MIT Multivariable Calculus Exam A Solutions
MIT Multivariable Calculus Exam A Solutions
You have three hours. This test is closed book, closed notes, no calculators.
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1. (15pts) A rectangular box lies in the corner of the first octant,
with one vertex at the origin and the diagonally opposite vertex D
at (2, 3, 1). Three other vertices are A = (2, 0, 1), B = (0, 3, 1) and
P = (2, 3, 0).
−→ −−→
(i) Express the vectors P A and P B in terms of ı̂, ȷ̂ and k̂.
Solution: −→ −−→
P A = −3ȷ̂ + k̂ and P B = −2ı̂ + k̂.
Solution:
−→ −−→
PA · PB ⟨0, −3, 1⟩ · ⟨−2, 0, 1⟩ 1 1
cos θ = −→ −−→ = =√ √ = √ .
|P A||P B| |⟨0, −3, 1⟩||⟨−2, 0, 1⟩| 10 5 5 2
Solution:
! !
! ı̂ ȷ̂ k̂ !! ! ! ! ! ! !
! 0 −3 1! = ı̂ !−3 1! − ȷ̂ ! 0 1! + k̂ ! 0 −3! = −3ı̂ − 2ȷ̂ − 6k̂.
! ! ! ! ! ! !
! ! ! 0 1! !−2 1! !−2 0 !
!−2 0 1!
Therefore ⃗n = ⟨3, 2, 6⟩ is normal to the plane. As the plane contains
P = (2, 3, 0) we have
⟨x − 2, y − 3, z⟩ · ⟨3, 2, 6⟩ = 0 that is 3(x − 2) + 2(y − 3) + 6z = 0.
Rearranging, we have 3x + 2y + 6z = 12.
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2. (10pts) What are the closest points on the plane 2x − y + z = 1 to
the line given parametrically by
⃗r(t) = ⟨1 + t, 2 + 3t, 2 + t⟩?
Solution:
Call the line l. The closest points to l are a line l2 in the plane, with
the same direction ⃗v = ⟨1, 3, 1⟩ as l. The point P = (1, 2, 2) lies on l.
The closest point Q to P lies on the line l1 passing through P parallel
to the normal direction ⃗n = ⟨2, −1, 1⟩ of the plane. The line l1 is given
parametrically by
⃗r1 (t) = ⟨1, 2, 2⟩ + t⟨2, −1, 1⟩ = ⟨1 + 2t, 2 − t, 2 + t⟩.
This intersects the plane when
2(1 + 2t) − (2 − t) + (2 + t) = 1 that is 6t + 2 = 1.
So t = −1/6. The point Q = (2/3, 13/6, 11/6). Therefore the line l2 is
given parametrically by
2 13 11
⃗r2 (t) = ⟨ , , ⟩ + t⟨1, 3, 1⟩.
3 6 6
2
4. (15pts) Let ⎛ ⎞
−2 1 1
A = ⎝ a −1 −2⎠ .
−4 1 a
(i) For which values of a is A not invertible?
Solution: 2B −1 A = 2I3 , so
⎛ ⎞⎛ ⎞ ⎛ ⎞
1 b −1 −2 1 1 2 0 0
⎝ 7 2 −3⎠ ⎝ 1 −1 −2⎠ = ⎝0 2 0⎠ .
−3 c 1 −4 1 1 0 0 2
Comparing entries the first row second column, we see
1−b−1=0 so that b = 0,
and comparing entries in the third row second column we see
−3 − c + 1 = 0 so that c = −2.
Solution: ⃗x = B −1⃗b, so
⎛ ⎞ ⎛ ⎞⎛ ⎞ ⎛ ⎞
x 1 0 −1 −1 1
⎝y ⎠ = 1 ⎝ 7 2 −3 ⎠ ⎝ −2 = −1⎠ .
⎠ ⎝
z 2 −3 −2 1 −3 2
3
5. (15pts) Let
x2
f (x, y) = + xy 2 − 3y.
y
(i) Find the gradient of f at (2, 1).
Solution:
2x x2
∇f = ⟨ + y 2 , − 2 + 2xy − 3⟩ so that (∇f )(2,1) = ⟨5, −3⟩.
y y
Solution:
∆f ≈ fx ∆x + fy ∆y so that ∆f ≈ 5(0.01) − 3(−0.01) = 0.08.
Therefore
f (2.01, 0.99) = f (2, 1) + ∆f ≈ 3.08.
Solution:
⃗r′ (t) = ⟨4t, 3t2 ⟩ so that ⃗r′ (1) = ⟨4, 3⟩.
