2.

Math 1800 – Homework #2 – Solutions

2A.


2B. A very simple example is the function z = f (x, y) = y 2 (the graph in 3-space looks like a steep “half
pipe”, though mathematicians still call it a cylinder). If we set z = 100, we get y 2 = 100. The
solutions are y = 10 and y = −10, which, on the xy-plane, are two parallel lines. .
2C. Consider the function z = f (x, y) = (x2 + 1) sin y + xy 2 and its graph in 3-space.
π π2
(a) Consider the plane y = 2. Since sin π2 = 1, we get z = x2 + 4 x + 1, which is the equation of a
parabola on the xz-plane.
(b) If we set y = 0 (which is the xz-plane) we get z = 0, which is a line (namely, the x-axis) on
the xz-plane. Alternatively: setting y = π yileds z = π 2 x, which is also a line on the xz-plane.
(c) Now set x = 0 (which is the yz-plane). This yields z = sin y, i.e. the equation of the sine curve
on the yz-plane. 
2D. The function f decreases as y increases: each increase of y by 2 takes you down one contour and
hence changes the function by 2, so the slope in the y direction is −1. The slope in the x direction
is 2, so the formula is f (x, y) = c + 2x − y. From the diagram we see that f (0, 0) = 4, so c = 4.
Therefore, the formula for this linear function is f (x, y) = 4 + 2x − y. 
2E. Consider the equation z = 2 − x − 2y. If we set y = 0 and z = 0 (i.e. the x-axis) we get x = 2; if
we set x = 0 and z = 0 (i.e. the y-axis) we get y = 1; if we set x = 0 and y = 0 (i.e. the z-axis) we
get z = 2. Therefore, the plane represented by the equation z = 2 − x − 2y intersects the coordinate
axes at P1 = (2, 0, 0), P2 = (0, 1, 0), and P3 = (0, 0, 2). See the figure below.
.. ,

•
•

•
• •
.

• •

•
•
•

,
•

•
,

• •

.'
.- ,
•

,
•
•
-. •
-
 2.2

2
2F. (a) Consider w = f (x, y, z) = 14 x2 + z 2 . Setting, for example, w = 1, we get the equation x22 + z 2 = 1,
which, in the xz-plane, represents an ellipse. However we are dealing with a function of three variables
2
and f (x, y, z) = 1 is a level surface of the function f in 3-space: the surface x22 + z 2 = 1 is a cylinder ,
parallel to the y axis, whose cross section is the above ellipse. For different values of w = c ≥ 0 we
get different cylinders, whose cross section are concentric ellipses.
(b) Consider w = f (x, y, z) = x + y + z. Setting w = c yields the equation x + y + z = c (or,
equivalently, z = c − x − y) which is a plane in 3-space, with both x- and y-slopes equal to −1 and
with z-intercept equal to c.
(c) Finally, consider w = f (x, y, z) = sin(x + y + z). Fix w = c. The equation sin(x + y + z) = c
has no solutions if c > 1 or c < 1, so the corresponding level surface is the empty set. However,
for −1 ≤ c ≤ 1, the equation sin(x + y + z) = c is equivalent to x + y + z = arcsin c. (Note that
d = arcsin c is a number in the interval − π2 , π2 .) So the equations x + y + z = d (i.e. z = d − x − y)
represent planes in 3-space, with both x- and y-slopes equal to −1 and with z-intercept equal to d.

2G. Take the function of 3 variables w = g(x, y, z) = x2 − y 2 − z + 10. If we set g(x, y, z) = 10 we get the
surface x2 − y 2 − z + 10 = 10 in 3-space, i.e. z = x2 − y 2 , which is the usual hyperbolic paraboloid. 

2H. While there are infinitely many correct answers, here is one of the simplest ones: take g(x, y, z) =
x2 + y 2 + z 2 . We have that x2 + y 2 + z 2 = 1 is the unit sphere (the sphere of radius 1 centered
at the origin), which cannot be expressed as the graph of one function z = f (x, y). p (However,
it can be expressed aspthe graph of two distinct functions, namely z = f1 (x, y) = 1 − x2 − y 2
and z = f2 (x, y) = − 1 − x2 − y 2 .) Another example is g(x, y, z) = z 2 (which is constant with
respect to the two independent variables y and z): we have that z 2 = 1 (i.e. z = ±1) represents,
in 3-space, two distinct parallel (horizontal) planes. 
√
2I. Let ~u = ~i − ~j + 2~k and ~v = ~j + 3~k.
√ √
(a) ~u − ~v = (~i − ~j + 2~k) − (~j + 3~k) = ~i − 2~j + (2 − 3)~k.
(b) The vector ~v lies parallel to the yz-plane, so this is a simple trigonometry problem. Let θ the the
angle that the
√ vector ~v forms with the positive y-axis (see the picture below). We note right away
that k~v k = 1 + 3 = 2. Since k~v k sin θ = 1, we have sin θ = 21 , and in conclusion θ = π3 .

