How is an independent variable turned into a dependent variable from an exact differential?
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I didn't know how to title this exactly.. But I'll try to explain.
The following is an exact differential of a function $ f(x,y)$
$ df = (frac {partial f}{ partial x})_y dx + (frac { partial f}{ partial y})_x dy$
Where $f$ is a function in 2 independent variables $x$ and $y$
Now this is where I don't know what's going on, I can mathematically arrive at the correct result but I don't quite understand what it means:
If we consider the level curve of the function $f(x,y) = c$
Then the total differential $df = 0$
Then we get that $(frac { partial f}{ partial x})_y dx = - (frac { partial f}{ partial y})_x dy$
Dividing by the differential $dx$ , holding $f$ constant, then:
$ (frac { partial y} { partial x})_f = frac {(frac { partial f}{ partial x})_y}{-(frac { partial f}{ partial y})_x}$
We have just constructed an equation that relates $y$ to $x$ and its derivative $frac {dy}{dx}$ , $y$ just became a dependent variable on $x$
What is happening exactly, geometrically, or however you can put it intuitively? Thanks
ordinary-differential-equations
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add a comment |
$begingroup$
I didn't know how to title this exactly.. But I'll try to explain.
The following is an exact differential of a function $ f(x,y)$
$ df = (frac {partial f}{ partial x})_y dx + (frac { partial f}{ partial y})_x dy$
Where $f$ is a function in 2 independent variables $x$ and $y$
Now this is where I don't know what's going on, I can mathematically arrive at the correct result but I don't quite understand what it means:
If we consider the level curve of the function $f(x,y) = c$
Then the total differential $df = 0$
Then we get that $(frac { partial f}{ partial x})_y dx = - (frac { partial f}{ partial y})_x dy$
Dividing by the differential $dx$ , holding $f$ constant, then:
$ (frac { partial y} { partial x})_f = frac {(frac { partial f}{ partial x})_y}{-(frac { partial f}{ partial y})_x}$
We have just constructed an equation that relates $y$ to $x$ and its derivative $frac {dy}{dx}$ , $y$ just became a dependent variable on $x$
What is happening exactly, geometrically, or however you can put it intuitively? Thanks
ordinary-differential-equations
$endgroup$
add a comment |
$begingroup$
I didn't know how to title this exactly.. But I'll try to explain.
The following is an exact differential of a function $ f(x,y)$
$ df = (frac {partial f}{ partial x})_y dx + (frac { partial f}{ partial y})_x dy$
Where $f$ is a function in 2 independent variables $x$ and $y$
Now this is where I don't know what's going on, I can mathematically arrive at the correct result but I don't quite understand what it means:
If we consider the level curve of the function $f(x,y) = c$
Then the total differential $df = 0$
Then we get that $(frac { partial f}{ partial x})_y dx = - (frac { partial f}{ partial y})_x dy$
Dividing by the differential $dx$ , holding $f$ constant, then:
$ (frac { partial y} { partial x})_f = frac {(frac { partial f}{ partial x})_y}{-(frac { partial f}{ partial y})_x}$
We have just constructed an equation that relates $y$ to $x$ and its derivative $frac {dy}{dx}$ , $y$ just became a dependent variable on $x$
What is happening exactly, geometrically, or however you can put it intuitively? Thanks
ordinary-differential-equations
$endgroup$
I didn't know how to title this exactly.. But I'll try to explain.
The following is an exact differential of a function $ f(x,y)$
$ df = (frac {partial f}{ partial x})_y dx + (frac { partial f}{ partial y})_x dy$
Where $f$ is a function in 2 independent variables $x$ and $y$
Now this is where I don't know what's going on, I can mathematically arrive at the correct result but I don't quite understand what it means:
If we consider the level curve of the function $f(x,y) = c$
Then the total differential $df = 0$
Then we get that $(frac { partial f}{ partial x})_y dx = - (frac { partial f}{ partial y})_x dy$
Dividing by the differential $dx$ , holding $f$ constant, then:
$ (frac { partial y} { partial x})_f = frac {(frac { partial f}{ partial x})_y}{-(frac { partial f}{ partial y})_x}$
We have just constructed an equation that relates $y$ to $x$ and its derivative $frac {dy}{dx}$ , $y$ just became a dependent variable on $x$
What is happening exactly, geometrically, or however you can put it intuitively? Thanks
ordinary-differential-equations
ordinary-differential-equations
asked Jan 28 at 12:55
khaled014zkhaled014z
1769
1769
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This is a special case of the implicit function theorem. If $frac{partial f}{partial y}$ is non-zero, you can locally solve $f(x,y) = c$ for $y$, i.e. locally there is a differentiable function $g$ such that $f(x,g(x)) = c$. The derivative of $g$ is then exactly what you derived. Intuitively it is just an equation $f(x,y) = c$ and you are trying to solve it for $y$. Then $y$ becomes a function of $x$.
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1 Answer
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1 Answer
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$begingroup$
This is a special case of the implicit function theorem. If $frac{partial f}{partial y}$ is non-zero, you can locally solve $f(x,y) = c$ for $y$, i.e. locally there is a differentiable function $g$ such that $f(x,g(x)) = c$. The derivative of $g$ is then exactly what you derived. Intuitively it is just an equation $f(x,y) = c$ and you are trying to solve it for $y$. Then $y$ becomes a function of $x$.
$endgroup$
add a comment |
$begingroup$
This is a special case of the implicit function theorem. If $frac{partial f}{partial y}$ is non-zero, you can locally solve $f(x,y) = c$ for $y$, i.e. locally there is a differentiable function $g$ such that $f(x,g(x)) = c$. The derivative of $g$ is then exactly what you derived. Intuitively it is just an equation $f(x,y) = c$ and you are trying to solve it for $y$. Then $y$ becomes a function of $x$.
$endgroup$
add a comment |
$begingroup$
This is a special case of the implicit function theorem. If $frac{partial f}{partial y}$ is non-zero, you can locally solve $f(x,y) = c$ for $y$, i.e. locally there is a differentiable function $g$ such that $f(x,g(x)) = c$. The derivative of $g$ is then exactly what you derived. Intuitively it is just an equation $f(x,y) = c$ and you are trying to solve it for $y$. Then $y$ becomes a function of $x$.
$endgroup$
This is a special case of the implicit function theorem. If $frac{partial f}{partial y}$ is non-zero, you can locally solve $f(x,y) = c$ for $y$, i.e. locally there is a differentiable function $g$ such that $f(x,g(x)) = c$. The derivative of $g$ is then exactly what you derived. Intuitively it is just an equation $f(x,y) = c$ and you are trying to solve it for $y$. Then $y$ becomes a function of $x$.
answered Jan 28 at 15:38
KlausKlaus
2,782113
2,782113
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