How do I solve for partial differentiation in multivariable calculus?

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UbikPkd
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Ok here goes...

[tex]z=x^{2}+y^{2}[/tex]

[tex]x=rcos\vartheta[/tex]

[tex]y=r sin\vartheta[/tex]

Find:

[tex]\[ \frac{\partial z}{\partial x}_{y}, <br /> \[ \frac{\partial z}{\partial <br /> <br /> \vartheta}_{x}, <br /> \[ \frac{\partial z}{\partial r}_{y}, <br /> \[ \frac{\partial z}{\partial r}_{ <br /> <br /> \vartheta}, [/tex]

___________________________

[tex]\[ \frac{\partial z}{\partial x}_{y} <br /> <br /> = 2x[/tex]

this seems right to me (though I'm not

sure if I'm supposed to use a chain rule),

it's the next ones I'm not sure about...
___________________________

[tex] \[ \frac{\partial z}{\partial <br /> <br /> \vartheta}_{x}=[/tex]

I've been at this one for hours, i think i

can use the following, but I'm getting

nowhere.

[tex]dz= \[ \frac{\partial z}{\partial <br /> <br /> x}_{y}dx + \[ \frac{\partial z}{\partial <br /> <br /> y}_{x}dy[/tex]


[tex]dx= \[ \frac{\partial x}{\partial <br /> <br /> r}_{\vartheta}dr + \[ \frac{\partial <br /> <br /> x}{\partial \vartheta}_{r}d\vartheta[/tex]


[tex]dy= \[ \frac{\partial y}{\partial <br /> <br /> r}_{\vartheta}dr + \[ \frac{\partial <br /> <br /> y}{\partial \vartheta}_{r}d\vartheta[/tex]

so...

[tex]dz= \[ \frac{\partial z}{\partial <br /> <br /> x}_{y} \left[\[ \frac{\partial x}{\partial <br /> <br /> r}_{\vartheta}dr + \[ \frac{\partial <br /> <br /> x}{\partial <br /> <br /> \vartheta}_{r}d\vartheta\right]+ \[ <br /> <br /> \frac{\partial z}{\partial y}_{x}\left[\[ <br /> <br /> \frac{\partial y}{\partial <br /> <br /> r}_{\vartheta}dr + \[ \frac{\partial <br /> <br /> y}{\partial <br /> <br /> \vartheta}_{r}d\vartheta\right][/tex]

can i divide through by [tex]\partial <br /> <br /> \vartheta_{x}[/tex] and then work it all

out to get
[tex] \[ \frac{\partial z}{\partial <br /> <br /> \vartheta}_{x}[/tex] ?

please help, i don't have a clue what I'm

doing! :confused:
 
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The direct way to do this is to simply write z as a function only of x and theta. This is pretty easy, since y/x=tan(theta). Try it that way before you go back to struggling with the chain rule.
 
okay thanks for the tip, i worked it out using chain rules in the end before i got to read it, the answers i got were:

[tex]\[ \frac{\partial z}{\partial x}_{y}=2x[/tex]

[tex]\[ \frac{\partial z}{\partial \vartheta}_{x}=0[/tex]

[tex]\[ \frac{\partial z}{\partial r}_{y}=2r[/tex]

[tex]\[ \frac{\partial z}{\partial r}_{\vartheta}=2r<br /> [/tex]

I think these are right, thanks for your help!
 
Dick said:
Well, e.g. for the second one, y/x=tan(theta), so z=x^2+x^2*tan^2(theta). It doesn't look to me like the derivative wrt theta at constant x is 0.

sorry! arghh I've made such a mess of this, yer the last two are right, as [tex]z=r^2[/tex] so it doesn't matter what's being held constant


[tex]\[ \frac{\partial z}{\partial \vartheta}_{x}=2r^{2}tan\vartheta[/tex]

not 0, sorry, here's my full working:

[tex]\[ \frac{\partial z}{\partial \vartheta}_{x}=2y\[ \frac{\partial y}{\partial \vartheta}_{x}[/tex]

_________

[tex]y=rsin\vartheta[/tex]

[tex]\[ \frac{\partial y}{\partial \vartheta}_{x}=rcos\vartheta+\[ \frac{\partial r}{\partial \vartheta}_{x}sin\vartheta[/tex]

________

[tex]x=rcos\vartheta[/tex]

[tex]0=-rsin\vartheta+\[ \frac{\partial r}{\partial \vartheta}_{x}cos\vartheta[/tex]

[tex]\[ \frac{\partial r}{\partial \vartheta}_{x}=r\[ \frac{sinv}{cos\vartheta}=rtan\vartheta[/tex]

________

[tex]\[ \frac{\partial z}{\partial \vartheta}_{x}=2y(rcos\vartheta+rsin\vartheta tan\vartheta)[/tex]

[tex]\[ \frac{\partial z}{\partial \vartheta}_{x}=2r^{2}\frac{sin\vartheta}{cos\vartheta}=2r^{2}tan\vartheta[/tex]

I did it that way, as I thought differentiating via the [tex]tan^{2}\vartheta[/tex] way would probably go wrong for me somehow! I think the above is OK, seems like that's the way they want me to do it as well. Thanks for your help!
 
Dick said:
Doing it the other way gives you 2x^2*sin(theta)/cos^3(theta), which if you put x=r*cos(theta) gives you the same thing you got. So I think your answer is right.

cool thanks!