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Multivariable Functions, Surfaces, and Contours: Harvey Mudd College Math Tutorial

This tutorial discusses visualizing and understanding surfaces defined by functions of two variables, f(x,y). It provides examples of common surfaces like paraboloids and cones generated by quadratic functions. Level curves are introduced as the intersections of a surface z=f(x,y) with horizontal planes z=k, forming contour maps to depict the shape of the surface. Common quadric surfaces like spheres and hemispheres are recognized via their level curves and traces. Interactive explorations allow graphing surfaces by specifying f(x,y) and viewing corresponding level curves and contour maps.

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19 views3 pages

Multivariable Functions, Surfaces, and Contours: Harvey Mudd College Math Tutorial

This tutorial discusses visualizing and understanding surfaces defined by functions of two variables, f(x,y). It provides examples of common surfaces like paraboloids and cones generated by quadratic functions. Level curves are introduced as the intersections of a surface z=f(x,y) with horizontal planes z=k, forming contour maps to depict the shape of the surface. Common quadric surfaces like spheres and hemispheres are recognized via their level curves and traces. Interactive explorations allow graphing surfaces by specifying f(x,y) and viewing corresponding level curves and contour maps.

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Harvey Mudd College Math Tutorial:

Multivariable Functions, Surfaces, and Contours


The graphs of surfaces in 3-space can get very intricate and complex! In this tutorial, we investigate some tools that can be used to help visualize the graph of a function f (x, y), dened as the graph of the equation z = f (x, y).
Try plotting z = sin(xy)!

Example 2 Let f (x, y) = x2 + y4 . Before actually graphing z = x2 + surface that will result.

y2 , 4

lets see if we can visualize the

If we set y = 0, we nd that the intersection of the surface with the xz-plane is the parabola z = x2 . Similarly, setting x = 0, the intersection of the surface with the yz-plane is the parabola 2 z = y4 . Can you see what the surface, called an elliptic paraboloid, will look like? View Surface By setting x = 0 or y = 0 in z = f (x, y), we are really looking at the intersection of the surface z = f (x, y) with the plane x = 0 or y = 0, respectively. If we take the intersection of a surface z = f (x, y) with any plane, the resulting curve is called the cross section or trace of the surface in the plane.

Example Let (x, y) = 5 x2 + y 2 . What can we determine about the surface given by z = f 5 x2 + y 2 ? Notice that z 5. If we set z = 5, x2 + y 2 = 0 and we get a single point x = 0, y = 0 in the plane z = 5. If we set z = 4, x2 + y 2 = 1, giving a circle of radius 1. If z = 0, x2 + y 2 = 5, a circle of radius 5. If z = 4, x2 + y 2 = 9, a circle of radius 3.

Is this another paraboloid?? Notice that the trace in the plane y = 0 is the pair of lines z = 5 x and z = 5 + x. Similarly, the trace in the plane x = 0 is the pair of lines z = 5 y and z = 5 + y. The surface is a right circular cone. View Surface When we take the intersection of the surface z = f (x, y) with the horizontal plane z = k, as we did several times in the previous example, the projection of the resulting curve onto the xy-plane is called the level curve of height k. Along this curve, f is constant with value k. A collection of level curves of a surface, labeled with their heights, is called a contour map.
A contour map is just a topographic map of the surface.

Example Let f (x, y) = 9 x2 y 2 . Notice here that f (x, y) 0. We will examine the level curves of z = f (x, y). Setting z = k, k 0, squaring both sides of the equation and rearranging terms, we nd that the level curves of z = f (x, y) are circles given by x2 + y 2 = 9 k 2 . Examination of traces with x = c or y = c shows them to be portions of circles. Thus, z = f (x, y) is a hemisphere here. View Surface Squaring z = 9 x2 y 2 from the previous example and rearranging terms, we obtain x2 + y 2 + z 2 = 9, the equation of a sphere. It is useful to be able to recognize some common quadric surfaces such as this. Gallery of Quadric Surfaces

Note
For a function f (x, y, z) of three variables, f (x, y, z) = k is called the level surface with constant k. The function f (x, y, z) is constant over the level surface. In the following Exploration, choose a function f (x, y) to graph. You can view level curves and build up a contour map for f (x, y).

Exploration

Key Concept
Let z = f (x, y) The projection onto the xy-plane of the intersection of the surface z = f (x, y) with the horizontal plane z = k is called the level curve of height k. A collection of level curves, called a contour map is a useful tool in visualizing the graph of a function f (x, y). [Im ready to take the quiz.] [I need to review more.] [Take me back to the Tutorial Page]

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