y)(3,2) = 4
2
𝜕 1
ƒy(3, 2) = 𝜕𝑦 (𝑥 2 − 𝑥𝑦 + 𝑦 2 + (3,2)= (-x + y)(3,2) = -1,
2

giving
L(x, y) = ƒ(x0 , y0) + ƒx(x0 , y0)(x - x0) + ƒy(x0 , y0)(y - y0)
= 8 + (4)(x - 3) + (-1)(y - 2) = 4x - y - 2.
The linearization of ƒ at (3, 2) is L(x, y) = 4x - y - 2 .

When approximating a differentiable function ƒ(x, y) by


its linearization L(x, y) at (x0 , y0), an important question
is how accurate the approximation might be.If we can
find a common upper bound M for | ƒxx | , |ƒyy|, and |
ƒxy | on a rectangle R centered at (x0, y0) , then we can
bound the error E throughout R by using a simple
formula . The error is defined by E(x, y) =ƒ(x, y) - L(x, y).

References
1_''THOMAS' CALCULUC'' bookBased on the original
work by : George B. Thomas,Jr.
Copyright © 2002 pearson eduction,Inc, publishing as
pearson Addison-wesley

2_multivariable calculus bookbased on the orginal


work by"Robert T. Smith and Roland B. Minton"

Second action
www.highedstudent.aleks.com/SmithMinton

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