Therefore
df
= ∇f · ⃗r′ (t) = ⟨5, −3⟩ · ⟨4, 3⟩ = 11.
dt
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6. (15pts) (i) Find the point P on the surface
z 2 = xy + x + 1
closest to the origin, by writing the square of the distance to the origin
as a function f (x, y) of only x and y.
Solution:
x2 + y 2 + z 2 = x2 + y 2 + xy + x + 1 = f (x, y).
Set the partials of f to zero to find the critical points:
fx = 2x + y + 1 = 0 and fy = 2y + x = 0.
From the second equation x = −2y and so −3y + 1 = 0, that is y = 1/3
and x = −2/3. But then z = 1/3.
(ii) Use the 2nd derivative test to check that P is a minimum of f (x, y).
Solution:
fxx = 2 fxy = 1 and fyy = 2.
So
A=2 B=1 and C = 2.
2
AC − B = 3 > 0. As A > 0 we have a minimum.
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7. (15pts) (i) Let f (x, y, z) be a function of three variables. The equa-
tion
f (r cos θ, r sin θ, z) = 1,
implicitly defines a function z = g(r, θ). Express the partial derivative
∂z
∂r
in terms of the partials of f .
Solution: We use the method of differentials:
0 = df = fx dx + fy dy + fz dz.
Solving for dz, we get
fx fy
dz = − dx − dy.
fz fz
As x = r cos θ and y = r sin θ, we have
dx = cos θ dr − r sin θ dθ and dy = sin θ dr − r cos θ dθ.
fx fy
dz = − (cos θ dr − r sin θ dθ) − (sin θ dr − r cos θ dθ)
f fz
' z ( ' (
fx fy fx fy
= − cos θ − sin θ dr + sin θ + cos θ dθ.
fz fz fz fz
∂z fx fy
= − cos θ − sin θ.
∂r fz fz
(ii) Suppose that f and g are functions of three variables with
(∇f )(1,2,−3) = ⟨−2, 1, −1⟩ and (∇g)(1,2,−3) = ⟨1, −2, 2⟩.
If g(1, 2, −3) = 0 and the points (x, y, z) are constrained to lie on the
surface g = 0, what is ' (
∂f
∂x y
at (1, 2, −3)?
Solution:
df = −2 dx + dy − dz and 0 = dg = dx − 2 dy + 2 dz.
Using the second equation to eliminate dz, we have
1 3
df = −2 dx + dy + dx − dy = − dx,
2 2
So ' (
∂f 3
=− .
∂x y 2
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8. (15pts) Evaluate the integral
ˆ 1 ˆ √x
2xy
dy dx.
0 0 1 − y4
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9. (15pts) Two circles of radius a have their centres at (0, 0) and (a, 0).
R is the region outside the first circle inside the second circle. Set up
an iterated integral in polar coordinates to find the moment of inertia
of R about the origin, where the density δ = x.
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10. (15pts) Consider the integral
˛
(1 − y) dx + x dy,
C
over the curve consisting of the upper half unit circle and the line
segment from (−1, 0) to (1, 0). Calculate the integral in two ways:
(i) directly.
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11. (15pts) The solid D is bounded below by a right angled cone with
vertex at the origin, central axis the z-axis and bounded above by the
sphere of radius 1. Find the gravitational attraction on a unit mass
placed at the origin. Assume the density δ = 1.
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12. (15pts) Let
F⃗ = (x2 − xy)ı̂ + 2yȷ̂,
and let C be the ellipse
(2x − y)2 + (5x + y)2 = 3.
Find the flux of F⃗ out of the region R bounded by C.
Solution:
We apply Green’s theorem in normal form:
˛ ¨ ¨
⃗
F · n̂ ds = ⃗
div F dA = 2x − y + 2 dx dy.
C R R
Let u = 2x − y and v = 5x + y. Then
! ! ! !
∂(u, v) !!ux uy !! !!2 −1!!
J= = = = 7.
∂(x, y) ! vx vy ! !5 1 !
So
du dv = 7 dx dy.
It follows
¨ that
u+2
¨
2x − y + 2 dx dy = du dv.
(2x−y)2 +(5x+y)2 ≤3 u2 +v 2 ≤3 7
Now u is anti-symmetric about the v-axis, and R is a circle centred at
the origin in uv-coordinates, so
¨
u du dv = 0.
u2 +v 2 ≤3
The area of R in uv-coordinates is 3π. Putting all of this together, the
flux out of C is
6π
.
