14.

Partial Derivatives
14.2 Limits and Continuity in Higher Dimensions

Gunja Sachdeva

Department of Mathematics
BITS PILANI K K Birla Goa Campus, Goa

September 29, 2023

Gunja Sachdeva Partial Derivatives

Limits of functions of two variables

Gunja Sachdeva Partial Derivatives

Limits of functions of two variables

Definition (Limit of functions of two variables)

We say that a function f (x, y ) approaches the limit L as (x, y )
approaches (x0 , y0 ) and we write

lim f (x, y ) = L,
(x,y )→(x0 ,y0 )

if, for every number ε > 0, there exists a corresponding number

δ > 0 such that for all (x, y ) in the domain of f ,
q
|f (x, y ) − L| < ε whenever 0 < (x − x0 )2 + (y − y0 )2 < δ.

Gunja Sachdeva Partial Derivatives

Examples

1. lim x = x0
(x,y )→(x0 ,y0 )

Gunja Sachdeva Partial Derivatives

Examples

1. lim x = x0
(x,y )→(x0 ,y0 )

2. lim y = y0
(x,y )→(x0 ,y0 )

3. lim k =k (k is any constant)

(x,y )→(x0 ,y0 )

Gunja Sachdeva Partial Derivatives

Example
4xy 2
4. Show that lim = 0 by using ε − δ definition.
(x,y )→(0,0) x 2 + y 2

Gunja Sachdeva Partial Derivatives

Gunja Sachdeva Partial Derivatives
Examples

Find the limits for the following:

x − xy + 3
1. lim
(x,y )→(0,1) x y + 5xy − y 3
2

Gunja Sachdeva Partial Derivatives

Examples

Find the limits for the following:

x − xy + 3
1. lim
(x,y )→(0,1) x y + 5xy − y 3
2

x 2 − xy
2. lim √ √ .
(x,y )→(0,0) x− y

Gunja Sachdeva Partial Derivatives

Examples
y
If f (x, y ) = , does lim f (x, y ) exist ?
x (x,y )→(0,0)

Gunja Sachdeva Partial Derivatives

Continuity of functions of two variables

Definition
A function f (x, y ) is said to be continuous at the point (x0 , y0 ),
if

1. f is defined at (x0 , y0 ),

2. lim f (x, y ) exists,

(x,y )→(x0 ,y0 )

3. lim f (x, y ) = f (x0 , y0 ).

(x,y )→(x0 ,y0 )

A function f (x, y ) is said to be continuous, if it is continuous at

every point of its domain.

Gunja Sachdeva Partial Derivatives

Show that the following functions are continuous at given point.
x − xy + 3
1. 2 , (0, 1).
x y + 5xy − y 3

Gunja Sachdeva Partial Derivatives

Show that the following functions are continuous at given point.
x − xy + 3
1. 2 , (0, 1).
x y + 5xy − y 3
p
2. x 2 + y 2 , (3, −4).

Gunja Sachdeva Partial Derivatives

Show that the following functions are continuous at given point.
x − xy + 3
1. 2 , (0, 1).
x y + 5xy − y 3
p
2. x 2 + y 2 , (3, −4).

Find the all the points in xy -plane where the following functions
are continuous:
x
1. f (x, y ) = 2 .
y +1

Gunja Sachdeva Partial Derivatives

Show that the following functions are continuous at given point.
x − xy + 3
1. 2 , (0, 1).
x y + 5xy − y 3
p
2. x 2 + y 2 , (3, −4).

Find the all the points in xy -plane where the following functions
are continuous:
x
1. f (x, y ) = 2 .
y +1
1
2. f (x, y ) = .
x2 −1
3. f (x, y ) = sin(x + y ).

Gunja Sachdeva Partial Derivatives

Examples

Show that
 2xy
 x 2 +y 2
 for (x, y ) ̸= (0, 0);
f (x, y ) =

0 for (x, y ) = (0, 0),


is continuous at every point except the origin.

Gunja Sachdeva Partial Derivatives

Two path test for nonexistence of a limit

Theorem
Let r(t) = x(t)i + y (t)j is any continuous curve passing through
the point (x0 , y0 ), r(t0 ) = (x0 , y0 ) and lim(x,y )→(x0 ,y0 ) f (x, y ) = L,
then
lim f (r(t)) = lim f (x(t), y (t)) = L.
t→t0 t→t0

Remark
If a function f (x, y ) has two different limits along two different
paths in the domain of f as (x, y ) approaches (x0 , y0 ), then
lim(x,y )→(x0 ,y0 ) f (x, y ) does not exist.

Gunja Sachdeva Partial Derivatives

Two path test for nonexistence of a limit

Show that if
 10x 2 y
 x 4 +y 2
 for (x, y ) ̸= (0, 0);
f (x, y ) =

0 for (x, y ) = (0, 0),


then lim(x,y )→(0,0) f (x, y ) does not exist.

Gunja Sachdeva Partial Derivatives

Two path test for nonexistence of a limit

Gunja Sachdeva Partial Derivatives

Continuity of Composites

Theorem (Continuity of Composites)

If f is continuous at (x0 , y0 ) and g is a single-variable function
continuous at f (x0 , y0 ), then the composite function h = g ◦ f
defined by h(x, y ) = g (f (x, y )) is continuous at (x0 , y0 ).

