Partial Derivative of a Vector Function

Oct 13, 2025 by wbrum.org 62 views

Introduction

In this article, we will explore the concept of partial derivatives of vector functions. We will calculate the partial derivatives of a given vector function $\vec{u}$ with respect to its components. The vector function $\vec{u}$ is defined as $\vec{u}=\left(u_x, u_y, u_z\right)=\left(x y^2, 4+x, x^2 y\right)$ . We will calculate the partial derivatives $\frac{\partial \vec{u}}{\partial x}$ and $\frac{\partial^2 \vec{y}}{\partial y \partial z}$ .

Partial Derivative of a Vector Function

A vector function is a function that takes a vector as input and returns a vector as output. The partial derivative of a vector function with respect to one of its components is a vector that contains the partial derivatives of each component of the function with respect to that component.

Calculating $\frac{\partial \vec{u}}{\partial x}$

To calculate the partial derivative of $\vec{u}$ with respect to $x$ , we need to calculate the partial derivatives of each component of $\vec{u}$ with respect to $x$ .

Calculating $\frac{\partial u_x}{\partial x}$

The partial derivative of $u_x$ with respect to $x$ is given by:

\frac{\partial u_x}{\partial x} = \frac{\partial (x y^2)}{\partial x} = y^2

Calculating $\frac{\partial u_y}{\partial x}$

The partial derivative of $u_y$ with respect to $x$ is given by:

\frac{\partial u_y}{\partial x} = \frac{\partial (4+x)}{\partial x} = 1

Calculating $\frac{\partial u_z}{\partial x}$

The partial derivative of $u_z$ with respect to $x$ is given by:

\frac{\partial u_z}{\partial x} = \frac{\partial (x^2 y)}{\partial x} = 2 x y

Therefore, the partial derivative of $\vec{u}$ with respect to $x$ is given by:

\frac{\partial \vec{u}}{\partial x} = \left(y^2, 1, 2 x y\right)

Calculating $\frac{\partial^2 \vec{y}}{\partial y \partial z}$

To calculate the second partial derivative of $\vec{y}$ with respect to $y$ and $z$ , we need to calculate the partial derivative of the partial derivative of $\vec{y}$ with respect to $y$ with respect to $z$ .

However, we need to note that the vector function $\vec{y}$ is not defined in the problem statement. Therefore, we will assume that the vector function $\vec{y}$ is the same as the vector function $\vec{u}$ .

Calculating $\frac{\partial \vec{y}}{\partial y}$

To calculate the partial derivative of $\vec{y}$ with respect to $y$ , we need to calculate the partial derivatives of each component of $\vec{y}$ with respect to $y$ .

Calculating $\frac{\partial u_x}{\partial y}$

The partial derivative of $u_x$ with respect to $y$ is given by:

\frac{\partial u_x}{\partial y} = \frac{\partial (x y^2)}{\partial y} = 2 x y

Calculating $\frac{\partial u_y}{\partial y}$

The partial derivative of $u_y$ with respect to $y$ is given by:

\frac{\partial u_y}{\partial y} = \frac{\partial (4+x)}{\partial y} = 0

Calculating $\frac{\partial u_z}{\partial y}$

The partial derivative of $u_z$ with respect to $y$ is given by:

\frac{\partial u_z}{\partial y} = \frac{\partial (x^2 y)}{\partial y} = x^2

Therefore, the partial derivative of $\vec{y}$ with respect to $y$ is given by:

\frac{\partial \vec{y}}{\partial y} = \left(2 x y, 0, x^2\right)

Calculating $\frac{\partial^2 \vec{y}}{\partial y \partial z}$

The partial derivative of the partial derivative of $\vec{y}$ with respect to $y$ with respect to $z$ is given by:

\frac{\partial^2 \vec{y}}{\partial y \partial z} = \left(0, 0, 0\right)

Therefore, the second partial derivative of $\vec{y}$ with respect to $y$ and $z$ is given by:

\frac{\partial^2 \vec{y}}{\partial y \partial z} = \left(0, 0, 0\right)

Conclusion

In this article, we calculated the partial derivatives of a given vector function $\vec{u}$ with respect to its components. We also calculated the second partial derivative of the vector function $\vec{y}$ with respect to $y$ and $z$ . The results are:

$\frac{\partial \vec{u}}{\partial x} = \left(y^2, 1, 2 x y\right)$
$\frac{\partial^2 \vec{y}}{\partial y \partial z} = \left(0, 0, 0\right)$

Introduction

In our previous article, we explored the concept of partial derivatives of vector functions. We calculated the partial derivatives of a given vector function $\vec{u}$ with respect to its components and the second partial derivative of the vector function $\vec{y}$ with respect to $y$ and $z$ . In this article, we will answer some frequently asked questions about partial derivatives of vector functions.

Q: What is a partial derivative of a vector function?

A: A partial derivative of a vector function is a vector that contains the partial derivatives of each component of the function with respect to one of its components.

Q: How do I calculate the partial derivative of a vector function?

A: To calculate the partial derivative of a vector function, you need to calculate the partial derivatives of each component of the function with respect to one of its components.

Q: What is the difference between a partial derivative and a total derivative?

A: A partial derivative is a derivative of a function with respect to one of its variables, while a total derivative is a derivative of a function with respect to all of its variables.

Q: Can I use the chain rule to calculate the partial derivative of a vector function?

A: Yes, you can use the chain rule to calculate the partial derivative of a vector function. The chain rule states that the partial derivative of a composite function is equal to the product of the partial derivatives of the individual functions.

Q: How do I calculate the second partial derivative of a vector function?

A: To calculate the second partial derivative of a vector function, you need to calculate the partial derivative of the partial derivative of the function with respect to one of its components.

Q: What is the significance of the second partial derivative of a vector function?

A: The second partial derivative of a vector function is used to determine the concavity of the function. If the second partial derivative is positive, the function is concave up. If the second partial derivative is negative, the function is concave down.

Q: Can I use the second partial derivative to determine the maximum or minimum of a function?

A: Yes, you can use the second partial derivative to determine the maximum or minimum of a function. If the second partial derivative is positive at a point, the function is concave up at that point, and the point is a local minimum. If the second partial derivative is negative at a point, the function is concave down at that point, and the point is a local maximum.

Q: How do I apply the second partial derivative to a vector function?

A: To apply the second partial derivative to a vector function, you need to calculate the partial derivative of the partial derivative of the function with respect to one of its components.

Q: What are some common applications of partial derivatives of vector functions?

A: Some common applications of partial derivatives of vector functions include:

Calculating the gradient of a function
Determining the concavity of a function
Finding the maximum or minimum of a function
Solving optimization problems

Conclusion

In this article, we answered some frequently asked questions about partial derivatives of vector functions. We hope that this article has been helpful in understanding the concept of partial derivatives of vector functions and their applications.

Additional Resources

For more information on partial derivatives of vector functions, we recommend the following resources:

We hope that this article has been helpful in understanding the concept of partial derivatives of vector functions. If you have any further questions or need additional clarification, please don't hesitate to ask.