Calculus 10th Edition

Published by Brooks Cole
ISBN 10: 1-28505-709-0
ISBN 13: 978-1-28505-709-5

Chapter 13 - Functions of Several Variables - 13.2 Exercises - Page 887: 15

Answer

The limit is $$\lim_{(x,y)\to(1,1)}\frac{xy}{x^2+y^2}=\frac{1}{2}.$$ The function has a discontinuity at the origin $(0,0)$.

Work Step by Step

The limit can be found by a simple substitution $$\lim_{(x,y)\to(1,1)}\frac{xy}{x^2+y^2}=\frac{1\cdot1}{1^2+1^2}=\frac{1}{2}.$$ The function is discontinuous at $(x,y)=(0,0)$ i.e. at the origin and this happens because we would have zero in the denominator and since we cannot divide by zero we would have $$\lim_{(x,y)\to(x_0,y_0)}\frac{xy}{x^2+y^2}\neq\frac{x_0y_0}{x_0^2+y_0^2}.$$ For all other points $(x_0,y_0)$ where $x_0$ and $y_0$ are not zero at the same time we would have $$\lim_{(x,y)\to(x_0,y_0)}\frac{xy}{x^2+y^2}=\frac{x_0y_0}{x_0^2+y_0^2},$$ so the function is continuous in other points.
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