3 ... ~ .... ....... -

• ,f
V f
,
,I
I
_.
-.

~ . ,

p √
(c) The vector ~u has length k~uk = (1)2 + (−1)2 + (2)2 = 6. So √~u6 is a unit vector that has the
q q q q
~ = 2 √~u6 = 23 ~u = 23~i − 23~j + 2 23 ~k is a vector of
same direction of ~u. In conclusion, the vector w
length 2 that points in the same direction as ~u. 

2J. (a) True, by the property of commutativity of the sum operation between two vectors.
(b) This one does not make sense, as we cannot add vectors and scalars.
(c) True, again by the property of commutativity of the sum operation between two vectors.
(d) This is not always true (we say that “in general, it is a false
√ statement”). For example we have
~ ~ ~ ~
that if we define ~a = i and b = j, we have k~a + bk = ki + jk = 2, while k~ak + k~bk = 1 + 1 = 2.
~ ~
 2.3

(We should note, however, that the relationship k~a + ~bk = k~ak + k~bk is true in some special cases:
namely, when ~a and ~b have the same direction. For example, if we define ~a = ~i and ~b = 2~i, we
have k~a + ~bk = k3~ik = 3, and k~ak + k~bk = 1 + 2 = 3.) 

2K. We need 6~i + 8~j + 3~k = λ 2~i + (t2 + 23 t + 1)~j + t~k for some λ. This gives


 6 = 2λ
8 = (t2 2 + 32 t + 1)λ
3 = tλ


From the first equation, we have λ = 3. Substituting λ = 3 into the third equation gives t = 1. Check
the second equation, it says 8 = 8, if t = 1 and λ = 3. So for t = 1, the two vectors are parallel to
each other. 

~ = ~0,
2L. Break the hexagon up into 6 equilateral triangles, as shown in the figure on the left. Then ~u−~v +w
~ = ~v − ~u. Similarly, ~x = −~u , ~y = −~v , ~z = −w
so w ~ = ~u − ~v . 

2M. The simplest example is ~u = 2~k. 

2N. For the object to remain stationary, we must apply a force F~3 such that F~1 + F~2 + F~3 = ~0 (the zero
vector ). Therefore F~3 = −F~1 − F~2 = −8~i + 6~j − 3~i − 2~j = −11~i + 4~j. See the figure below. 

4
F~3
2
F~1
-10 -5 5

-2

-4 F~2
-6
 2.4

2O. (a) TRUE, they cannot intersect. If they intersected at a point, then that point would have two
distinct temperatures (because the isotherms are distinct), which is impossible.
(b) FALSE. For example, the level curves of the paraboloid z = f (x, y) = x2 + y 2 are also circles.
(c) FALSE. For example, the level curves of the cylinder z = f (x, y) = y 2 are also parallel lines.
(d) FALSE. They are planes with the same x-slope, the same y-slope, but different intercept: this
makes them parallel. Besides, looking for the points of intersection of the two planes translates to
solving the system of equations: 
z = 3 + 2x + 4y
z = 5 + 2x + 4y
which has no solutions.
(e) TRUE. To show this, we need two unit vectors ~u and ~v such that ~u, ~v , and ~u − ~v coincide with
the three sides of an equilateral triangle (each of length 1). See the figure below.
√
While this answers the question, here is a concrete example. If we take ~u = ~i and ~v = 21~i + 23~j, it is
q √ √
the case that k~uk = 1, k~v k = ( 12 )2 + ( 23 )2 = 1, and the length of ~u − ~v = 12~i − 23~j is also 1.

√
(f ) FALSE. For example, the two vectors ~u = ~i + ~k and ~v = ~j + ~k have the same magnitude 2 and
the same ~k component, however they are different vectors.