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Chain Rule For Several Independent Variables

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45 views3 pages

Chain Rule For Several Independent Variables

Uploaded by

malikabdulah425
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We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Chain Rule

(For several independent variables)


Functions Defined on Surfaces:

If we are interested in the temperature 𝑤 = 𝑤(𝑥, 𝑦, 𝑧) on a globe in space, we might


prefer to think of 𝑥, 𝑦 and 𝑧 as functions of variables r and s that gives points’
longitudes & latitudes. If 𝑥 = 𝑥(𝑟, 𝑠), 𝑦 = 𝑦(𝑟, 𝑠) and 𝑧 = 𝑧(𝑟, 𝑠), we could then
express the temperature as a function of 𝑟 and 𝑠 with the composite function.

𝒘 = 𝒘(𝒙(𝒓, 𝒔), 𝒚(𝒓, 𝒔), 𝒛(𝒓, 𝒔))

Under the right conditions, 𝑤 could have partial derivatives with respect to both 𝒓 and
𝒔 that could be calculated in the following way.

Chain Rule for Two independent and Three Intermediate Variables

Suppose that 𝒘 = 𝒘(𝒙, 𝒚, 𝒛); 𝒙 = 𝒙(𝒓, 𝒔), 𝒚 = 𝒚(𝒓, 𝒔) and 𝒛 = 𝒛(𝒓, 𝒔). If all the
four functions are differentiable, then 𝑤 has partial derivatives with respect to 𝑟 and 𝑠,
given by the formulas

𝜕𝑤 𝜕𝑤 𝜕𝑥 𝜕𝑤 𝜕𝑦 𝜕𝑤 𝜕𝑧
= + +
𝜕𝑟 𝜕𝑥 𝜕𝑟 𝜕𝑦 𝜕𝑟 𝜕𝑧 𝜕𝑟
𝜕𝑤 𝜕𝑤 𝜕𝑥 𝜕𝑤 𝜕𝑦 𝜕𝑤 𝜕𝑧
= + +
𝜕𝑠 𝜕𝑥 𝜕𝑠 𝜕𝑦 𝜕𝑠 𝜕𝑧 𝜕𝑠
Example 3
𝜕𝑤 𝜕𝑤
Express and in terms of 𝑟 and 𝑠 if
𝜕𝑟 𝜕𝑠

𝑟
𝑤 = 𝑥 + 2𝑦 + 𝑧 2 ; 𝑥 = , 𝑦 = 𝑟 2 + ln 𝑠 , 𝑧 = 2𝑟
𝑠
Solution:

𝜕𝑤 𝜕𝑤 𝜕𝑥 𝜕𝑤 𝜕𝑦 𝜕𝑤 𝜕𝑧
= + +
𝜕𝑟 𝜕𝑥 𝜕𝑟 𝜕𝑦 𝜕𝑟 𝜕𝑧 𝜕𝑟

1
= (1) ( ) + (2) (2𝑟) + (2𝑧) (2)
𝑠

1
= ( ) + 4𝑟 + (4𝑟) (2)
𝑠

1
= ( ) + 12𝑟
𝑠

𝜕𝑤 𝜕𝑤 𝜕𝑥 𝜕𝑤 𝜕𝑦 𝜕𝑤 𝜕𝑧
= + +
𝜕𝑠 𝜕𝑥 𝜕𝑠 𝜕𝑦 𝜕𝑠 𝜕𝑧 𝜕𝑠

𝑟 1
= (1) (− 2 ) + (2) ( ) + (2𝑧) (0)
𝑠 𝑠

2 𝑟
= ( ) – ( 2)
𝑠 𝑠
Remark 1:

If 𝒇 is a function of two variables instead of three, each equation becomes


correspondingly one term shorter.
If 𝑤 = 𝑓 (𝑥, 𝑦); 𝑥 = 𝑔(𝑟, 𝑠), 𝑦 = ℎ(𝑟, 𝑠), then
𝜕𝑤 𝜕𝑤 𝜕𝑥 𝜕𝑤 𝜕𝑦
= + 𝜕𝑦 𝜕𝑟
𝜕𝑟 𝜕𝑥 𝜕𝑟

𝜕𝑤 𝜕𝑤 𝜕𝑥 𝜕𝑤 𝜕𝑦
= + 𝜕𝑦
𝜕𝑠 𝜕𝑥 𝜕𝑠 𝜕𝑠

Example 4:
𝜕𝑤 𝜕𝑤
Express and in terms of 𝑠 and 𝑟
𝜕𝑠 𝜕𝑟

𝒘 = 𝒙𝟐 + 𝒚𝟐 , 𝒙 = 𝒓 – 𝒔, 𝒚 = 𝒓 + 𝒔
𝜕𝑤 𝜕𝑤 𝜕𝑥 𝜕𝑤 𝜕𝑦
Solution: = +
𝜕𝑟 𝜕𝑥 𝜕𝑟 𝜕𝑦 𝜕𝑟

= (2𝑥)(1) + (2𝑦)(1)

= 2 (𝑟 – 𝑠) + 2 (𝑟 + 𝑠) = 4𝑟

𝜕𝑤 𝜕𝑤 𝜕𝑥 𝜕𝑤 𝜕𝑦
= +
𝜕𝑠 𝜕𝑥 𝜕𝑠 𝜕𝑦 𝜕𝑠

= (2𝑥) (−1) + (2𝑦) (1)

= −2 (𝑟 – 𝑠) + 2 (𝑟 + 𝑠)

= 4𝑠

Remark 2: If 𝑓 is a function of 𝑥 alone, our equations become even simpler.

If 𝑤 = 𝑤(𝑥); 𝑥 = 𝑥(𝑟, 𝑠), then


∂w 𝑑𝑤 𝜕𝑥 ∂w 𝑑𝑤 𝜕𝑥
= . and = .
∂r 𝑑𝑥 𝜕𝑟 ∂s 𝑑𝑥 𝜕𝑠

Chain Rule: Two Independent Variables


𝜕𝑧 𝜕𝑧
In exercise 7 and 8, (a) express and as a function of u and v by using chain rule.
𝜕𝑢 𝜕𝑣
𝜕𝑧 𝜕𝑧
Then (b) evaluate and at the given point (𝑢, 𝑣).
𝜕𝑢 𝜕𝑣

𝝅
1. 𝒛 = 𝟒𝒆𝒙 𝐥𝐧 𝒚 , 𝑥 = ln(𝑢 cos 𝑣) , 𝑦 = 𝑢 sin 𝑣 ; (𝒖, 𝒗) = (𝟐, )
𝟒
𝒙 𝝅
2. 𝒛 = 𝐭𝐚𝐧−𝟏 ( ) , 𝑥 = 𝑢 cos 𝑣 , 𝑦 = 𝑢 sin 𝑣 ; (𝒖, 𝒗) = (𝟏. 𝟑, )
𝒚 𝟔

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