Department of Mathematical and Computational Sciences

National Institute of Technology Karnataka, Surathkal

Engineering Mathematics I - MA110

Problem Sheet 3
14.5 Directional Derivatives and Gradient vectors & 14.6 Tangent Planes

1. Find the derivative of f at the given point and in the given direction.
(a) f (x, y, z) = 2x2 + 3y 2 + z 2 at (2, 1, 3) in the direction of û = î − 2ĵ.
2 +z 2 −5
(b) f (x, y, z) = xyex at (1, 3, −2) in the direction of û = 3î − ĵ + 4k̂.
2. Find the direction in which the functions below increase and decrease most rapidly at the
given point. Also, find their rates of change in these directions.
(a) f (x, y) = ln(x2 + y 2 − 1) at (1, 1, 0).
x
(b) f (x, y, z) = y − yz at (4, 1, 1).
3. Find an equation for the tangent line to the following curves at the given points.
√ √
(a) x2 + y 2 = 4 at the point ( 2, 2).
(b) x2 + 2xy + 2y at (1, 9).
4. Find equations for the tangent plane and normal line to the given surfaces at the indicated
point P0 .
(a) x2 + y 2 − z 2 = 18, P0 (3, 5, −4).
(b) x2 + 2xy − y 2 + z 2 = 7, P0 (1, −1, 3).
5. Find parametric equations for the line tangent to the curve of intersection of the below
given surfaces at the given point.
(a) x3 + 3x2 y 2 + y 3 + 4xy − z 2 = 0, x2 + y 2 + z 2 = 11 at (1, 1, 3).
6. Find the plane tangent to the the given surfaces at the indicated points.
√
(a) z = y − x at (1, 2, 1).
(b) z = 4x2 + y 2 at (1, 1, 5).
7. Let f (x, y) = |x|+|y| for (x, y) ∈ R2 . Show that f is continuous at (0, 0) and no directional
derivative of f at (0, 0) exists.
p
8. Let f (x, y) = |xy| for all (x, y) ∈ R2 . Find the directions along which the derivative of
f exists at (0, 0).
 2
 x y ; if (x, y) ̸= (0, 0)
9. Let f (x, y) = x + y 2
2

0; if (x, y) = (0, 0)

Show that f is not differentiable at (0, 0), but the directional derivative of f at (0, 0) exists
in all directions. Analyse whether the directional derivative can be computed by using the
relation Dûf = ∇f · û, in this case.
10. Let f (x, y) = 2x2 + xy + y 2 describe the temperature at (x, y). Suppose a bug is at (1, 1)
and it decides to cool off. What is the best direction for it to move?
11. Let f (x, y) = 6 − x2 − 4y 2 . Find a vector which is perpendicular to

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 (a) the curve f (x, y) = 1, i.e., x2 + 4y 2 = 5, at (1, 1).
(b) the surface z = f (x, y) at the point (1, 1, 1).
12. Consider the surface z = f (x, y) = x2 − 2xy + 2y. Find a point on the surface at which
the surface has a horizontal tangent plane.
13. Is there a direction u in which the rate of change of the temperature function T (x, y, z) =
2xy − yz (temperature in degrees Celsius, distance in feet) at P (1, −1, 1) is -3°C/ft? Give
reasons for your answer.
14. At the point (1, 2), the differentiable function f (x, y) has a derivative of 2 in the direction
toward (2,2) and a derivative of -2 in the direction toward (1,1). What is the derivative of
f at (1,2) in the direction toward (4,6)?
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 Solutions for Problem sheet 3

1. (a) Dû f (2, 1, 3) = − √45 .

(b) Dû f (1, 3, −2) = − √2226 .

