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Find the stationary points of the function $$ z=\left(x^{2}+y^{2}\right)^{2}-8\left(x^{2}-y^{2}\right) $$ and determine their nature.

Short Answer

Expert verified
Stationary points are: \((0,0)\) (saddle point), \((2,0)\) and \((-2,0)\) (local minima).

Step by step solution

01

Compute the Partial Derivatives

Calculate the partial derivatives of the function with respect to both x and y. Let the function be \(z = f(x, y) = (x^2 + y^2)^2 - 8(x^2 - y^2)\). Find \(f_x = \frac{\partial z}{\partial x}\) and \(f_y = \frac{\partial z}{\partial y}\). 1. \(f_x = \frac{\partial}{\partial x} [(x^2 + y^2)^2 - 8(x^2 - y^2)] = 4x(x^2 + y^2) - 16x\)2. \(f_y = \frac{\partial}{\partial y} [(x^2 + y^2)^2 - 8(x^2 - y^2)] = 4y(x^2 + y^2) + 16y\)
02

Set the Partial Derivatives to Zero

To find stationary points, set the partial derivatives equal to zero and solve for x and y.1. \(f_x = 4x(x^2 + y^2) - 16x = 0\)2. \(f_y = 4y(x^2 + y^2) + 16y = 0\)For \(f_x = 0\): \(4x(x^2 + y^2 - 4) = 0\) leading to \(x = 0\) or \(x^2 + y^2 = 4\). For \(f_y = 0\): \(4y(x^2 + y^2 + 4) = 0\) leading to \(y = 0\). Consider the solutions: x = 0 and y = 0 or \(x^2 + y^2 = 4\) and \(y = 0\).
03

Solve System of Equations

Combine the results from Step 2. Solve the system for points \((x, y)\). Possible solutions are:1. \(x = 0\) and \(y = 0\)2. \(x^2 + y^2 = 4\) with \(y = 0\), giving \(x^2 = 4\) which results in \(x = 2\) or \(x = -2\). The stationary points are \((2,0)\) and \((-2,0)\). Therefore, the stationary points are \((0,0)\), \((2,0)\), and \((-2,0)\).
04

Determine the Nature of Stationary Points

To determine whether each stationary point is a maximum, minimum or saddle point, compute the second order partial derivatives and use the Hessian determinant.1. \(f_{xx} = \frac{\partial^2 z}{\partial x^2} = 12x^2 + 4y^2 - 16\)2. \(f_{yy} = \frac{\partial^2 z}{\partial y^2} = 12y^2 + 4x^2 + 16\)3. \(f_{xy} = \frac{\partial^2 z}{\partial x \partial y} = 8xy\)Compute the Hessian determinant: \(H = f_{xx}f_{yy} - (f_{xy})^2\)For \((0,0)\):1. \(f_{xx} = -16\), \(f_{yy} = 16\), \(f_{xy} = 0\)2. \(H = (-16)(16) - (0)^2 = -256\), which is negative, hence \((0,0)\) is a saddle point.For \((2,0)\) and \((-2,0)\):1. \(f_{xx} = 32\), \(f_{yy} = 48\), \(f_{xy} = 0\)2. \(H = 32 \times 48 - 0 = 1536\), which is positive, hence \((2,0)\) and \((-2,0)\) are local minima.

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Key Concepts

These are the key concepts you need to understand to accurately answer the question.

Partial Derivatives
In multivariable calculus, partial derivatives are used to measure how a function changes as each individual variable is varied, keeping the other variables constant. To find the stationary points of a function like \(z = (x^2 + y^2)^2 - 8(x^2 - y^2)\), we first compute its partial derivatives with respect to both x and y.

The partial derivative with respect to x, denoted as \(f_x\), shows the rate of change of z in the x-direction. Similarly, the partial derivative with respect to y, denoted as \(f_y\), shows the rate of change of z in the y-direction.

For the given function:
  • \(f_x = \frac{\partial z}{\partial x} = 4x(x^2 + y^2) - 16x\)
  • \(f_y = \frac{\partial z}{\partial y} = 4y(x^2 + y^2) + 16y\)

These derivatives are used to find critical points by setting them equal to zero.
Critical Points
Critical points, also known as stationary points, occur where the partial derivatives of a function are zero. Solving \(f_x = 0\) and \(f_y = 0\) simultaneously allows us to determine the critical points.

From the given function's partial derivatives:
  • \(4x(x^2 + y^2 - 4) = 0\) leads to \(x = 0\) or \(x^2 + y^2 = 4\)
  • \(4y(x^2 + y^2 + 4) = 0\) leads to \(y = 0\)

We then solve these equations to determine that our critical points are \((0,0)\), \((2,0)\), and \((-2,0)\). These points are referred to as critical points because at these locations, the function has zero slope in all directions, indicating a possible maximum, minimum, or saddle point.
Hessian Determinant
To classify the nature of critical points, we use the Hessian determinant. The Hessian matrix is a square matrix of second-order partial derivatives, and its determinant provides valuable information about the function’s curvature at critical points.

For the given function, we calculate:
  • \( f_{xx} = \frac{\partial^2 z}{\partial x^2} = 12x^2 + 4y^2 - 16\)
  • \( f_{yy} = \frac{\partial^2 z}{\partial y^2} = 12y^2 + 4x^2 + 16\)
  • \( f_{xy} = \frac{\partial^2 z}{\partial x \partial y} = 8xy\)

The Hessian determinant, H, is given by: \[ H = f_{xx}f_{yy} - (f_{xy})^2 \]

This determinant, evaluated at each critical point, helps determine if the point is a local minimum, local maximum, or a saddle point.
Local Minima
A local minimum occurs at a critical point if the Hessian determinant is positive, and the second partial derivatives indicate a positive curvature in all directions. Simply put, the function forms a valley at this point.

From our earlier calculations, points \((2,0)\) and \((-2,0)\) both have a Hessian determinant of 1536, which is positive. The second derivatives at these points indicate positive curvature:
  • \(f_{xx} = 32\)
  • \(f_{yy} = 48\)
  • \(f_{xy} = 0\)

Thus, points \((2,0)\) and \((-2,0)\) are local minima for the function.
Saddle Points
A saddle point occurs at a critical point where the Hessian determinant is negative, indicating that the function behaves like a saddle — it has both upward and downward curvatures.

At the critical point \((0,0)\), the Hessian determinant is calculated as \(-256\)
  • \(f_{xx} = -16\)
  • \(f_{yy} = 16\)
  • \(f_{xy} = 0\)

Since the Hessian is negative, \((0,0)\) is a saddle point. Here, the function decreases in some directions and increases in others, resembling a horse saddle. This mixed curvature differentiates a saddle point from a maximum or minimum.

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