Functions of several variables

Christopher Croke

University of Pennsylvania

Math 115

Christopher Croke Calculus 115

Functions of several variables:

Examples:

f (x, y ) = x 2 + 2y 2

Christopher Croke Calculus 115

Functions of several variables:

Examples:

f (x, y ) = x 2 + 2y 2

f (2, 1) =?

Christopher Croke Calculus 115

Functions of several variables:

Examples:

f (x, y ) = x 2 + 2y 2

f (2, 1) =?

f (1, 2) =?

Christopher Croke Calculus 115

Functions of several variables:

Examples:

f (x, y ) = x 2 + 2y 2

f (2, 1) =?

f (1, 2) =?

f (x, y ) = cos(x) sin(y )e xy + x y

Christopher Croke Calculus 115

Functions of several variables:

Examples:

f (x, y ) = x 2 + 2y 2

f (2, 1) =?

f (1, 2) =?

f (x, y ) = cos(x) sin(y )e xy + x y

f (x, y , z) = x 2y + 3z

Christopher Croke Calculus 115

For functions of two variables can write

z = f (x, y ).

Christopher Croke Calculus 115

For functions of two variables can write

z = f (x, y ).

x and y are called the independent variables (or input variables).

Christopher Croke Calculus 115

For functions of two variables can write

z = f (x, y ).

x and y are called the independent variables (or input variables).

z is called the dependent variable (or output variable).

Christopher Croke Calculus 115

For functions of two variables can write

z = f (x, y ).

x and y are called the independent variables (or input variables).

z is called the dependent variable (or output variable).

Similar terminology applies for more variables.

Christopher Croke Calculus 115

For functions of two variables can write

z = f (x, y ).

x and y are called the independent variables (or input variables).

z is called the dependent variable (or output variable).

Similar terminology applies for more variables.

The Domain of f is the set of input variables for which f is

defined.

Christopher Croke Calculus 115

For functions of two variables can write

z = f (x, y ).

x and y are called the independent variables (or input variables).

z is called the dependent variable (or output variable).

Similar terminology applies for more variables.

The Domain of f is the set of input variables for which f is

defined.
Check out the previous examples...

Christopher Croke Calculus 115

For functions of two variables can write

z = f (x, y ).

x and y are called the independent variables (or input variables).

z is called the dependent variable (or output variable).

Similar terminology applies for more variables.

The Domain of f is the set of input variables for which f is

defined.
Check out the previous examples...

When a function is given by a formula assume that the domain is

the largest set where the function makes sense.

Christopher Croke Calculus 115

For functions of two variables can write

z = f (x, y ).

x and y are called the independent variables (or input variables).

z is called the dependent variable (or output variable).

Similar terminology applies for more variables.

The Domain of f is the set of input variables for which f is

defined.
Check out the previous examples...

When a function is given by a formula assume that the domain is

the largest set where the function makes sense.

The Range of f is the set of output values. This will be a subset

of the reals.

Christopher Croke Calculus 115

Find the domain and range of the following:
1
w=
xy

Christopher Croke Calculus 115

Find the domain and range of the following:
1
w=
xy

w = x ln(z) + y ln(x).

Christopher Croke Calculus 115

Some terminology for sets in the plane
Let R be a region in the plane.

x is an Interior point if there is a disk centered at x and

contained in the region.

Christopher Croke Calculus 115

Some terminology for sets in the plane
Let R be a region in the plane.

x is an Interior point if there is a disk centered at x and

contained in the region.

Christopher Croke Calculus 115

Some terminology for sets in the plane
Let R be a region in the plane.

x is an Interior point if there is a disk centered at x and

contained in the region.

Christopher Croke Calculus 115

x is called a Boundary Point if every disk centered at x hits both
points that are in R and points that are outside.

Christopher Croke Calculus 115

x is called a Boundary Point if every disk centered at x hits both
points that are in R and points that are outside.

Christopher Croke Calculus 115

x is called a Boundary Point if every disk centered at x hits both
points that are in R and points that are outside.

Christopher Croke Calculus 115

x is called a Boundary Point if every disk centered at x hits both
points that are in R and points that are outside.

Christopher Croke Calculus 115

x is called a Boundary Point if every disk centered at x hits both
points that are in R and points that are outside.

Christopher Croke Calculus 115

x is called a Boundary Point if every disk centered at x hits both
points that are in R and points that are outside.

Christopher Croke Calculus 115

x is called a Boundary Point if every disk centered at x hits both
points that are in R and points that are outside.

The Interior of R is the set of all interior points.

Christopher Croke Calculus 115

x is called a Boundary Point if every disk centered at x hits both
points that are in R and points that are outside.

The Interior of R is the set of all interior points.

The Boundary of R is the set of all boundary points of R.

Christopher Croke Calculus 115

x is called a Boundary Point if every disk centered at x hits both
points that are in R and points that are outside.

The Interior of R is the set of all interior points.

The Boundary of R is the set of all boundary points of R.

R is called Open if all x R are interior points.

Christopher Croke Calculus 115

x is called a Boundary Point if every disk centered at x hits both
points that are in R and points that are outside.

The Interior of R is the set of all interior points.

The Boundary of R is the set of all boundary points of R.