2x 2y
2. (a) ∇f = x2 +y 2 −1 î + ( x2 +y 2 −1 + 1)ĵ + 6k̂ and ∇f (1, 1, 0) = 2î + 3ĵ + 6k̂.
∇f 2 3 6
û = |∇f | = 7 î + 7 ĵ + 7 k̂.
f increases most rapidly in the direction 27 î + 73 ĵ + 67 k̂ and decreases most rapidly in the
direction − 27 î − 37 ĵ − 67 k̂.
(Dû f )(1, 1, 0) = 7 and (D−û f )(1, 1, 0) = −7.
(b) ∇f = y1 î − ( yx2 + z)j − y k̂ and ∇f (4, 1, 1) = 1 − 5j − k.
∇f 1 5 1
û = |∇f | = 3 3 î − 3 3 ĵ − 3 3 k̂.
√ √ √

f increases most rapidly

√ in the direction û and√decreases most rapidly in the direction −û.
(Dû f )(4, 1, 1) = 3 3 and (D−û f )(4, 1, 1) = −3 3.
√ √ √ √ √
3. (a) ∇f = 2xî + 2y ĵ and ∇f ( 2, 2) = 2 2î + 2 2ĵ. Tangent line: x + y = 2 2.
(b) ∇f = (2x + 2y)î + (2x + 2)ĵ and ∇f (1, 9) = 20î + 4ĵ. Tangent line: 5x + y = 14.

4. (a) Tangent Plane: 6x + 10y + 8z − 36 = 0 & Normal line: x = 3 + 6t, y = 5 + 10t, z = 8t − 4.

(b) Tangent Plane: 4y + 6z − 14 = 0 & Normal line: x = 1, y = 4t − 1, z = 3 + 6t.

5. ∇f = (3x2 + 6xy 2 + 4y)î + (6x2 y + 3y 2 + 4x)ĵ − 2z k̂ and ∇g = 2xî + 2y ĵ + 2z k̂

∇f (1, 1, 3) = 13î + 13ĵ − 6k̂ and ∇g(1, 1, 3) = 2î + 2ĵ + 6k̂.
Then, v̂ = ∇f × ∇g = 90î − 90ĵ.
Tangent line: x = 1 + 90t, y = 1 − 90t, z = 3.

6. (a) Tangent plane: x − y + 2z − 1 = 0.

(b) Tangent plane: 8x + 2y − z − 5 = 0.
f (su1 , su2 ) |s|(|u1 | + |u2 |)
7. Let û = u1 î + u2 ĵ be an arbitrary unit vector. Then, lim = lim , which
s→0 s s→0 s
does not exist. Therefore, no directional derivative of f exists at (0, 0). Prove continuity by any
standard method.
f (su1 , su2 ) − f (0, 0) |s||u1 u2 |
8. For any û = u1 î + u2 ĵ, (Dû f )(0, 0) = lim = lim , which exists if and
s→0 s s→0 s
only if either u1 = 0 or u2 = 0. Hence, the required directions are î and ĵ.
9. ˆ fx (0, 0) = fy (0, 0) = (0, 0) =⇒ (∇f )(0, 0) = ⃗0
ˆ Let û = u1 î + u2 ĵ be an arbitrary unit vector at (0, 0). Along û, the derivative of f is
f (su1 , su2 ) − f (0, 0)
(Dû f )(0, 0) = lim = u21 u2 , which exist for all directions û at (0, 0)
s→0 s
ˆ Verify by any usual method that f is not differentiable at (0, 0) and hence, we cannot compute
directional derivative using ∇f at (0, 0).
Or note that (Dû f )(0, 0) ̸= (∇f )(0, 0) · û, if u1 and u2 are non-zero. Therefore, f cannot be
differentiable at (0, 0).
−5î − 3ĵ
10. √
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11. (a) (∇f )(1, 1) = −2î − 8ĵ is one such vector.

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 (b) If g(x, y, z) = f (x, y)−z, then given surface is the level surface g(x, y, z) = 0 and (∇g)(1, 1, 1) =
−2î − 8ĵ − k̂ is a required normal.
12. A normal at a point (x, y, z) on the level surface g(x, y, z) = z − f (x, y) = 0 is (∇g)(x, y, z) =
(−2x + 2)î + (2x − 2)ĵ + k̂. Since k̂ is a normal to the horizontal tangent plane to the surface at a
point (x, y, z), the required point satisfies the equations −2x + 2y = 0 and 2x − 2 = 0; i.e., x = 1
and y = 1. Hence, the required point on the surface is (1, 1, 1).

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