The basic assumption is that the three quantites x, y
and z are not independent. Given any two of them, the third is uniquely
determined. They are assumed to satisfy a relationship
F(x,y,z)=0, which can be solved to
- determine x as a function of y and z (say x=f(y,z)) and
can alternatively be solved to
- determine y as a function of x and z (say y=g(x,z)) and
can alternatively be solved to
- determine z as a function of x and y
(say z=h(x,y)).
As an example, if F(x,y,z)=xyz−1, then
- F(x,y,z)=xyz−1=0 implies that x=yz1=f(y,z) and
- F(x,y,z)=xyz−1=0 implies that y=xz1=g(x,z) and
- F(x,y,z)=xyz−1=0 implies that z=xy1=h(x,y)
In general, saying that F(x,y,z)=0 determines x=f(y,z) means that
F(f(y,z),y,z)=0(∗)
for all y and z.
Set F(y,z)=F(f(y,z),y,z). Applying the chain rule to
F(y,z)=F(f(y,z),y,z) (with y and z independent variables)
gives
∂z∂F(y,z)=∂x∂F(f(y,z),y,z)∂z∂f(y,z)+∂z∂F(f(y,z),y,z)
The equation (∗) says that F(y,z)=F(f(y,z),y,z)=0
for all y and z.
So differentiating the equation (∗) with respect to
z gives
∂z∂F(y,z)=∂x∂F(f(y,z),y,z)∂z∂f(y,z)+∂z∂F(f(y,z),y,z)=0⟹∂z∂f(y,z)=−∂x∂F(f(y,z),y,z)∂z∂F(f(y,z),y,z)
for all y and z. Similarly, differentiating
F(x,g(x,z),z)=0 with respect to x and
F(x,y,h(x,y))=0 with respect to y gives
∂x∂g(x,z)=−∂y∂F(x,g(x,z),z)∂x∂F(x,g(x,z),z)∂y∂h(x,y)=−∂z∂F(x,y,h(x,y))∂y∂F(x,y,h(x,y))
If (x,y,z) is any point satisfying F(x,y,z)=0
(so that x=f(y,z) and y=g(x,z) and z=h(x,y)), then
∂z∂f(y,z)=−∂x∂F(x,y,z)∂z∂F(x,y,z)∂x∂g(x,z)=−∂y∂F(x,y,z)∂x∂F(x,y,z)∂y∂h(x,y)=−∂z∂F(x,y,z)∂y∂F(x,y,z)
and
∂z∂f(y,z) ∂x∂g(x,z) ∂y∂h(x,y)=−∂x∂F(x,y,z)∂z∂F(x,y,z) ∂y∂F(x,y,z)∂x∂F(x,y,z) ∂z∂F(x,y,z)∂y∂F(x,y,z)=−1