NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY CALICUT

Department of Mathematics, Monsoon Semester 2023

Mathematics-1 (MA1001E), Tutorial-2

Functions of several variables: Limit, continuity, partial derivatives, chain rule

1. Discuss the limit of the following functions at origin:

4xy 2 p x2 − y 2
(a) f (x, y) = 2 2
(b) f (x, y) = 1 − x2 − y 2 (c) f (x, y) =
x +y x2 + y 2
xy xy 2
(d) f (x, y) = 2 (e) f (x, y) =
x + y2 x2 + y 4
2. Discuss the continuity of the following functions at origin:
x+y
(a) f (x, y) = (b) f (x, y) = ex−y
1 + x2
 2
 x − y2
if (x, y) ̸= (0, 0)
(c) f (x, y) = x2 + y 2
0 if (x, y) = (0, 0)

2 2

 xy(x − y )
if (x, y) ̸= (0, 0)
(d) f (x, y) = x2 + y 2
0 if (x, y) = (0, 0)


 3x2 y

if (x, y) ̸= (0, 0)
(e) f (x, y) = x2 + y 2
0 if (x, y) = (0, 0)


3. Find fx (1, 1) where f (x, y) = 4 − x2 − 2y 2 .

p
4. Given ϵ = 1, find a δ > 0 such that for all (x, y) we have |f (x, y) − f (0, 0)| < ϵ whenever x2 + y 2 < δ,
y
where f (x, y) = 2 .
x +1
5. (a) Let f : R2 → R be defined by
 3 3
 x + 2y , if (x, y) ̸= (0, 0),
f (x, y) = x2 + y 2
0, if (x, y) = (0, 0).


i. check continuity of f at (0, 0),

∂f ∂f
ii. check existence of partial derivatives and at (0, 0),
∂x ∂y
iii. check differentiability of f at (0, 0).
(b) Let f : R2 → R be defined by
2 2
xy x − y , if (x, y) ̸= (0, 0),


f (x, y) = x2 + y 2
0, if (x, y) = (0, 0).


i. check continuity of f at (0, 0),

∂f ∂f
ii. check existence of partial derivatives and at (0, 0),
∂x ∂y
iii. check differentiability of f at (0, 0).
 (c) Let f : R2 → R be defined by
 2 2
 x − y , if (x, y) ̸= (0, 0),
f (x, y) = x−y
2, if (x, y) = (0, 0).


i. check continuity of f at (0, 0),

∂f ∂f
ii. find partial derivatives and at (0, 0),
∂x ∂y
iii. show that f is not differentiable at (0, 0).

6. Calculate all the first and second order partial derivatives of f at (x0 , y0 ) and confirm that mixed partial
derivatives are same.
2 +y 2
(a) f (x, y) = ex at (x0 , y0 ) = (1, 0).
(b) f (x, y) = sin xy at (x0 , y0 ) = 1, π2 .

x
(c) f (x, y) = at (x0 , y0 ) = (1, 2).
y
∂z ∂z
7. (a) Calculate and using implicit differentiation. Leave your answers in terms of x, y, and z.
∂x ∂y
i. (x2 + y 2 + z 2 )5/2 = 1 ii. x2 + z sin xyz = 0
∂w ∂w ∂w
(b) Find , and using implicit differentiation. Leave your answers in terms of x, y, z, and w.
∂x ∂y ∂z
i. (x2 + y 2 + z 2 + w2 )3/2 = 4 ii. w2 + w sin xyz = 1

8. (a) Use an appropriate form of the chain rule to find dw/dt for the following:

i. w = 3x2 y 3 ; x = t4 , y = t2 iii. w = ln(3x2 −2y+4z 3 ); x = t1/2 , y = t2/3 , z = t−2

ii. w = e1−xy ; x = t1/3 , y = t3 iv. w = 5 cos xy − sin xz; x = 1/t, y = t, z = t3

(b) Suppose that z = f (x, y) is a function with fx (4, 8) = 3 and fy (4, 8) = −1. If x = t2 and y = t3 , find
dz/dt when t = 2.
(c) Suppose that w = f (x, y, z) is a function with fx (1, 0, 2) = 1, fy (1, 0, 2) = 2, and fz (1, 0, 2) = 3. If
x = t , y = sin(πt), and z = t2 + 1, find dw/dt when t = 1.
∂z ∂z
9. Use appropriate forms of the chain rule to find and for the following:
∂u ∂v
2 √
(a) z = 8x2 y − 2x + 3y; x = uv, y = u − v (c) z = ex y ; x = uv, y = 1/v
(b) z = x/y; x = 2 cos u, y = 3 sin v (d) z = cos x sin y; x = u − v, y = u2 + v 2

10T
10. According to the ideal gas law, the pressure, temperature, and volume of a gas are related by P = .
V
(a) Find the instantaneous rate of change of pressure with respect to temperature if the temperature is
80K and the volume remains fixed at 40in3 .
(b) Find the instantaneous rate of change of volume with respect to pressure if the volume is 40in3 and the
pressure remains fixed at 80K.
11. Let f be a differentiable function of one variable and
∂z ∂z
(a) let z = f (x + 2y). Show that 2 − = 0.
∂x ∂y
∂z ∂z
(b) let z = f (x2 + y 2 ). Show that y −x = 0.
∂x ∂y
 2  2  2  2
∂w ∂w ∂w dw
(c) let w = f (ρ), where ρ = (x2 + y2 + z 2 )1/2 . Show that + + = .
∂x ∂y ∂z dρ
12. Let f be a differentiable function of three variables and suppose that w = f (x − y, y − z, z − x). Show that
∂w ∂w ∂w
+ + = 0.
∂x ∂y ∂z
13. Consider V (x, y), where x = u cos θ − v sin θ, and y = u sin θ+ v cos θ, then prove that
 2  2  2  2
∂V ∂V ∂V ∂V
+ = + .
∂x ∂y ∂u ∂v

Directional derivatives

√
14. Find the directional derivative of f (x, y) = xyey at P (1, 1) in the direction of the negative y-axis.

