Chapter 8: Functions of several variables
Nguyen Thu Huong
Faculty of Mathematics and Informatics
Hanoi University of Science and Technology
December 6, 2024
Functions of several variables
Content
8. Functions of several variables
8.1 Definition
8.2 Limit and continuity
8.3 Partial derivatives
Content
8. Functions of several variables
8.1 Definition
8.2 Limit and continuity
8.3 Partial derivatives
Functions of several variables
The space R2
Recall R2 = (x, y ) x, y ∈ R .
Vector space structure:
(x1 , y1 ) + (x2 , y2 ) = (x1 + x2 , y1 + y2 ),
k(x1 , y1 ) = (kx1 , ky1 ), k ∈ R, (x1 , y1 ) ∈ R2 .
Distance between two points (x1 , y1 ) and (x2 , y2 ):
q
d = (x1 − x2 )2 + (y1 − y2 )2 .
Question: similar notions in R3 ?
Functions of several variables
Example
Closed disk B(x, ε) = {M ∈ Rn d(M, x) ≤ ε}.
Open disk B(y , δ) = {M ∈ Rn d(M, y ) < δ}.
Functions of several variables
Functions of several variables
Definition
A function of two variables f : D ⊂ R2 → R is a rule that assigns
M(x, y ) ∈ D to a unique value z = f (M) = f (x, y ).
D is called the domain of f . The range is the set {f (M) M ∈ D}.
x, y : independent variables; z : dependent variable.
We have various ways of looking at f :
as a function of 2 variables (x, y );
as a function of a single point M(x, y ).
By the same way, we can define a function of three or more
variables.
Functions of several variables
Example
Find the domains of the following functions:
1 z = z(x, y ) = √ x
.
1−x 2 −y 2
p
2 u = f (x, y , z) = arcsin x 2 + y 2.
Functions of several variables
Visualization
The graph of z = f (x, y ) : D ⊂ R2 → R is the set
Γ(f ) = {(x, y , f (x, y )), (x, y ) ∈ D} ⊂ R3 .
The graph of z = f (x, y ) is a surface in R3 .
p
Figure: z = 9 − x2 − y2
Functions of several variables
The level curves of a function f of two variables are the curves with
equations f (x, y ) = C where C is a constant (in the range of f ).
Content
8. Functions of several variables
8.1 Definition
8.2 Limit and continuity
8.3 Partial derivatives
Functions of several variables
Limit of a function
Definition
Let f : D → R, D contains an open disk B(M0 , ε), possibly except
M0 (x0 , y0 ). We say that the limit of f (x, y ) is L when M(x, y )
tends to M0 (x0 , y0 ) iff
lim f (M) = L ⇔ ∀ε > 0, ∃δ(ε) > 0 : 0 < d(M, M0 ) < δ
M→M0
⇒ |f (M) − L| < ε.
Functions of several variables
Limit of a function of several variables has similar properties as
those of limit of a function of a single variable.
Theorem
Assume that lim f (M), lim g (M) are finite.
M→M0 M→M0
lim (f (M) ± g (M)) = lim f (M) ± lim g (M)
M→M0 M→M0 M→M0
lim f (M).g (M) = lim f (M). lim g (M).
M→M0 M→M0 M→M0
Example
x3 − y3
Compute the limit lim .
(x,y )→(2,1) x 2 + y 2
Functions of several variables
Theorem (Squeeze theorem)
If f (M) ≤ g (M) ≤ h(M) when M ∈ B(M0 , ε) \ {M0 } and
lim f (M) = lim h(M) = L,
M→M0 M→M0
then
lim g (M) = L.
M→M0
Functions of several variables
In the line, x → x0 either from the left or the right.
Note: If the limit exists, then f (M) must approach same L no
matter how M approaches M0 .
To show nonexistence of the limit:
f (M) → a1 as M → M0 along the path C1 , f (M) → a2 as
M → M0 along the path C2 ; but a1 6= a2 .
Functions of several variables
Example
Compute the limits
p 1
1 lim x 2 + y 2 cos
(x,y )→(0,0) xy
2x 2 y
2 lim
(x,y )→(0,0) x 2 + y 2
Example
Compute the limits
x 2 − 2y 2
1 lim
(x,y )→(0,0) x 2 + y 2
x 2 + 2xy − 3y 2
2 lim
(x,y )→(0,0) x 2 + 2y 2
xy 2
3 lim
(x,y )→(0,0) x 2 + y 4
Functions of several variables
Continuous functions
Definition
Let f (M) be defined on D, M0 ∈ D, D contains an open disk
centered at M0 .The function f (M) is said to be continuous at M0
iff lim f (M) = f (M0 ).
M→M0
f (M) is said to be continuous on D if it is continuous at any
M0 ∈ D.
Functions of several variables
Example
Investigate the continuity at (x, y ) = (0, 0) of the following
functions
cos 2xy
if (x, y ) 6= (0, 0),
1 f (x, y ) = x2 + y2
0 if (x, y ) = (0, 0).
3
x if (x, y ) 6= (0, 0),
2 g (x, y ) = x2 + y2
0 if (x, y ) = (0, 0).
Content
8. Functions of several variables
8.1 Definition
8.2 Limit and continuity
8.3 Partial derivatives
Functions of several variables
Definition
Let f (x, y ) : D ⊂ R2 → R, D contains an open disk centered at
M0 (x0 , y0 ).
The partial derivative with respect to x is
∂f d
fx0 (x0 , y0 ) = (x0 , y0 ) = f (x, y0 ) x=x
∂x dx 0
f (x0 + ∆x, y0 ) − f (x0 , y0 )
= lim
∆x→0 ∆x
The partial derivative with respect to y is
∂f d
fy0 (x0 , y0 ) = (x0 , y0 ) = f (x0 , y ) y =y
∂y dy 0
f (x0 , y0 + ∆y ) − f (x0 , y0 )
= lim
∆y →0 ∆y
Functions of several variables
Rule: when differentiating with respect to x, y is regarded as a
constant; when differentiating with respect to y , x is regarded as a
constant.
Example
Compute the partial derivatives of the following functions
1 f (x, y ) = x y at (2, 1).
p
2 u(x, y , z) = z x 2 + y 2 .
xy
if (x, y ) 6= (0, 0),
3 f (x, y ) = x 2 + y 2
0 if (x, y ) = (0, 0).
Homework: Textbook page 115: Ex. 1, 2 (first
order partial derivatives), 3ab.
