Part 1 PARTIAL DERIVATIVES MAT 295

Chapter 3

Higher Order
Partial
Derivatives
At the end of this chapter, students should be able to:
 Identify and compute the second order partial derivatives
 Identify the notation and equality of mixed partial derivatives
 Determine higher order partial derivatives

3.1 Introduction
Previously in chapter 2, the discussion involved definition of functions of two
variables and rules of partial derivatives. The differentiation for functions of
two variables involving exponential function, trigonometric function and others
was also covered.
In Chapter 3, the discussion will be regarding higher order derivatives. Similar
to functions of single variable, the higher order derivatives of functions of
more than one variable can also be determined. However, note that in
functions of several variables there are more options to be considered.

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 Part 1 PARTIAL DERIVATIVES MAT 295

3.2 Notation
This section is the extended of partial derivatives of first order derivative.
Since functions of one variable had higher order derivatives the same concept
applies to functions of more than one variable. However, since there are
more than one variable there will be more options to be considered.
Assume the case of a function of two variables, f x, y  . Since both of the first
order partial derivatives are also functions of x and y then each of them can
be differentiated with respect to x or y. This means that for the case of a
function of two variables there will be a total of four possible second order
derivatives. Listed below are the possibilities with their notations respectively.

 2f   f   2f   f 
a)     f xx b)     fyy
x 2 x  x  y 2 y  y 

 2f   f   2f   f 
c)     f xy d)     fyx
yx y  x  xy x  y 

The second and third order partial derivatives are often called mixed partial
derivatives since the derivatives are with respect to more than one variable.
Note as well that the order that the derivative is taken in is given by the
notation. If the subscripting notation is used, for example f xy then the

differentiation is done from left to right. In other words, in this case,

differentiate the function with respect to x first and then y. While, when

 2f   f 
referring to the fractional notation, or   the procedure is done
yx y  x 
oppositely. In this case the operation is done from right to left.
So far the discussion is regarding second order derivatives. There are of
course higher order derivatives as well. Here are examples of the third and
fourth order partial derivatives of function of two variables. Some possibilities
are:

 3f    2f   3f    2f 
 f
a)   f xxx b) 
x 3 x  x 2  y 2x y  yx  xyy
 

 4f    3f   4f    3f 
c)   f d)   f
y 4 y  y 3  yyyy y 2x 2 y  yx 2  xxyy
   

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 Part 1 PARTIAL DERIVATIVES MAT 295

3.3 Higher Order Partial Derivatives

Theorem
Let f be a function of two variables. If f xy and f yx are continuous everywhere,

then f xy  fyx for all values of x and y.

Steps : Higher order partial derivatives

 Determine the order

 Perform the first order partial derivatives
 Then get the second partial derivatives and so on

Example 1

Find the second-order partial derivatives of f ( x, y )  4x 4 y  3x 2 y 3

Solution

 Determine the order

f xx f xy f yx fyy

 Determine the first order partial derivatives w.r.t x

fx  16 x 3 y  6xy 3

 To determine f xx repeat the differentiation with the same variable x,

and letting y be the constant

f xx  48 x 2 y  6y 3

 To determine f xy repeat the differentiation with variable y, and letting

x be the constant

f xy  16 x 3  18 xy 2

 Determine the first order partial derivatives w.r.t y and then the second
order partial derivatives

fy  4 x 4  9 x 2 y 2

fyy  18 x 2 y

fyx  16 x 3  18 xy 2

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 Part 1 PARTIAL DERIVATIVES MAT 295

Example 2

 3f
a) Let f ( x, y )  y 2e x  x ln y . Find .
y 2 x

b) Find f xy if f ( x, y )  ln( e 2y  sec 4x ) .

Solution

a) f ( x, y )  y 2e x  x ln y
 Differentiate with respect to x.
f
 y 2e x  ln y
x
 Then differentiate with respect to y once.

 2f   f 
  
yx y  x 


 2 x
y

y e  ln y 
1
 2ye x 
y
 Differentiate with respect to y again.

 3f   2f 

  
y 2x  yx 
y
 
  1
  2ye x  
y  y

1
 2e x 
y2

b) f ( x, y )  ln( e2y  sec 4x )

fx 
1
4 sec 4 x tan 4 x 
(e 2 y  sec 4 x )
4 sec 4 x tan 4 x

e 2 y  sec 4 x

f xy  fx 
y
  4 sec 4 x tan 4 x 

y  e 2 y  sec 4 x 

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 Part 1 PARTIAL DERIVATIVES MAT 295

f xy  4 sec 4 x tan 4 x
 2y
y

e  sec 4 x
1



 4 sec 4 x tan 4 x  e 2 y  sec 4 x

2 
2e 2y 

  
 8e 2y sec 4 x tan 4 x

e 2y
 sec 4 x 
2

Example 3

h2 h4
Show that the function C   satisfies the equation:
2L 8L3
2
 2C h   2C
  where c is a constant
L2  L  h 2

Solution

Rewrite C as

h 2L1 h 4L3
C 
2 8
 Differentiate C with respect to h and consider L as a constant.

