Indian Institute of Space Science and Technology

Vector Calculus Spring 2019

Tutorial-II Directional Derivatives and Arc Length Functions

Prosenjit Das

1. Consider f : R2 −→ R defined by f (x, y) := ||x| − |y|| − |x| − |y|. Determine whether (i) f is continuous at
(0, 0), (ii) the partial derivatives Dx f |(0,0) and Dy f |(0,0) exist, and (iii) the directional derivative D~v f |(0,0)
exists. Is f differentiable at (0, 0)? Justify your answer.
2. Let f : R2 −→ R be defined by f (x, y) := 0 if xy = 0, and f (x, y) := 1 otherwise. Show that f is not
continuous at (0, 0) although both the partial derivatives of f exist at (0, 0).
3. Let f : R2 −→ R be defined by f (x, y) := x2 + y 2 if x and y are both rational, and f (x, y) := 0 otherwise.
Determine the points of R2 at which (i) Dx f exists, (ii) Dy f exists.
4. Let f : R2 −→ R defined by one of the following functions. Check if D~v f |(0,0) exists for any unit vector
~v . Is f continuous
p at (0, 0)? Is f differentiable at (0, 0)?
(i) f (x, y) = x2 + y 2 , (ii) f (x, y) = |x| + |y|
5. Consider f : R2 −→ R defined by f (0, 0) := 0 and for (x, y) 6= (0, 0), by one of the following. In each
case, determine whether the directional derivative D~v f |(0,0) exists for any unit vector ~v in R2 . If it does,
then check whether D~v f |(0,0) = h∇f(0,0) , ~v i for a unit vector ~v in R2 . Finally, determine whether f is
differentiable at (0, 0).
x2 y x2 − y 2 x3 2 xy
(i) 2 2
, (ii) xy 2 2
, (iii) 2 2
, (iv) x4xy+y2 , (v) ln(x2 + y 2 ), (vi) xyln(x2 + y 2 ), (vii) 2 .
x +y x +y x +y x + y2
p
6. Consider f : R2 −→ R defined by f (x, y) := (y/|y|) x2 + y 2 if y 6= 0, and f (x, y) := 0 if y = 0. Show
that f is continuous at (0, 0), D~v f |(0,0) exists for every unit vector ~v in R2 , but f is not differentiable at
(0, 0).
x2 y 2
7. show that the function f : R2 −→ R defined by f (x, y) = for (x, y) 6= (0, 0) and f (0, 0) = 0 is
x4 + y 2
differentiable at (0, 0).
8. Starting from (1, 1), in which direction should one travel in order to obtain the most rapid rate of decrease
of the function f : R2 −→ R defined by f (x, y) := (x + y − 2)2 + (3x − y − 6)2 ?
p
9. About how much will the function f (x, y) := ln x2 + y 2 change if the point (x, y) is moved from (3, 4)
a distance 0.1 unit straight toward (3, 6)?
√
10. Consider f : R2 −→ R defined by f (x, y) := (x + y)/ 2 if√x = y,√and f (x, y) := 0 otherwise. Show that
Dx f |(0,0) = Dx f |(0,0) = 0 and D~v f |(0,0) = 1, where ~v = (1/ 2, 1/ 2). Deduce that f is not differentiable
at (0, 0).
f (hx, hy) − f (0, 0)
11. Let f : R2 −→ R a C 1 -type function. Define φ(x, y) = lim for all (x, y) ∈ R2
h→0 h
satisfying x2 + y 2 = 1. Prove that the function φ exits, i.e., the given limit exists. Show that for any
constant α ∈ R, the level curve φ(x, y) = α represents a straight line. Find the normal vector at any
point of this level curve.

1
12. Find the directional derivative, if exists, of the given function in the given point in the indicated direction
3
(i) x2 y − y 2 z − xyz, at (1, −1, 0) in the direction (î − ĵ + 2k̂), (ii) (x2 + y 2 + z 2 ) 2 , at (−1, 1, 2) in the
direction (î − 2ĵ + k̂), (iii) ex − yz, at (1, 1, 1) in the direction (î − ĵ + k̂).
2 2
13. Let h(x, y) = 2e−x + e−3y denote the height on a mountain at position (x, y). In what direction from
(1, 0) should one begin walking in order to climb the fastest?

14. Find a unit normal vector√to the√ following surfaces at the specified point
(i) x2 + y 2 + z 2 = 9 at (0, 3, 3), (ii) x3 y 3 + y − z + 2 = 0 at (0, 0, 2), (iii) z = 1/(x2 + y 2 ) at (1, 1, 1/2).
√
15. Suppose that a particle is ejected from the surface x2 + y 2 − z 2 = −1 at the point (1, 1, 3) along the
normal directed toward the xy plane to the surface at time t = 0 with a speed of 10 units per second.
When and where does it cross the xy plane?

16. (Theory) State and prove Caratheodory increment lemma for real valued functions of (i) single variable
and (ii) three/two variables.

17. (Theory) Let D ⊂ R2 be open and P0 ∈ D. Suppose f : D −→ R be such that (i) fx , fy exists in a
neighbourhood of P0 and (ii) one of fx , fy is continuous at P0 . Show that f is differentiable at P0 .

18. Find the arc length function for the curve {(x, y)| x2 + y 2 = 1} with initial point (1, 0) and hence find
the length of the curve formed by traversing the circle twice.

19. Find the arc length function for the curve α(t) = (cos t, sin t, t) with initial point given by t = 0.

20. Find the arc length function of the path γ(t) = (t, t sin t, t cos t) between (0, 0, 0) and (π, 0, −π) and
hence find the length of the curve.

21. Find arc length function of the curve C given by y = x2 , z = x3 with initial point (0, 0, 0) where it is
given that x ≥ 0.

22. (*) Let C be a parametric C 1 -type curve. Show that −C is also C 1 -type.

23. (*) Let C : γ(t), t ∈ [a, b] be an C 1 -type curve. Show that l(C) = l(−C).

24. (*) Let γ : [a, b] −→ R3 be a C 1 -type curve and φ∗ : [c, d] −→ [a, b] be a C 1 -type change of parameter-
function. Show that γ ◦ φ∗ is also C 1 -type curve and l(γ) = l(γ ◦ φ∗ ) [i.e., change of parameter does not
change the length of the curve].

25. (*) Let γ : [a, b] −→ R3 be C 1 -type curve. Show that the arc length function s : [a, b] −→ R is

(a) A non-decreasing function.

(b) If ||γ 0 (t)|| =
6 0 for some t ∈ [a, b], then show that the arc length function s is nonzero function.
(c) Show that s is a C 1 -type function. Find s0 (x) for all x ∈ [a, b].
(d) If ||γ 0 (t)|| =
6 0 for all t ∈ [a, b], then show that s(x) = 0 in and only if x = a; and show that s is
strictly increasing function.