Equation of the tangent plane in R^4

In summary, the equation of the tangent plane at the point (\frac{\pi}{4}, \frac{\pi}{4}, 0, 0) is given by P(x,y) = (x-y, -x-y+\frac{\pi}{2}), obtained by computing the jacobian matrix of f at that point and evaluating it with the given function. This is already a parametric representation of the tangent plane, with x and y as the parameters. The equation for the tangent plane in 4-dimensional space would be f(x,y,P(x,y))=0, consisting of two equations.
  • #1
david34
3
0
Let [itex] f: \mathbb R^2 \to \mathbb R^2 [/itex] given by [itex] f=(sin(x-y),cos(x+y)) [/itex] : find the equation of the tangent plane to the graph of the function in [itex] \mathbb R^4 [/itex] at [itex] (\frac{\pi}{4}, \frac{\pi}{4}, 0 ,0 ) [/itex] and then find a parametric representation of the equation of the tangent plane

What I did: the equation of the tangent plane from [itex] \mathbb R^2 \to \mathbb R^2 [/itex] is given by

[itex] P(x,y)=f(x_0,y_0)+Df(x_0,y_0)\cdot (x-x_0,y-y_0)^T [/itex] where [itex] Df(x_0,y_0) [/itex] is the jacobian matrix of f at [itex] (x_0,y_0) [/itex]computing this matrix and evaluating at the point [itex] (\frac{\pi}{4}, \frac{\pi}{4}) [/itex] yields

[tex] \begin{pmatrix} 1 & -1 \\ -1 & -1 \end{pmatrix} [/tex]

we also have that [itex] f(x_0,y_0)= f(\frac{\pi}{4}, \frac{\pi}{4})=(0,0) [/itex] then we have that the equation of the tangent plane at [itex] (\frac{\pi}{4}, \frac{\pi}{4}, 0 ,0 ) [/itex] is:

[itex] P(x,y)= (x-y,-x-y+\frac{\pi}{2}) [/itex]

but I don´t know if this is the correct approach; I also don´t know how to get the parametric representation of the tangent plane. I would really appreciate if you can help me with this problem :)
 
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  • #2
You're doing fine mostly but two things to note :
-You dropped the first two coordinates ; that's OK as long as you mean that as a shorthand notation but here it doesn't help. Points on the tangent plane (seen as a subset of ## R^4 ##) are of the form (x,y,P(x,y)), keeping P as you define it.
-This is already a parametric representation, x and y being the parameters. An equation would be something of the form f(x,y,P(x,y))=0. In this case it wiill be two equations, since that tangent plane is a 2d thing in 4d space.
Or maybe I misunderstood your question.
 

1. What is the equation of the tangent plane in R^4?

The equation of the tangent plane in R^4 is a mathematical representation of a plane that touches a given point on a four-dimensional surface. It is defined by a point and a normal vector that is perpendicular to the plane at that point.

2. How is the equation of the tangent plane in R^4 different from other dimensions?

The equation of the tangent plane in R^4 is similar to that of lower dimensions, but it involves four variables instead of two or three. This means that the plane is defined by four equations rather than just one or two.

3. How is the equation of the tangent plane in R^4 used in calculus?

In calculus, the equation of the tangent plane in R^4 is used to approximate a four-dimensional surface at a given point. It allows us to find the slope or rate of change of a function in four dimensions, which is important in many real-world applications.

4. Can the equation of the tangent plane in R^4 be generalized to higher dimensions?

Yes, the concept of the tangent plane can be extended to higher dimensions, such as R^5, R^6, and so on. However, the equations become more complex as the number of dimensions increases, making them more difficult to visualize and work with.

5. How is the equation of the tangent plane in R^4 related to the gradient vector?

The gradient vector is a vector that is perpendicular to the tangent plane at a given point on a surface. The equation of the tangent plane can be written in terms of the gradient vector, with the normal vector being equal to the gradient vector divided by its magnitude.

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