Math 21a Homework 18 Solutions Spring, 2014

Problems on the Chain Rule, Section 11.5.

1. Use the Chain Rule to find the indicated partial derivatives.
(a) (Stewart 11.5 #4 ) z = tan−1 (y/x), x = et , y = 1 − e−t ; dz/dt

Solution: Given z = tan−1 (y/x), x = et , and y = 1 − e−t , we differentiate and get

dz ∂z dx ∂z dy
= +
dt ∂x dt ∂y dt
1 1
= (−yx−2 ) · et + (1/x) · (−e−t )(−1)
1 + (y/x)2 1 + (y/x)2
y 1
=− 2 · et + · e−t
x + y2 x + y 2 /x
xe−t − yet
=
x2 + y 2
et e−t − (1 − e−t )et
= 2t
e + 1 − 2e−t + e−2t
2 − et
= 2t
e − 2e−t + e−2t + 1

p
(b) (Stewart 11.5 #6 ) w = ln x2 + y 2 + z 2 , x = sin t, y = cos t, z = tan t; dw/dt
p
Solution: Given w = ln x2 + y 2 + z 2 , x = sin t, y = cos t and z = tan t, we differentiate to find
dw ∂w dx ∂w dy ∂w dz
= + +
dt ∂x dt ∂y dt ∂z dt
1 2x 1 2y 1 2z
= · 2 · cos t + · 2 · (− sin t) + · 2 · sec2 t
2 x + y2 + z2 2 x + y2 + z2 2 x + y2 + z2
x cos t − y sin t + z sec2 t
=
x2 + y 2 + z 2
sin t cos t − cos t sin t + tan t sec2 t
=
sin2 t + cos2 t + tan2 t
tan t sec2 t
=
1 + tan2 t
= tan t.

Of course another approach is to notice that x2 +y 2 +z 2 = sin2 t+cos2 t+tan2 t = 1+tan2 t = sec2 t, so w = ln sec t.
From single variable calculus we find that dw
dt
= tan t.
2
(c) (Stewart 11.5 #24 ) M = xey−z , x = 2uv, y = u − v, z = u + v; ∂M
∂u
, ∂M
∂v
when u = 3, v = −1
2
Solution: Given M = xey−z , x = 2uv, y = u − v and z = u + v, we differentiate to find
∂M ∂M ∂x ∂M ∂y ∂M ∂z 2 2 2 2
= + + = ey−z (2v) + xey−z (1) + x(−2z)ey−z (1) = ey−z (2v + x − 2xz),
∂u ∂x ∂u ∂y ∂u ∂z ∂u

and
∂M ∂M ∂x ∂M ∂y ∂M ∂z 2 2 2 2
= + + = ey−z (2u) + xey−z (−1) + x(−2z)ey−z (1) = ey−z (2u − x − 2xz).
∂v ∂x ∂v ∂y ∂v ∂z ∂v
∂M ∂M
When u = 3 and v = −1, we have x = −6, y = 4 and z = 2, so = 16 and = 36.
∂u ∂v

2. (Stewart 11.5 #14 ) Let W (s, t) = F (u(s, t), v(s, t)), where F, u, and v are differentiable, and

u(1, 0) = 2 v(1, 0) = 3
us (1, 0) = −2 vs (1, 0) = 5
ut (1, 0) = 6 vt (1, 0) = 4
Fu (2, 3) = −1 Fv (2, 3) = 10
 Find Ws (1, 0) and Wt (1, 0).
∂W ∂W ∂u ∂W ∂v
Solution: From the Chain Rule, we know that = + . Then
∂s ∂u ∂s ∂v ∂s
Ws (1, 0) = Fu (u(1, 0), v(1, 0))us (1, 0) + Fv (u(1, 0), v(1, 0))vs (1, 0)
= Fu (2, 3)us (1, 0) + Fv (2, 3)vs (1, 0)
= (−1)(−2) + (10)(5) = 52.
∂W ∂W ∂u ∂W ∂v
Through the same process, we can use the Chain Rule: ∂t
= ∂u ∂t
+ ∂v ∂t
to get

Wt (1, 0) = Fu (u(1, 0), v(1, 0))ut (1, 0) + Fv (u(1, 0), v(1, 0))vt (1, 0)
= Fu (2, 3)ut (1, 0) + Fv (2, 3)vt (1, 0)
= (−1)(6) + (10)(4) = 34.

3. (Based on Stewart 11.5 #34 ) Wheat production W (in hundreds of thousands of bushels) in a given year depends on
the average temperature T and the annual rainfall R. Scientists estimate that the average temperature is rising at a
rate of 0.15◦ C/year and rainfall is decreasing at a rate of 0.1 cm/year. They also estimate that, at current production
levels, ∂W/∂T = −2 and ∂W/∂R = 8.
(a) What are the units of these partial derivatives?

Solution: The derivative ∂W ∂T

is in units of hundreds of thousands of bushels per ◦ Celsius (the units of W per
∂W
the units of T ), and ∂R is in units of hundreds of thousands of bushels per centimeter of rain.

(b) What is the significance of the signs of these partial derivatives?

Solution: That ∂W
∂T
< 0 means that a rise in average temperature causes a decrease in wheat production,
assuming annual rainfall remains constant.
That ∂W
∂R
> 0 means that an increase in annual rainfall causes a increase in wheat production, assuming average
temperature remains constant.

(c) Estimate the current rate of wheat production, dW/dt. Give the units of dW/dt.

Solution: By the Chain Rule, we need to find

dW ∂W dT ∂W dR
= + .
dt ∂T dt ∂R dt
We are told that the rate of change in the average temperature per year is dT
dt
= 0.15◦ C/year. Similarly, we are
dR
told that dt = −0.1 cm/year (a decrease of 0.1 cm/year). Plugging these into the above equation gives us

dW ∂W dT ∂W dR
= + = (−2)(0.15) + (8)(−0.1) = −1.1.
dt ∂T dt ∂R dt
This means we expect wheat production will decrease at a rate of 1.1 hundred thousand bushels per year. (Note
that both an increase in temperature and a decrease in rainfall tend to decrease production.)

Preparing for directional derivatives. Please skim through Section 11.6. The following problem just needs the basic
definition of the gradient of f , ∇f , and the directional derivative Du f in the direction of the unit vector u.

4. (Based on Stewart 11.6 #8 ) Let f (x, y) = y 2 /x.

(a) Find the gradient of f .

Solution: The gradient of f is

y2
 2 
∂f ∂f 2y y 2y
∇f (x, y) = i+ j = y 2 (−x−2 )i + (2y/x)j = − 2 i + j or ∇f (x, y) = − 2, .
∂x ∂y x x x x
(b) Evaluate the gradient at the point P (1, 2).

Solution: At this point,

22 2·2
∇f (1, 2) = − i+ j = −4i + 4j or ∇f (1, 2) = h−4, 4i .
12 1

√
(c) Find the rate of change of f at P in the direction of u = 13 (2i + 5j).

Solution: By the definition of the directional derivative Du f , we get

 √ 
2 5 4 √

Du f (1, 2) = ∇f (1, 2) · u = h−4, 4i · , = 5−2 .
3 3 3