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: 20

Answer

The limit is $$\lim_{(x,y)\to(0,1)}\frac{\arccos(x/y)}{1+xy} =\frac{\pi}{2}.$$ The function is discontinuous along: 1) the line $y=0$ i.e. the $x$ axis; 2) the hyperbola $y=-1/x$.

Work Step by Step

We will calculate this limit by substitution: $$\lim_{(x,y)\to(0,1)}\frac{\arccos(x/y)}{1+xy} = \frac{\arccos(0/1)}{1+0\cdot1}=\frac{\arccos0}{1}=\frac{\pi}{2}.$$ This function will have two discontinuities: 1) When $y=0$ i.e. the $x$ axis. This is because $y$ appears in the denominator of the argument of $\arccos$ and since we cannot divide by zero we would have $$\lim_{(x,y)\to(x_0,y_0)}\frac{\arccos(x/y)}{1+xy}\neq \frac{\arccos(x_0/y_0)}{1+x_0y_0},$$ when $y_0=0$. 2) When $1+xy=0$ i.e. when $y=-1/x$ (this is a hyperbola in the $xy$ plane). This is because $1+xy$ is in the denominator, and because we cannot divide by zero we again have $$\lim_{(x,y)\to(x_0,y_0)}\frac{\arccos(x/y)}{1+xy}\neq \frac{\arccos(x_0/y_0)}{1+x_0y_0},$$ when $$y_0=-1/x_0.$$ At all other points where $y_0\neq0$ and $1+x_0y_0\neq0$ we have that the function is continuous because we can always substitute and get $$\lim_{(x,y)\to(x_0,y_0)}\frac{\arccos(x/y)}{1+xy}= \frac{\arccos(x_0/y_0)}{1+x_0y_0}.$$
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