# total differential

There is the generalisation of the theorem in the parent entry (http://planetmath.org/Differential) concerning the real functions of several variables; here we formulate it for three variables:

Theorem.  Suppose that $S$ is a ball in $\mathbb{R}^{3}$, the function$f\!:S\to\mathbb{R}$  is continuous and has partial derivatives $f_{x}^{\prime},\,f_{y}^{\prime},\,f_{z}^{\prime}$ in $S$ and the partial derivatives are continuous in a point  $(x,\,y,\,z)$  of $S$.  Then the increment

 $\Delta f\;:=\;f(x\!+\!\Delta x,\,y\!+\!\Delta y,\,z\!+\!\Delta z)-f(x,\,y,\,z),$

which $f$ gets when one moves from  $(x,\,y,\,z)$  to another point  $(x\!+\!\Delta x,\,y\!+\!\Delta y,\,z\!+\!\Delta z)$  of $S$, can be split into two parts as follows:

 $\displaystyle\Delta f\;=\;[f_{x}^{\prime}(x,\,y,\,z)\Delta x+f_{y}^{\prime}(x,% \,y,\,z)\Delta y+f_{z}^{\prime}(x,\,y,\,z)\Delta z]+\langle\varrho\rangle\varrho.$ (1)

Here,  $\varrho:=\sqrt{\Delta x^{2}\!+\!\Delta y^{2}\!+\!\Delta z^{2}}$  and $\langle\varrho\rangle$ is a quantity tending to 0 along with $\varrho$.

The former part of $\Delta x$ is called the (total) differential or the exact differential of the function $f$ in the point  $(x,\,y,\,z)$  and it is denoted by  $df(x,\,y,\,z)$  of briefly $df$.  In the special case  $f(x,\,y,\,z)\equiv x$,  we see that  $df=\Delta x$  and thus  $\Delta x=dx$;  similarly  $\Delta y=dy$  and $\Delta z=dz$.  Accordingly, we obtain for the general case the more consistent notation

 $\displaystyle df\;=\;f_{x}^{\prime}(x,\,y,\,z)dx+f_{y}^{\prime}(x,\,y,\,z)dy+f% _{z}^{\prime}(x,\,y,\,z)dz,$ (2)

where $dx,\,dy,\,dz$ may be thought as independent variables.

We now assume conversely that the increment of a function $f$ in $\mathbb{R}^{3}$ can be split into two parts as follows:

 $\displaystyle f(x\!+\!\Delta x,\,y\!+\!\Delta y,\,z\!+\!\Delta z)-f(x,\,y,\,z)% \;=\;[A\Delta x+B\Delta y+C\Delta z]+\langle\varrho\rangle\varrho$ (3)

where the coefficients $A,\,B,\,C$ are independent on the quantities $\Delta x,\,\Delta y,\,\Delta z$ and $\varrho,\,\langle\varrho\rangle$ are as in the above theorem.  Then one can infer that the partial derivatives $f_{x}^{\prime},\,f_{y}^{\prime},\,f_{z}^{\prime}$ exist in the point  $(x,\,y,\,z)$  and have the values $A,\,B,\,C$, respectively.  In fact, if we choose  $\Delta y=\Delta z=0$, then  $\varrho=|\Delta x|$  whence (3) attains the form

 $f(x\!+\!\Delta x,\,y\!+\!\Delta y,\,z\!+\!\Delta z)-f(x,\,y,\,z)\,=\,A\Delta x% +\langle\Delta x\rangle\Delta x$

and therefore

 $A\;=\;\lim_{\Delta x\to 0}\frac{f(x\!+\!\Delta x,\,y\!+\!\Delta y,\,z\!+\!% \Delta z)-f(x,\,y,\,z)}{\Delta x}\;=\;f_{x}^{\prime}(x,\,y,\,z).$

Similarly we see the values of $f_{y}^{\prime}$ and $f_{z}^{\prime}$.

The last consideration showed the uniqueness of the total differential.

Definition.  A function $f$ in $\mathbb{R}^{3}$, satisfying the conditions of the above theorem is said to be differentiable in the point  $(x,\,y,\,z)$.

Remark.  The differentiability of a function $f$ of two variables in the point  $(x,\,y)$  means that the surface  $z\,=\,f(x,\,y)$  has a tangent plane in this point.

## References

• 1 Ernst Lindelöf: Differentiali- ja integralilasku ja sen sovellutukset II.  Mercatorin Kirjapaino Osakeyhtiö, Helsinki (1932).
 Title total differential Canonical name TotalDifferential Date of creation 2013-03-22 19:11:24 Last modified on 2013-03-22 19:11:24 Owner pahio (2872) Last modified by pahio (2872) Numerical id 10 Author pahio (2872) Entry type Definition Classification msc 53A04 Classification msc 26B05 Classification msc 01A45 Synonym exact differential Synonym differential Related topic ExactDifferentialForm Related topic ExactDifferentialEquation Related topic Differential Related topic DifferntiableFunction Defines differentiable