Gunja Sachdeva Partial Derivatives

Continuity of Composites

Theorem (Continuity of Composites)

If f is continuous at (x0 , y0 ) and g is a single-variable function
continuous at f (x0 , y0 ), then the composite function h = g ◦ f
defined by h(x, y ) = g (f (x, y )) is continuous at (x0 , y0 ).
Examples: The functions
xy
e x−y , cos , ln(1 + x 2 y 2 )
x2 + 1
are continuous at every point (x, y )

Gunja Sachdeva Partial Derivatives

The Sandwich Theorem

Theorem (The Sandwich Theorem)

Let f , g and h be functions of two variables such that

g (x, y ) ≤ f (x, y ) ≤ h(x, y )

for all (x, y ) ̸= (x0 , y0 ) in a disk centered at (x0 , y0 ) and if

lim g (x, y ) = L = lim h(x, y )

(x,y )→(x0 ,y0 ) (x,y )→(x0 ,y0 )

for a finite limit L ∈ R, then

lim f (x, y ) = L.
(x,y )→(x0 ,y0 )

Gunja Sachdeva Partial Derivatives

Examples

Find the limits (if they exist):

1
1. lim y sin .
(x,y )→(0,0) x

Gunja Sachdeva Partial Derivatives

Examples

Find the limits (if they exist):

1
1. lim y sin .
(x,y )→(0,0) x

x 2 sin2 y
2. lim .
(x,y )→(0,0) x 2 + 2y 2

xy 2
3. lim .
(x,y )→(0,0) x 2 + y 2

x2 − y2
4. lim xy .
(x,y )→(0,0) x2 + y2

Gunja Sachdeva Partial Derivatives

Remark (Changing Variables to Polar Coordinates)
If f (x, y ) is a function of two variables, L ∈ R and for given any
ε > 0, there exists δ > 0 such that

|f (r cos θ, r sin θ) − L| < ε whenever 0 < |r | < δ

for all θ with (r cos θ, r sin θ) in the domain of f , then

lim f (x, y ) = L.
(x,y )→(0,0)

In other words, if limr →0 f (r cos θ, r sin θ) = L uniformly in θ,

where is L is a constant independent of θ, then

lim f (x, y ) = L.
(x,y )→(0,0)

Gunja Sachdeva Partial Derivatives

Changing Variables to Polar Coordinates

Find the limits, (if they exist):

x 3 − xy 2
1. lim .
(x,y )→(0,0) x 2 + y 2

Gunja Sachdeva Partial Derivatives

Changing Variables to Polar Coordinates

Find the limits, (if they exist):

x 3 − xy 2
1. lim .
(x,y )→(0,0) x 2 + y 2

 |x| + |y | 
2. lim tan−1 .
(x,y )→(0,0) x2 + y2

x2 − y2
3. lim .
(x,y )→(0,0) x 2 + y 2

Gunja Sachdeva Partial Derivatives

Functions of more than two variables

The definitions of limit and continuity for functions of two

variables and the conclusions about limits and continuity for sums,
product, quotients, powers and composites all extend to functions
of three or more variables.

Gunja Sachdeva Partial Derivatives

Limits of functions of three variables

Definition (Limit of functions of three variables)

We say that a function f (x, y , z) approaches the limit L as
(x, y , z) approaches (x0 , y0 , z0 ) and we write

lim f (x, y , z) = L,
(x,y ,z)→(x0 ,y0 ,z0 )

if, for every number ε > 0, there exists a corresponding number

δ > 0 such that for all (x, y , z) in the domain of f ,

|f (x, y , z) − L| < ε
q
whenever 0< (x − x0 )2 + (y − y0 )2 + (z − z0 )2 < δ.

Gunja Sachdeva Partial Derivatives

Continuity of functions of three variables

Definition
A function f (x, y , z) is said to be continuous at the point
(x0 , y0 , z0 ), if

1. f is defined at (x0 , y0 , z0 ),

2. lim f (x, y , z) exists,

(x,y ,z)→(x0 ,y0 ,z0 )

3. lim f (x, y , z) = f (x0 , y0 , z0 ).

(x,y ,z)→(x0 ,y0 ,z0 )

A function f (x, y , z) is said to be continuous, if it is continuous at

every point of its domain.

Gunja Sachdeva Partial Derivatives

Problems:
1. Using ϵ − δ definition show that
x +y +z
lim = 0.
(x,y ,z)→(0,0,0) x 2 + y2 + z2 + 1

Gunja Sachdeva Partial Derivatives

Problems:
1. Using ϵ − δ definition show that
x +y +z
lim = 0.
(x,y ,z)→(0,0,0) x 2 + y2 + z2 + 1

2. At what points (x, y , z) in space are the following functions

continuous?
2.1 f (x, y , z) = e x+y cos z
1
2.2 g (x, y , z) = |xy |+|z|

√ 1
2.3 h(x, y , z) = .
4− x 2 +y 2 +z 2 −1

Gunja Sachdeva Partial Derivatives