Civil Engineering Mathematics-II 2nd Year- 2nd Semester

Partial Derivatives
First order partial derivative:

If (x0, y0) is a point in the domain

of a function ƒ(x, y), the vertical
plane y = y0 will cut the surface z =
ƒ(x, y) in the curve z = ƒ(x, y0).
This curve is the graph of the
function z = ƒ(x, y0) in the plane y
= y0. The horizontal coordinate in
this plane is x; the vertical
coordinate is z. The y-value is held constant at y0, so y is not a variable.
We define the partial derivative of ƒ with respect to x at the point (x0,
y0) as the ordinary derivative of with respect to x at the point x = x0 .
To distinguish partial derivatives from ordinary derivatives we use the
symbol 𝜕 rather than the d previously used.

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Civil Engineering Mathematics-II 2nd Year- 2nd Semester

Notes.
𝜕𝑓
1. To find , treat y as a constant and differentiate with respect to x.
𝜕𝑥

𝜕𝑓
2. To find , treat x as a constant and differentiate with respect to y.
𝜕𝑦

𝜕𝑓 𝜕𝑓
Example 1: Find the values of and at the point (4¸-5) if:
𝜕𝑥 𝜕𝑦

f (x¸y) = x2 + 3xy + y – 1?

Solution:
𝜕𝑓 𝜕
= (x 2 + 3xy + y – 1) = 2x + 3y ,
𝜕𝑥 𝜕𝑥
𝜕𝑓
The value of at (4¸-5) is : 2(4) + 3(-5) = -7
𝜕𝑥
𝜕𝑓 𝜕 2
= (x + 3xy + y – 1) = 3x + 1
𝜕𝑦 𝜕𝑦
𝜕𝑓
The value of at (4¸-5) is : 3(4) + 1= 13
𝜕𝑥

………………………………………………………………………
𝜕𝑓
Example 2: Find if f (x¸y) = y sin (xy)
𝜕𝑦

Solution:
𝜕𝑓
= ycos(xy)x + sin(xy) = xycos(xy) + sin(xy)
𝜕𝑦
………………………………………………….
2𝑦
Example 3: Find fx if f (x¸y) = ?
𝑦+𝑐𝑜𝑠𝑥

Solution:
(𝑦 + 𝑐𝑜𝑠𝑥 ) × 0 − 2𝑦 (0 − 𝑠𝑖𝑛𝑥) 2𝑦𝑠𝑖𝑛𝑥
=
(𝑦 + 𝑐𝑜𝑠𝑥 )2 (𝑦 + 𝑐𝑜𝑠𝑥 )2

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Civil Engineering Mathematics-II 2nd Year- 2nd Semester
𝜕𝑧
Example 4: Find if yz – lnz = x + y?
𝜕𝑥

Solution:
𝜕𝑧 1 𝜕𝑧
𝑦 − =1+0
𝜕𝑥 𝑧 𝜕𝑥
𝜕𝑧 1
(𝑦 − ) = 1
𝜕𝑥 𝑧
𝜕𝑧 1 𝑧
= =
𝜕𝑥 1
(𝑦 − ) 𝑦𝑧 − 1
𝑧
……………………………………………………….
𝜕𝑤 𝜕𝑤 𝜕𝑤
Example 5: If w = x sin(y+3z), find , , and ?
𝜕𝑥 𝜕𝑦 𝜕𝑧

Solution:
𝜕𝑤
= 1. sin(𝑦 + 3𝑧) = sin(𝑦 + 3𝑧)
𝜕𝑥
𝜕𝑤
= 𝑥. cos(𝑦 + 3𝑧) . 1 = 𝑥𝑐𝑜𝑠(𝑦 + 3𝑧)
𝜕𝑦
𝜕𝑤
= 𝑥. cos(𝑦 + 3𝑧) . 3 = 3𝑥𝑐𝑜𝑠(𝑦 + 3𝑧)
𝜕𝑧
……………………………………………………….
𝜕𝑧 𝜕𝑧
Example 6: Find and if z = r2 sin2θ?
𝜕𝑟 𝜕𝜃

Solution:
𝜕𝑧
= 2𝑟. 𝑠𝑖𝑛2𝜃
𝜕𝑟
𝜕𝑧
= 𝑟 2 . 𝑐𝑜𝑠2𝜃 . 2 = 2𝑟 2 𝑐𝑜𝑠2𝜃
𝜕𝜃