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11
13. (15pts) Let
F⃗ = z 2 ı̂ + z sin yȷ̂ + (2z + axz + b cos y)k̂.
(i) Find the values of a and b such that F⃗ is conservative.
Solution: We want the curl to be zero:
! !
! ı̂ ȷ̂ k̂ !
!∂ ∂ ∂
!
! ! = (−b sin y + sin y)ı̂ − (az − 2z)ȷ̂.
! ∂x ∂y ∂z !
! z 2 z sin y 2z + axz + b cos y !
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14. (15pts) Let R be the region
0≤z≤a and x2 + y 2 ≤ 1.
(i) Set up the volume of R as a triple integral in cylindrical coordinates
Solution: ˚ ˆ a ˆ 2π ˆ 1
1 dV = r dr dθ dz.
R 0 0 0
(ii) Set up the volume of R as the sum of two triple integrals in spherical
coordinates.
Solution:
˚ ˆ 2π ˆ π/4 ˆ sec φ ˆ 2π ˆ π/2 ˆ cos φ
2
1 dV = ρ sin φ dρ dφ dθ+ ρ2 sin φ dρ dφ dθ.
R 0 0 0 0 π/4 0
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15. (20pts) Calculate the flux of F⃗ = (1 − z 2 )k̂ out of the solid hemi-
sphere
x2 + y 2 + z 2 < 1 and z > 0,
(i) directly,
Solution: The boundary is divided into two parts, the curved bit S and
the unit disc R in the xy-plane. The surface S is defined implicitly by
g(x, y, z) = x2 + y 2 + z 2 = 1.
If
N⃗ 1
⃗ = ∇g = ⟨2x, 2y, 2z⟩
N then ⃗=
dS dx dy = ⟨x, y, z⟩ dx dy.
⃗ · k̂|
|N z
Let R be the unit disc in the xy-plane.
¨ ¨ ˆ 2π ˆ 1
⃗ ⃗
F · dS = 2
(1 − z ) dx dy = r3 dr dθ,
S R 0 0
2 2 2 2
since 1 − z = x + y = r . The inner integral is
ˆ 1 ) 4 *1
3 r 1
r dr = = .
0 4 0 4
The outer integral is ˆ 2π
1 π
dθ = .
0 4 2
Over R, n̂ = −k̂ and F⃗ · n̂ = −1, so the flux is minus the area π. The
total flux is −π/2.
(ii) using the divergence theorem.
Solution: div F⃗ = −2z. Let D be the solid hemisphere. By the diver-
gence theorem we have
¨ ˚ ˆ 2π ˆ π/2 ˆ 1
⃗ ⃗
F · dS = −2z dV = −2ρ3 sin φ cos φ dρ dφ dθ.
S D 0 0 0
The inner integral is
ˆ 1 ) *1
3 1 4 1
−2ρ sin φ cos φ dρ = − ρ sin φ cos φ = − sin φ cos φ.
0 2 0 2
The middle integral is
ˆ π/2 ) *π/2
1 1 2 1
− sin φ cos φ dφ = cos φ =− .
0 2 4 0 4
So the flux is −π/2.
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16. (20pts) Let F⃗ be the vector field yı̂ + xzȷ̂ + y k̂. Let C be the
boundary of the half circular cylinder S, x2 + y 2 = 1, y ≥ 0, 0 ≤ z ≤ 1,
with corners at (1, 0, 0), (−1, 0, 0), (−1, 0, 1) and (1, 0, 1), oriented in
that order.
(i) What is curl F⃗ ?
Solution: ! !
! ı̂
! ∂ ∂ȷ̂ k̂ !!
∂ !
!
! ∂x ∂y ∂z !
= (1 − x)ı̂ + (z − 1)k̂.
! y xz y !
(ii) Calculate the work done going along C using Stokes’ theorem.
Solution:
The orientation on S compatible with C is the one pointing outwards.
We have
dS⃗ = ⟨x, y, 0⟩ dθ dz,
in cylindrical coordinates. So
(∇ × F⃗ ) · dS
⃗ = ⟨1 − x, 0, z − 1⟩ · ⟨x, y, 0⟩ dθ dz = x(1 − x) dθ dz.
By Stokes,
˛ ¨ ˆ 1 ˆ π
F⃗ · d⃗r = (∇ × F⃗ ) · dS
⃗= cos θ(1 − cos θ) dθ dz.
C S 0 0
The inner integral is
ˆ π ) *π
2 θ 1 π
cos θ − cos θ dθ = sin θ − + sin 2θ = − .
0 2 4 0 2
So the work done is −π/2.
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