MHB Problem of the Week #88 - December 2nd, 2013

  • Thread starter Thread starter Chris L T521
  • Start date Start date
Click For Summary
The problem discusses the intersection of tangent planes to the surface defined by the equation z=xf(y/x). It establishes that all tangent planes intersect at a common point, specifically the origin. The solution involves defining a level surface and applying the equation of the tangent plane using partial derivatives. The calculations show that the resulting equation confirms that all tangent planes pass through the origin. Thus, it is concluded that the origin is the common intersection point for all tangent planes to the surface.
Chris L T521
Gold Member
MHB
Messages
913
Reaction score
0
Thanks again to those who participated in last week's POTW! Here's this week's problem!

-----

Problem: Suppose $f$ is a differentiable function of one variable. Show that all tangent planes to the surface $z=xf(y/x)$ intersect in a common point.

-----

 
Physics news on Phys.org
This week's problem was correctly answered by MarkFL. You can find his solution below.

[sp]We are given:

$$z(x,y)=xf\left(\frac{y}{x} \right)$$

Let us the define:

$$F(x,y,z)=xf\left(\frac{y}{x} \right)-z$$

Thus, a point $\left(x_0,y_0,z_0 \right)$ is on the graph of $$z(x,y)=xf\left(\frac{y}{x} \right)$$ iff it is also on the level surface $F(x,y,z)=0$. This follows from $$F\left(x_0,y_0,z_0 \right)=x_0f\left(\frac{y_0}{x_0} \right)-z_0=0$$.

Next, we may utilize the following theorem:

Equation of Tangent Plane

Let $P\left(x_0,y_0,z_0 \right)$ be a point on the graph of $F(x,y,z)=c$ where $\nabla F\ne0$. Then an equation of the tangent plane at $P$ is:

$$F_x\left(x_0,y_0,z_0 \right)\left(x-x_0 \right)+F_y\left(x_0,y_0,z_0 \right)\left(y-y_0 \right)+F_z\left(x_0,y_0,z_0 \right)\left(z-z_0 \right)=0$$

Computing the required partials, we find:

$$F_x(x,y,z)=xf'\left(\frac{y}{x} \right)\left(-\frac{y}{x^2} \right)+f\left(\frac{y}{x} \right)=f\left(\frac{y}{x} \right)-\frac{y}{x}f'\left(\frac{y}{x} \right)$$

$$F_y(x,y,z)=xf'\left(\frac{y}{x} \right)\left(\frac{1}{x} \right)=f'\left(\frac{y}{x} \right)$$

$$F_z(x,y,z)=-1$$

Using the above theorem, we then find the equation of the tangent plant at $P$ is:

$$\left(f\left(\frac{y_0}{x_0} \right)-\frac{y_0}{x_0}f'\left(\frac{y_0}{x_0} \right) \right)\left(x-x_0 \right)+\left(f'\left(\frac{y_0}{x_0} \right) \right)\left(y-y_0 \right)+(-1)\left(z-z_0 \right)=0$$

Distributing and rearranging, we obtain:

$$]\left(f\left(\frac{y_0}{x_0} \right)-\frac{y_0}{x_0}f'\left(\frac{y_0}{x_0} \right) \right)x+\left(f'\left(\frac{y_0}{x_0} \right) \right)y-z-\left(x_0f\left(\frac{y_0}{x_0} \right)-z_0 \right)=0$$

Now, given $$F\left(x_0,y_0,z_0 \right)=x_0f\left(\frac{y_0}{x_0} \right)-z_0=0$$, this reduces to:

$$]\left(f\left(\frac{y_0}{x_0} \right)-\frac{y_0}{x_0}f'\left(\frac{y_0}{x_0} \right) \right)x+\left(f'\left(\frac{y_0}{x_0} \right) \right)y-z=0$$

Observing that all planes given by $ax+by+cz=0$ pass through the origin, we therefore find that all of the planes tangent to $z$ must have the origin as a common point. [/sp]
 

Similar threads

  • · Replies 1 ·
Replies
1
Views
1K
  • · Replies 1 ·
Replies
1
Views
3K
  • · Replies 1 ·
Replies
1
Views
1K
  • · Replies 1 ·
Replies
1
Views
1K
  • · Replies 1 ·
Replies
1
Views
1K
  • · Replies 1 ·
Replies
1
Views
3K
  • · Replies 1 ·
Replies
1
Views
2K
Replies
1
Views
2K
  • · Replies 1 ·
Replies
1
Views
2K
  • · Replies 1 ·
Replies
1
Views
2K