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(Calculus Oxford) Problem Sheet 06

This document provides problems involving calculus concepts such as gradients, directional derivatives, and Laplacians. It asks students to: 1) Calculate gradients, directional derivatives, and Laplacians of various functions; 2) Determine uphill/downhill direction and vertical speed given a contour map of a hill; and 3) Find the direction of steepest temperature change and how heat flows given an isothermal map.

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129 views2 pages

(Calculus Oxford) Problem Sheet 06

This document provides problems involving calculus concepts such as gradients, directional derivatives, and Laplacians. It asks students to: 1) Calculate gradients, directional derivatives, and Laplacians of various functions; 2) Determine uphill/downhill direction and vertical speed given a contour map of a hill; and 3) Find the direction of steepest temperature change and how heat flows given an isothermal map.

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Prelims Introductory Calculus, Problem Sheet 6

1. Let f (x) and g(x) be functions, where x = (x1 , · · · , xn ) ∈ U an open subset of Rn . Suppose
that f and g have continuous derivatives up to second order. Let ψ(t) be a function with
continuous first and second derivatives.
The gradient vector field of f is defined by
 
∂f ∂f
∇f = ,··· ,
∂x1 ∂xn

and the Laplacian of f by


∂ 2f ∂ 2f
∆f = + ··· + 2 .
∂x21 ∂xn
[N.B. Some authors use ∇2 f in place of ∆f .] Show that
(a) ∇ (f g) = f ∇g + g ∇f .
(b) ∇ (ψ ◦ f ) = ψ ′ (f )∇f .
(c) ∇ fg = g∇fg−f 2
∇g
if g 6= 0.
(d) ∆ (f g) = f ∆g + g∆f + 2∇f · ∇g.
(e) ∆(ψ ◦ f ) = ψ ′ (f )∆f + ψ ′′ (f )∇f · ∇f .

2. Let f (x) be a function of n variables x = (x1 , · · · , xn ) in an open subset U with continuous


partial derivatives. Let v = (v1 , · · · , vn ) be a non-zero vector. The directional derivative of f
at a = (a1 , · · · , an ) in direction v is defined by

f (a + tv) − f (a)
Dv f (a) = lim .
t→0 t
(a) Show that Dv f (a) = ∇f (a) · v;
(b) If γ : (−ε, ε) is any differential curve such that γ(0) = a and γ ′ (0) = v, then

d
f ◦ γ(t) = Dv f (a).
dt t=0

(c) Let f (x, y) = x2 y 3 . What is ∇f ? Determine

f (a + tv) − f (a)
lim
t→0 t
where a = (1, 1) and v = (a, b) is a unit vector so that a2 + b2 = 1. What is the maximum
value of the limit that can be obtained by varying the vector v?

3. Find the gradient ∇f when

(a) f (x, y, z) = z sin y − xz;

(b) f (x, y, z) = zex cos y.


4. Suppose that a hill has equation

z = 32 − x2 − 4y 2

where z is the height above sea-level in metres. Sketch a contour map (i.e. draw on the same
axes a set of curves z = constant) with various contours shown.
If you start at the point (3, 2) and walk in the direction i + j are you going uphill or downhill?
In what direction (in three dimensions!) are you actually travelling? If you are travelling at v
ms−1 what is your vertical speed?

5. Suppose that the temperature T in the xy-plane is given by

T (x, y) = xy − x .

(a) Sketch, on the same axes, a few isothermal curves (curves of constant temperature).
(b) Find the direction in which the temperature changes most rapidly at (2, 2). Find the
directional derivative of T at (2, 2) in the direction 3i − 4j.
(c) Heat flows in the direction −∇T (perpendicular to the isothermals). Express this as a
differential equation in y and x and solve it to say how heat would flow from (2, 2).

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