R is called Open if all x R are interior points.

R is called Closed if all boundary points of R are in R.

Christopher Croke Calculus 115

x is called a Boundary Point if every disk centered at x hits both
points that are in R and points that are outside.

The Interior of R is the set of all interior points.

The Boundary of R is the set of all boundary points of R.

R is called Open if all x R are interior points.

R is called Closed if all boundary points of R are in R.

Christopher Croke Calculus 115

Examples

x 2 + y 2 < 1.
x 2 + y 2 1.
y < x 2.
y x.
y = x 3.

Christopher Croke Calculus 115

In 3-dimensions the same terminology holds except we use balls
centered at x rather than disks.

Christopher Croke Calculus 115

In 3-dimensions the same terminology holds except we use balls
centered at x rather than disks.
Examples:

z > 0.
z 0
x 2 + y 2 + z 2 0.

Christopher Croke Calculus 115

In 3-dimensions the same terminology holds except we use balls
centered at x rather than disks.
Examples:

z > 0.
z 0
x 2 + y 2 + z 2 0.

R is called Bounded if it lies in a (generally big) disk (or ball in

3-dims)

Christopher Croke Calculus 115

In 3-dimensions the same terminology holds except we use balls
centered at x rather than disks.
Examples:

z > 0.
z 0
x 2 + y 2 + z 2 0.

R is called Bounded if it lies in a (generally big) disk (or ball in

3-dims)
As examples consider the domains of:
p
f (x, y ) = x 2 y .
q
f (x, y ) = 1 (x 2 + y 2 ).
1
f (x, y ) = .
xy
Christopher Croke Calculus 115
Graphs of functions of two variables

The Graph of f (x, y ) is the set of points in 3-space of the form

(x, y , f (x, y ))

where (x, y ) is in the domain of f .

Christopher Croke Calculus 115

Graphs of functions of two variables

The Graph of f (x, y ) is the set of points in 3-space of the form

(x, y , f (x, y ))

where (x, y ) is in the domain of f .

That is the set of points (x, y , z) where z = f (x, y ).

Christopher Croke Calculus 115

Graphs of functions of two variables

The Graph of f (x, y ) is the set of points in 3-space of the form

(x, y , f (x, y ))

where (x, y ) is in the domain of f .

That is the set of points (x, y , z) where z = f (x, y ).

Christopher Croke Calculus 115

Christopher Croke Calculus 115
Use Maple to graph:

f (x, y ) = x 2 + y 2 .

g (x, y ) = x 2 y 2 .
h(x, y ) = x 2 sin(y ).

Christopher Croke Calculus 115

Level curves and contour lines

A Level Curve of a function f (x, y ) is a curve of the form

f (x, y ) = c for a fixed number c. (Note this is a curve in the
plane.)

Christopher Croke Calculus 115

Level curves and contour lines

A Level Curve of a function f (x, y ) is a curve of the form

f (x, y ) = c for a fixed number c. (Note this is a curve in the
plane.)

Christopher Croke Calculus 115

Level curves and contour lines

A Level Curve of a function f (x, y ) is a curve of the form

f (x, y ) = c for a fixed number c. (Note this is a curve in the
plane.)

A Contour line is the curve in 3-space gotten by raising the level

curve f (x, y ) = c to the plane z = c.

Christopher Croke Calculus 115

Level curves and contour lines

A Level Curve of a function f (x, y ) is a curve of the form

f (x, y ) = c for a fixed number c. (Note this is a curve in the
plane.)

A Contour line is the curve in 3-space gotten by raising the level

curve f (x, y ) = c to the plane z = c. In other words it is the
intersection of the graph of f with the plane z = c.

Christopher Croke Calculus 115

Level curves and contour lines

A Level Curve of a function f (x, y ) is a curve of the form

f (x, y ) = c for a fixed number c. (Note this is a curve in the
plane.)

A Contour line is the curve in 3-space gotten by raising the level

curve f (x, y ) = c to the plane z = c. In other words it is the
intersection of the graph of f with the plane z = c.

Christopher Croke Calculus 115

Christopher Croke Calculus 115
Christopher Croke Calculus 115
Christopher Croke Calculus 115
Christopher Croke Calculus 115
Find level curves of f (x, y ) = x 2 + y 2 .

Christopher Croke Calculus 115

Find level curves of f (x, y ) = x 2 + y 2 .

See what Maple can do.

Christopher Croke Calculus 115

Find level curves of f (x, y ) = x 2 + y 2 .

See what Maple can do.

You have seen these before (e.g. isobars, isotherms, indifference
curves....)

Christopher Croke Calculus 115

Find level curves of f (x, y ) = x 2 + y 2 .

See what Maple can do.

You have seen these before (e.g. isobars, isotherms, indifference
curves....)
For functions of 3-variables we get Level Surfaces f (x, y , z) = c.

Christopher Croke Calculus 115

Find level curves of f (x, y ) = x 2 + y 2 .

See what Maple can do.

You have seen these before (e.g. isobars, isotherms, indifference
curves....)
For functions of 3-variables we get Level Surfaces f (x, y , z) = c.
What about f (x, y , z) = x 2 + y 2 + z 2 ?

Christopher Croke Calculus 115