- #1
tomelwood
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Homework Statement
I have a couple of related questions on this topic which are causing confusion at the moment!
a) Study the limit at the origin of: (xy^2)/(x^2+y^4)
b) Study the continuity at the origin and the existence of the iterated limits at the origin of:
i) f(x,y) = { x^2 sin(1/y), y=/= 0
{ x^2 , y=0
ii) f(x,y) = { (x^2 y^2)/(x^2 y^2 + (y-x)^2), (x,y)=/=(0,0)
{ 0 , (x,y)=(0,0)
(I hope it is clear notation in b) to see that these functions take one value for certain parameters, and another for a different parameter.)
Homework Equations
The Attempt at a Solution
a) My first thought here was converting it to polar coordinates, ((r,T) for typing ease) but this made the expression rather more horrendous: f(r,T) = r^3cosT(sinT)^2/(r^2(cosT)^2 + r^4(sinT)^4 which I don't think is helpful in any way, unless I am missing some handy trig identities.
I then thought about going from the definition and took the modulus of the expression. Now, is it true that |f(x,y)| <= |x|? If so then I am done as that tends to 0 and there is my limit. We are supposed to study iterated limits as well, but these seem to be undefined here (giving 0/0 each time, don't they?) so I haven't done that.
b)i)The iterated limit as x-->0 is 0, but the limit as y->0 is undefined, or so I believe. (although multiplying top and bottom by y gives the limit as yx^2, which ->0 as y->0?) To find out if it is continuous, study the limit. As the iterated doesn't exist, study the double/'normal' limit. I don't really know where to go from here, to be honest. But if that bracket is true, then the iterated limit is zero, but the value of the function at zero is x^2 so it is not continuous there?
ii)I'm afraid I really don't know what to do here. Conversion to polar coordinates looks fruitless and the iterated limits are undefined at the origin.
I hope I have given enough information and attempts! This is my first post at Physics Forums, so I apologise for any omissions.
Thanks in advance.