C   h 2L1 h 4L 3 
   
h h  2 8 

h 3L 3
 hL1 
2
C
 Differentiate with respect to h again.
h

 2C  2  1 h 3L 3 
 hL  
h 2 h 2  2 

3h 2L 3
 L1 
2
1 3h 2
 
L 2L3
 Then differentiate w.r.t L.

C   h 2L1 h 4L 3 
   
L L  2 8 

 h 2L 2 3h 4L 4
 
2 8

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 Part 1 PARTIAL DERIVATIVES MAT 295

 2C  2   h 2L 2 3h 4L 4 
   
L2 L2  2 8 

3h 4L5
 h 2L 3 
2
h2 3h 4
 
L3 2L5

 2C  2C
 Identify relationship between and
h 2 L2

 2C  2   h 2L 2 3h 4L 4 
   
L2 L2  2 8 

3h 4L 5
 h 2L 3 
2

h2 3h 4
 
L3 2L5
 h   1 3h 2 
2
    
 L   L 2L3 
2
 h   2C
 
 L  h 2

Warm up exercise

Let f ( x, y )  x 3 y 5  2x 2 y  x

(i) Find the partial derivative for f x

(ii) After you get the answer at i), differentiate the answer with respect to y.
(iii) Then, differentiate again with respect to y.
(iv) Now, state the notation (subscripting notation and fractional notation)
that denote the answer at (iii).

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 Part 1 PARTIAL DERIVATIVES MAT 295

Exercise 3

1. Express the following derivatives in “subscript” notation.

 3f  4f
a) c)
y 2x x 4

 2f  5f
b) d)
y 2 x 2 x 2 y 3
2. Find all the second order partial derivatives:

a) f ( x, y )  x 4  7x 3 y 5 c) f ( x, y )  x 3 y  sin xy

b) f (u, v )  tan(u  3v ) d) u(s, t )  e  s sin t

3. Find all the indicated partial derivatives. Then, express the derivatives in “del”
notation:

a) f ( x, y )  6x 3 y 5  x 3 y 2 , f xxx, fyyy , f xxy , f xyx

b) f ( x, t )  x 2e3t , fttt , ftxx

c) f (r , s, t )  ln( rs2t 3 ), frss

 2V  2V
4. If V  ln( x 2  y 2 ), show that   0.
x 2 y 2

5. Given f(x,y)  y 2e x  y , find f xy y.

6. Find first and second order partial derivatives for:

a) f(x,y)  x 2 y 3  x 4 y b) f(x,y)  3x 2  2xy

7. Given i) w  (3u  v )5 and ii) w  euv  sinuv , find

 2w  3w
a) c)
uv vuv
 3w  3w
b) d)
u 2 v uv 2

8. Let f(x,y)  x 5 y 3  2xy2  e x , find

a) f xxx c) f xyx

b) fyyy d) f xyy

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 Part 1 PARTIAL DERIVATIVES MAT 295

9. Confirm that the mixed second-order partial derivatives of f are the same:

a) f(x,y)  xy3  x 2 y c) f(x,y)  e x siny

2x  y
b) f(x,y)  y 2e x  y d) f(x,y) 
x-y
10. Express the following derivatives in "" notation:
a) fxxx c) f xy y

b) f y y xx d) f xy y y

11. If f(x,y)  x -3e5y , evaluate:

3f 3f  4f
a) 0 ,1 b)
3
0 ,1 c) 0 ,1
y 2x x x 2y 2

 2z  2z
12. Show that the function satisfies Laplace's equation   0.
x 2 y 2

a) z  x 2 - y 2  2xy b) z  e x siny  e y cos x

y  2z  2z
13. If z(x,y)  tan -1  , find the value of   0.
x yx xy

x
14. Show that z  e  t sin  where c is a constant, satisfies the heat equation
c

zt  c 2 zxx .

 2f
15. Find if f ( x, y )  y 2  2xy sin y .
xy

  2M   2M    2M 
16. If M  ln( es  et ) , show that    0.
 s 2  t 2   st 
    

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