Chapter 16: Problem 4
Find the gradient of \(f\) at \(P\). \(f(x, y)=x \ln (x-y): \quad P(5,4)\)
Short Answer
Expert verified
The gradient at \( P(5,4) \) is \( (5, -5) \).
Step by step solution
01
Identify the Function and Point
The function given is \( f(x, y) = x \ln(x-y) \). We need to find the gradient of this function at the point \( P(5, 4) \).
02
Calculate Partial Derivative with Respect to x
Differentiate the function \( f(x, y) = x \ln(x-y) \) with respect to \( x \). Using the product rule, we have: \[ \frac{\partial f}{\partial x} = \ln(x-y) + \frac{x}{x-y}\cdot 1 = \ln(x-y) + \frac{x}{x-y} \]
03
Calculate Partial Derivative with Respect to y
Differentiate the function \( f(x, y) = x \ln(x-y) \) with respect to \( y \). This gives: \[ \frac{\partial f}{\partial y} = x\cdot \frac{1}{x-y} \cdot (-1) = -\frac{x}{x-y} \]
04
Evaluate Partial Derivatives at P
Substitute \( x = 5 \) and \( y = 4 \) into the partial derivatives.1. \( \frac{\partial f}{\partial x} = \ln(5-4) + \frac{5}{5-4} = \ln(1) + 5 = 0 + 5 = 5 \)2. \( \frac{\partial f}{\partial y} = -\frac{5}{5-4} = -5 \)
05
Write the Gradient Vector
The gradient of \( f \) at point \( P(5, 4) \) is:\[ abla f = \left( \frac{\partial f}{\partial x}, \frac{\partial f}{\partial y} \right) = (5, -5) \]
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Key Concepts
These are the key concepts you need to understand to accurately answer the question.
Partial Derivative
A partial derivative is a technique used in calculus to find the rate of change of a function with respect to one of its variables, while keeping all other variables constant. This is useful when dealing with functions of multiple variables, like our function \( f(x, y) = x \ln(x-y) \). To calculate a partial derivative:
- Focus on one variable at a time. Treat all other variables as constants.
- Differentiation is performed similarly to single-variable calculus.
Gradient Vector
The gradient vector is a vital tool in multivariable calculus. It consists of all the partial derivatives of a function. In simple terms, it points in the direction of the steepest increase of the function. For a function \( f(x, y) \), the gradient is represented as:
- \[ abla f = \left( \frac{\partial f}{\partial x}, \frac{\partial f}{\partial y} \right) \]
- It's a vector showing how \( f \) changes at a point, directionally.
Product Rule
The product rule is a differentiation rule used when finding the derivative of a product of two functions. If you have functions \( u(x) \) and \( v(x) \), then:
- The derivative of their product \( u(x)v(x) \) is \( u'(x)v(x) + u(x)v'(x) \).
Evaluation at a Point
After computing derivatives or other function-related information, substituting specific values can be crucial. It helps in finding specific characteristics, like the gradient at a particular point. In this exercise, we assessed the partial derivatives at \( P(5, 4) \). This step involves:
- Substitute the given \( x \) and \( y \) values into the derived equations.
- Calculate the numerical value that represents change at that point.