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Section 14.1 Functions of Several Variables

This document provides an overview of functions of two variables. It defines what a function of two variables is, gives examples like temperature as a function of longitude and latitude, and volume of a cylinder as a function of radius and height. It discusses domains, ranges, and evaluating functions. It explains how to graph functions of two variables and sketch level curves (contour lines of constant value). Examples are provided to illustrate finding domains and ranges, sketching graphs, and plotting level curves for various functions of two variables.

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Alvin Aditya
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231 views

Section 14.1 Functions of Several Variables

This document provides an overview of functions of two variables. It defines what a function of two variables is, gives examples like temperature as a function of longitude and latitude, and volume of a cylinder as a function of radius and height. It discusses domains, ranges, and evaluating functions. It explains how to graph functions of two variables and sketch level curves (contour lines of constant value). Examples are provided to illustrate finding domains and ranges, sketching graphs, and plotting level curves for various functions of two variables.

Uploaded by

Alvin Aditya
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Section 14.

1 Functions of Several Variables


Alveen Chand

The temperature T at a point on the surface of the earth at any given time depends on logitude x and latitude
y of the the point. We can think of T as being a function of two variables x and y, or a function of the pait (x, y).
We denote this by T = f (x, y).
Another example is the volume of a circular cylinder V = πr2 h which is dependent on r and h.

Functions of Two Variables


Definition. A function f : D → R is a function of two variables which assigns a pair of real numbers (x, y) in
a set D a unique real number denoted by f (x, y). The set D is the domain of f and its range is the set of values
that f takes on, that is, {f (x, y) | (x, y) ∈ D}. Note that we often write z = f (x, y).
Diagram:
Remark. If a function f is given by a formula and no domain is specified, then the domain of f is understood to be
the set of all pairs (x, y) for which the given expression is a well- defined real number.

Example. For the following functions, evaluate f (3, 2) and find the domain.
√
x+y+1
1. f (x, y) = x−1

2. f (x, y) = x ln(y 2 − x)

Solution.
√
6
1. f (3, 2) = 2 and domain D = {(x, y) | x + y + 1 ≥ 0, x 6= 1}.

2. f (3, 2) = 0 and domain D = {(x, y) | x < y 2 }.

1
p
Example. Find the domain and range of g(x, y) = 9 − x2 − y 2 .
Solution. The domain of g is D = {(x, y) | x2 + y 2 ≤ 9} and range of g is {z | 0 ≤ z ≤ 3} = [0, 3].

Graphs
Definition. If f is a function of two variables with domain D, then the graph of f is the set of all point (x, y, z)
in R3 such that z = f (x, y) and (x, y) is in D.

Example. Sketch the graph of f (x, y) = 6 − 3x − 2y.


Solution.
The example above is a special case of the function
f (x, y) = ax + by + c
which is called a linear function.

p
Example. Sketch the graph of g(x, y) = 9 − x2 − y 2 .
Solution.

2
Example. Find the domain and range and sketch the graph of h(x, y) = 4x2 + y 2 .
Solution. The domain of h is {(x, y) | x, y ∈ R} and range of h is {z ≥ 0 | z ∈ R}. The graph of h is an elliptic
paraboloid.

Some Interesting Surfaces

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Level Curves (or Contour Curves)
Level curves (equivalently, contour curves or lines) are basically lines of equal values such as line of equal height.

Definition. The level curves of a function f of two variables are the curves with equations f (x, y) = k, where k
is a contant.

This is very useful for comparison purposes. For instance,


• You can find these contour lines in geographical maps where the lines are used to show mountain ranges and
valleys or depth of oceans.
• You can also find these contous lines in weathers maps where the lines indicate areas of different humidity
and pressure.
Example. A contour map for a function f is shown below. Use it to estimate the values of f (1, 3) and f (4, 5).

Solution. The point (1, 3) lies partway between the level curves with z-values 70 and 80. We estimate that

f (1, 3) ≈ 73.

Similarly,
f (4, 5) ≈ 56.

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Example. Sketch the level curves of the function f (x, y) = 6 − 3x − 2y for the values k = −6, 0, 6, 12.
Solution. The level curves are
6 − 3x − 2y = k.

Example. Sketch the level curves of the function


p
g(x, y) = 9 − x2 − y 2 for k = 0, 1, 2, 3.

Solution. The level curves are p


9 − x2 − y 2 = k.

Some Interesting Level Curves


The level curves of 4x2 + y 2 = z:

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