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CLP-3 Multivariable Calculus

Chapter 2 Partial Derivatives

In this chapter we are going to generalize the definition of “derivative” to functions of more than one variable and then we are going to use those derivatives. We will parallel the development in Chapters 1 and 2 of the CLP-1 text. We shall
  • define limits and continuity of functions of more than one variable (Definitions 2.1.2 and 2.1.3) and then
  • study the properties of limits in more than one dimension (Theorem 2.1.5) and then
  • define derivatives of functions of more than one variable (Definition 2.2.1).
We are going to be able to speed things up considerably by recycling what we have already learned in the CLP-1 text.
We start by generalizing the definition of “limit” to functions of more than one variable.