15. Find the directional derivative of f at P0 in the direction of A :

√
(a) f (x, y) = tan−1 (y/x) + 3 sin−1 (xy/2), P0 (1, 1), A = 3i − 2j
(b) f (x, y) = x2 + 2y 2 − 3z 2 , P0 (1, 1, 1), A = i + j + k.
y
16. Find the directional derivative of f (x, y, z) = at P (2, 1, −1) in the direction from P to Q(−1, 2, 0).
(x + z)
17. Find a unit vector in the direction in which f increases most rapidly at P , and find the rate of change of f
at P in that direction.
x x z
(a) f (x, y) = ; P (0, 2) (c) f (x, y, z) = + 2 ; P (1, 2, −2)
x+y z y
 
−1 x
(b) f (x, y, z) = x3 z 2 + y 3 z + z − 1; P (1, 1, −1) (d) f (x, y, z) = tan ; P (4, 2, 2)
y+z

18. Given that the directional derivative of f (x, y, z) at the point (3, −2, 1) in the direction of a = 2i − j − 2k is
−5 and that ||∇f (3, −2, 1)|| = 5, find ∇f (3, −2, 1).

Maxima and Minima of functions of two variables

19. Use Taylor’s formula for f (x, y) at the origin to find quadratic approximations of f near the origin.
(a) f (x, y) = xey (b) f (x, y) = y sin(x)

20. Find the absolute maximum and minimum values of 3x2 + y 2 − x over the region 2x2 + y 2 ≤ 1.
21. Find all the local maxima, local minima, and saddle points of the following functions:

(a) f (x, y) = x3 + y 3 + 3x2 − 3y 2 − 8

(b) f (x, y) = 2x3 + 2y 3 − 9x2 + 3y 2 − 12y
(c) f (x, y) = y sin x
(d) f (x, y) = e2x cos y

22. Use the Lagrange multiplier method to minimize f (x1 , x2 , x3 ) = 9 − 8x1 − 6x2 − 4x3 + 2x21 + 2x22 + x23 +
2x1 x2 + 2x1 x3 , subject to constraint x1 + x2 + 2x3 = 3.

23. Find the points on the surface z 2 = xy + 1 nearest to the origin.

x2 x2 x2
24. Find the volume of the largest parallelepiped that can be inscribed in the ellipsoid: + 2 + 2 = 1.
a2 b c
25. Find the dimensions of the rectangular box, open at the top, of maximum capacity whose surface is 432
sq.cm.

26. Find the maximum and minimum distances of the point (3,4,12) from the sphere x2 + y 2 + z 2 = 4.

27. The temperature T at any point (x, y, z) in space is T = 400xyz 2 . Find the highest temperature at the
surface of a unit sphere x2 + y 2 + z 2 = 1.

28. Find the largest product of the numbers x, y, z when x + y + z 2 = 16.

Parameterised curves in space, arc length, tangent and normal vectors, curvature and torsion

29. Describe the graph of the parametric curves in space, where t is the parameter.

(a) x = 3 − t, y = 5t (d) x = 2 cos t, y = −3 sin t, z = 2

√
(b) x = 5 sin(3t), y = −5 cos(3t) (e) x = sin t, y = −2 cos t, z = 3 sin t
(c) x = 2t, y = −3, z = 1 − 5t (f) x = cos t, y = −2 sin t, z = t

30. Find parametric equations of the line tangent to the graph of r(t) at the point where t = t0 .

(a) r(t) = t2 i + (2 − ln t) j; t0 = 1 (b) r(t) = e2t i − 2 cos 3t j; t0 = 0

31. Find the arc length of the parametric curve.

√
(a) x = cos3 t, y = sin3 t, z = 2; 0 ≤ t ≤ π/2 (b) x = et , y = e−t , z = 2 t; 0 ≤ t ≤ 1

32. Find the arc length of the graph of r(t).

(a) r(t) = (4 + 3t)i + (2 − 2t)j + (5 + t)k; 3 ≤ t ≤ 4

(b) r(t) = t2 i + (cos t + t sin t)j + (sin t − t cos t)k; 0 ≤ t ≤ π

33. Find the unit tangent vector T(t) and unit normal vector N(t) at the given point.

(a) r(t) = 12 t2 i + 13 t3 j ; t = 1 (c) r(t) = t i + 12 t2 j + 31 t3 k; t = 0

(b) r(t) = ln t i + t j; t = e (d) x = cosh t, y = sinh t, z = t; t = ln 2
34. Find parametric equations for the tangent line to the graph of r(t) at t = 0 in terms of an arc length
parameter s.
√
(a) r(t) = sin ti + cos tj + 12 t2 k; t0 = 0 (b) r(t) = ti + tj + 9 − t2 k; t0 = 1

35. Find the velocity, speed, and acceleration at the given time t of a particle moving along the given curve.

(a) r(t) = t i + 21 t2 j + 13 t3 k; t = 1 (b) x = 1 + 3t, y = 2 − 4t, z = 7 + t; t = 2

36. Find the curvature and the radius of curvature at the stated point.

(a) r(t) = 3 cos t i + 4 sin t j + t k; t = π

2 (b) r(t) = et i + e−t j + t k; t = 0

37. Find the torsion for the following space curves.

(a) r(t) = (3 sin t) i + (3 cos t) j + 4t k (b) r(t) = (et cos t) i + (et sin t) j + 2 k

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