Chapter 4: Partial Differentiation
Section 4.4: Directional Derivative
Example 4.4.5
At the point P:, and in the direction , obtain the directional derivative of .
Solution
Mathematical Solution
Let be the unit vector in the direction of v, and let be the line through P in the direction defined by u. The parametric equations of this line are
Along this line the function values of are given by
The requisite directional derivative is then
Alternatively, obtain the vector
= =
and compute its dot product with u so that
Maple Solution - Interactive
Initialize
Tools≻Load Package: Student Multivariate Calculus
Loading Student:-MultivariateCalculus
Context Panel: Assign Name (Be sure to use Maple's exponential "e".)
Context Panel: Assign Name
Instant answer via the Context Panel
Type the name and press the Enter key.
Context Panel: Student Multivariate Calculus≻Differentiate≻Directional Derivative Fill in the "Variables, Point, and Vector" dialog as shown in Figure 4.4.5(a) Click the OK button.
Context Panel: Simplify≻Simplify
Figure 4.4.5(a) Variables, Point, and Vector dialog
Obtain
Context Panel: Student Multivariate Calculus≻Differentiate≻Gradient (See Figure 4.4.5(b).)
Context Panel: Select Element≻1
Context Panel: Assign to a Name≻Gf
Figure 4.4.5(b) Gradient dialog
Common Symbols palette: Dot product operator
Context Panel: Evaluate and Display Inline
=
Solution from first principles:
Obtain , the line through P with direction u
Write a sequence of point P and unit vector u.
Context Panel: Student Multivariate Calculus≻ Lines & Planes≻Line
Context Panel: Student Multivariate Calculus≻ Lines & Planes≻Representation≻parametric (See Figure 4.4.5(c).)
Context Panel: Assign to a Name≻
Figure 4.4.5(c) Line representation dialog
Obtain and
Expression palette: Evaluation template Press the Enter key.
Context Panel: Differentiate≻With Respect To≻
Context Panel: Evaluate at a Point≻
Maple Solution - Coded
Install the Student MultivariateCalculus package.
Define . Be sure to use Maple's exponential "e".
Define v as a list.
Obtain the directional derivative
Apply the DirectionalDerivative and simplify commands.
There is a DirectionalDerivative command in the Student VectorCalculus package, and a DirectionalDiff command in the Physics:-Vectors package. These alternatives will not be explored further; instead, the following two computations are provided.
Compute
Apply the Gradient command, evaluating the resulting vector at point P.
Apply to the list v the convert/Vector command, then apply the Normalize command to normalize the resulting vector, thereby obtaining the unit vector u.
Invoke the Dotproduct command and apply the simplify command.
Obtain the directional derivative from first principles
Use the Line and GetRepresentation commands to obtain the parametric form of the line through P in the direction of u.
Use the eval command to obtain the value of along line , then apply the simplify command.
Apply the diff command to , then the eval and simplify commands to obtain .
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