NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY CALICUT

Department of Mathematics
MA 1001D: Mathematics 1
Monsoon Semester 2019-20: Tutorial 3

Topics: Function of several variables: Level curves and level surfaces, Limit along curves, Limit, Limit
laws, Continuity, Partial derivatives, Partial derivatives and continuity, Higher order partial derivatives,
Theorem on equality of mixed partials, Implicit differentiation, Chain rule.

1. Let f (x, y) = ex+y .

(a) For what values of k will the graph of the level curve f (x, y) = k be nonempty?
(b) Describe the level curves f (x, y) = k for the values of k obtained in part (a).
x2 − y 2
2. Let f (x, y) = . Determine the limit of f (x, y) as (x, y) approaches (0, 0) along the curve C.
x2 + y 2
(a) C : x = 0 (b) C : y = 0 (c) C : y = x (d) C : y = x2

3. (a) Each of the following exercises gives ap function f (x, y) and a positive number . In each exercise, show that there
exists a δ > 0 such that for all (x, y), x2 + y 2 < δ =⇒ |f (x, y) − f (0, 0)| < .
y
i. f (x, y) = x2 + y 2 ,  = 0.01 ii. f (x, y) = ,  = 0.05
x2 + 1

4. (a) Show that the limit does not exist by considering the limits as (x, y) → (0, 0) along the coordinate axes.

3 x+y x−y cos xy

i. lim ii. lim iii. lim iv. lim
(x,y)→(0,0) x2 + 2y 2 (x,y)→(0,0) 2x2 + y 2 (x,y)→(0,0) x2 + y 2 (x,y)→(0,0) x2 + y 2

(b) By considering different paths of approach, show that the following functions have no limit as (x, y) → (0, 0).
x xy x2 + y x2 y
i. f (x, y) = − p ii. f (x, y) = iii. h(x, y) = iv. h(x, y) =
x + y2
2 |xy| y x4 + y 2

5. Find the following limits:

2
(a) lim x cos πy = (b) lim exy =
(x,y)→(3,2) (x,y)→(0,1)

6. Evaluate the limit using the substitution z = x2 + y 2 and observing that z → 0+ if and only if (x, y) → (0, 0).

sin(x2 + y 2 ) 1 − cos(x2 + y 2 )
(a) lim (b) lim
(x,y)→(0,0) x2 + y 2 (x,y)→(0,0) x2 + y 2

7. Determine whether the limit exists for the following. If so, find their value.

x4 − y 4 1 − x2 − y 2
(a) lim (b) ∗ lim
(x,y)→(0,0) x2 + y 2 (x,y)→(0,0) x2 + y 2

8. Evaluate the following limits by converting to polar coordinates:

(a) ∗ lim y ln(x2 + y 2 ) x2 y 2

(x,y)→(0,0) (b) lim p
(x,y)→(0,0) x2 + y 2

9. Find the limits for the following:

x 2 x sin y
ln |1 + x2 y 2 |

(a) lim √ 1 1 (c) lim (d) lim
(x,y)→(0,4) y (b) lim + (x,y)→(1,1) (x,y)→(1,π/6) x2 + 1
(x,y)→(2,−3) x y
 
1,
 y ≥ x4
10. (a) Let f (x, y) = 1, y≤0 Find each of the following limits, or explain that the limit does not exist.

0, otherwise.


i. lim f (x, y) ii. lim f (x, y) iii. lim f (x, y)

(x,y)→(0,1) (x,y)→(2,3) (x,y)→(0,0)
(
x2 , x≥0
(b) Let f (x, y) = . Find the following limits.
x3 , x<0

i. lim f (x, y) ii. lim f (x, y) iii. lim f (x, y)

(x,y)→(3,−2) (x,y)→(−2,1) (x,y)→(0,0)

11. Let z = e2x sin y. Find

     
∂z ∂z ∂z  ∂z  ∂z  ∂z  ∂z  ∂z 
(a) (b) (c) (d) (e) (f) (g) (h)
∂x ∂y ∂x 

∂x 

∂y 

∂y 

∂x 

∂y 

(0,y) (x,0) (0,y) (x,0) (ln 2,0) (ln 2,0)
 3 4
 sin(x + y ) , (x, y) 6= (0, 0) ∂f ∂f
12. If f (x, y) = x2 + y 2 , find and at (0,0)
∂x ∂y
0, (x, y) = (0, 0)


13. Let f (x, y) = xe−y + 5y. Find the slope of the surface z = f (x, y) in the x-direction at the point (3, 0).
14. Determine whether the following statements are true or false. Explain your answer.

(a) If the line y = 2 is a contour of f (x, y) through (4, 2), then fx (4, 2) = 0.
(b) If the graph of z = f (x, y) is a plane in 3-space, then both fx and fy are constant functions.
15. A point moves along the intersection of the elliptic paraboloid z = x2 + 3y 2 and the plane y = 1. At what rate is z
changing with respect to x when the point is at (2, 1, 7)?
16. Show that fx (0, 0) and fy (0, 0) exist at (0,0) but f is not continuous at (0,0).

 xy 2 0, x2 < y < 2x2

, (x, y) 6
= (0, 0) (b) f (x, y) =
(a) f (x, y) = 2
x +y 4 1, otherwise.
0, (x, y) = (0, 0)


2 2
 xy(x − y ) for (x, y) 6= (0, 0)

∂2f ∂2f
17. Let f (x, y) = x2 + y 2 . Find (0, 0) and (0, 0).
∂x∂y ∂y∂x
0 for (x, y) = (0, 0).


∂w ∂w ∂w
18. Find , and using implicit differentiation. Leave your answers in terms of x, y, z, and w.
∂x ∂y ∂z
(a) (x2 + y 2 + z 2 + w2 )3/2 = 4 (b) w2 + w sin xyz = 1

19. Let a and b denote two sides of a triangle and let θ denote the included angle. Suppose that a, b, and θ vary with time
in such a way that the area of the triangle remains constant. At a certain instant a = 5 cm, b = 4 cm, and θ = π/6
radians, and at that instant both a and b are increasing at a rate of 3 cm/s. Estimate the rate at which θ is changing
at that instant.
20. 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.
∂z ∂z
21. Use appropriate forms of the chain rule to find and for the following:
∂u ∂v
2 √
(a) z = x/y; x = 2 cos u, y = 3 sin v (b) z = ex y
;x= uv, y = 1/v

∂z ∂z
22. Let f be a differentiable function of one variable and let z = f (x + 2y). Show that 2 − = 0.
∂x ∂y
∂w ∂w
23. Find and for the following:
∂t ∂s
(a) w = f (s3 + t2 ) and f 0 (x) = ex
 s  ∂f ∂f x2
(b) w = f ts2 , , (x, y) = xy and (x, y) = .
t ∂x ∂y 2