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Functions of Several Variables

Functions of Several Variables. Limits and Continuity. Written by Richard Gill Associate Professor of Mathematics Tidewater Community College, Norfolk Campus, Norfolk, VA With Assistance from a VCCS LearningWare Grant. f(x) is the output. x is the input. L. ( ). ( ). c.

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Functions of Several Variables

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  1. Functions of Several Variables Limits and Continuity Written by Richard Gill Associate Professor of Mathematics Tidewater Community College, Norfolk Campus, Norfolk, VA With Assistance from a VCCS LearningWare Grant

  2. f(x) is the output x is the input L ( ) ( ) c This section will extend the properties of limits and continuity from the familiar function of one variable to the new territory of functions of two or three variables. I hate to bring up painful memories but here is the formal definition of a limit back when we were dealing with functions of one variable. In less formal language this means that, if the limit holds, then f(x) gets closer and closer to L as x gets closer and closer to c.

  3. Just to refresh your memory, consider the following limits. Good job if you saw this as “limit does not exist” indicating a vertical asymptote at x = -2. This limit is indeterminate. With some algebraic manipulation, the zero factors could cancel and reveal a real number as a limit. In this case, factoring leads to…… The limit exists as x approaches 2 even though the function does not exist. In the first case, zero in the denominator led to a vertical asymptote; in the second case the zeros cancelled out and the limit reveals a hole in the graph at (2, ¼).

  4. The concept of limits in two dimensions can now be extended to functions of two variables. The function below uses all points on the xy-plane as its domain. z (-1,3,13) (2,0,7) (-1,3) y (2,0) x If the point (2,0) is the input, then 7 is the output generating the point (2,0,7). If the point (-1,3) is the input, then 13 is the output generating (-1,3,13). For the limit of this function to exist at (-1,3), values of z must get closer to 13 as points (x,y) on the xy-plane get closer and closer to (-1,3). Observe the values in the table to see if it looks like the limit will hold.

  5. The concept of limits in two dimensions can now be extended to functions of two variables. The function below uses all points on the xy-plane as its domain. z (-1,3,13) (2,0,7) (-1,3) y (2,0) x For the limit of this function to exist at (-1,3), values of z must get closer to 13 as points (x,y) on the xy-plane get closer and closer to (-1,3). Observe the values in the table to see if it looks like the limit will hold. The table presents evidence that the limit will hold, but not proof. For proof we have to go back to epsilon and delta.

  6. z In the context of the limit we examined, suppose that If the limit holds, we should be able to construct a circle centered at (-1,3) with as the radius and any point inside this circle will generate a z value that is closer to 13 than .25. (x,y) y Center (-1,3) x Definition of a Limit

  7. Definition of Continuity of a Function of Two Variables A function of two variables is continuous at a point (a,b) in an open region R if f(a,b) is equal to the limit of f(x,y) as (x,y) approaches (a,b). In limit notation: The function f is continuous in the open region R if f is continuous at every point in R. The following results are presented without proof. As was the case in functions of one variable, continuity is “user friendly”. In other words, if k is a real number and f and g are continuous functions at (a,b) then the functions below are also continuous at (a,b):

  8. The conclusions in the previous slide indicate that arithmetic combinations of continuous functions are also continuous—that polynomial and rational functions are continuous on their domains. Finally, the following theorem asserts that the composition of continuous functions are also continuous.

  9. The function will be continuous when The function will not be defined when y = -2x. Example 1. Find the limit and discuss the continuity of the function. Solution The function will be continuous when 2x+y > 0. Example 2. Find the limit and discuss the continuity of the function. Solution

  10. Example 3. Use your calculator to fill in the values of the table below. The first table approaches (0,0) along the line y=x. The second table approaches (0,0) along the line x=0. (If different paths generate different limits, the official limit does not exist.) Use the patterns to determine the limit and discuss the continuity of the function. z (x,y) z (2,2) (1,1) (.5,.5) (.1,.1) (.01,.01) (x,y) z (0,2) (0,1) (0,.5) (0,.1) (0,.01) y x -1.04 -0.69 -0.35 0 0.35 0.69 1.96 2.30 4.26 4.61 Calculate these values yourself. Then click to confirm.

  11. z (x,y) z (2,2) (1,1) (.5,.5) (.1,.1) (.01,.01) (x,y) z (0,2) (0,1) (0,.5) (0,.1) (0,.01) y -1.04 -0.69 -0.35 0 x 0.35 0.69 1.96 2.30 4.26 4.61 Solution: from the graph, it appears that z values get larger and larger as (x,y) approaches (0,0). Conceptually, we would expect values of the natural log function to approach infinity as the inputs approach 0. The numeric values in the table appear to agree. The conclusion:

  12. For comments on this presentation you may email the author Professor Richard Gill at Rgill@tcc.edu or the publisher of the VML, Dr. Julia Arnold at jarnold@tcc.edu.

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