(a) Since, in polar coordinates,
x y x 2 + y 2 = r 2 cos θ sin θ r 2 = cos θ sin θ \frac{xy}{x^2+y^2}=\frac{r^2\cos\theta\sin\theta}{r^2}
=\cos\theta\sin\theta x 2 + y 2 x y = r 2 r 2 cos θ sin θ = cos θ sin θ
we have that the limit does not exist. For example,
if we send ( x , y ) (x,y) ( x , y )
to ( 0 , 0 ) (0,0) ( 0 , 0 ) along the positive x x x -axis, so that θ = 0 \theta=0 θ = 0 ,
we get the limit sin θ cos θ ∣ θ = 0 = 0 \sin\theta\cos\theta\big|_{\theta=0}=0 sin θ cos θ θ = 0 = 0 ,
while if we send ( x , y ) (x,y) ( x , y ) to ( 0 , 0 ) (0,0) ( 0 , 0 ) along the line y = x y=x y = x in the first quadrant,
so that θ = π 4 \theta=\frac{\pi}{4} θ = 4 π , we get the limit sin θ cos θ ∣ θ = π / 4 = 1 2 \sin\theta\cos\theta\big|_{\theta=\pi/4}=\frac{1}{2} sin θ cos θ θ = π /4 = 2 1 .
(b) This limit does not exist, since if it were to exist the limit
lim ( x , y ) → ( 0 , 0 ) x y x 2 + y 2 = lim ( x , y ) → ( 0 , 0 ) x y sin ( x y ) sin ( x y ) x 2 + y 2 = lim ( x , y ) → ( 0 , 0 ) x y sin ( x y ) lim ( x , y ) → ( 0 , 0 ) sin ( x y ) x 2 + y 2 \lim_{(x,y)\rightarrow(0,0)}\frac{xy}{x^2+y^2}
=\lim_{(x,y)\rightarrow(0,0)}\frac{xy}{\sin(xy)}\ \frac{\sin(xy)}{x^2+y^2}
=\lim_{(x,y)\rightarrow(0,0)}\frac{xy}{\sin(xy)}\
\lim_{(x,y)\rightarrow(0,0)}\frac{\sin(xy)}{x^2+y^2} ( x , y ) → ( 0 , 0 ) lim x 2 + y 2 x y = ( x , y ) → ( 0 , 0 ) lim sin ( x y ) x y x 2 + y 2 sin ( x y ) = ( x , y ) → ( 0 , 0 ) lim sin ( x y ) x y ( x , y ) → ( 0 , 0 ) lim x 2 + y 2 sin ( x y )
would also exist. (Recall that lim t → 0 sin t t = 1 \displaystyle \lim_{t\rightarrow 0}\tfrac{\sin t}{t}
=1 t → 0 lim t s i n t = 1 .)
(c) Since
lim ( x , y ) → ( − 1 , 1 ) [ x 2 + 2 x y 2 + y 4 ] = ( − 1 ) 2 + 2 ( − 1 ) ( 1 ) 2 + ( 1 ) 4 = 0 lim ( x , y ) → ( − 1 , 1 ) [ 1 + y 4 ] = 1 + ( 1 ) 4 = 2 \begin{aligned}
\lim_{(x,y)\rightarrow(-1,1)}\big[x^2+2xy^2+y^4\big]
&=(-1)^2+2(-1)(1)^2+(1)^4=0 \\
\lim_{(x,y)\rightarrow(-1,1)}\big[1+y^4\big]
&=1+(1)^4=2
\end{aligned} ( x , y ) → ( − 1 , 1 ) lim [ x 2 + 2 x y 2 + y 4 ] ( x , y ) → ( − 1 , 1 ) lim [ 1 + y 4 ] = ( − 1 ) 2 + 2 ( − 1 ) ( 1 ) 2 + ( 1 ) 4 = 0 = 1 + ( 1 ) 4 = 2
and the second limit is nonzero,
lim ( x , y ) → ( − 1 , 1 ) x 2 + 2 x y 2 + y 4 1 + y 4 = 0 2 = 0 \lim_{(x,y)\rightarrow(-1,1)}\frac{x^2+2xy^2+y^4}{1+y^4}=\frac{0}{2}=0 ( x , y ) → ( − 1 , 1 ) lim 1 + y 4 x 2 + 2 x y 2 + y 4 = 2 0 = 0
(d) Since the limit along the positive x x x -axis
lim t → 0 t > 0 ∣ y ∣ x ∣ ( x , y ) = ( t , 0 ) = lim t → 0 t > 0 0 t = lim t → 0 t > 0 0 = 0 \lim_{\genfrac{}{}{0pt}{}{t\rightarrow 0}{t>0}}|y|^x\Big|_{(x,y)=(t,0)}
=\lim_{\genfrac{}{}{0pt}{}{t\rightarrow 0}{t>0}}0^t
=\lim_{\genfrac{}{}{0pt}{}{t\rightarrow 0}{t>0}}0
=0 t > 0 t → 0 lim ∣ y ∣ x ( x , y ) = ( t , 0 ) = t > 0 t → 0 lim 0 t = t > 0 t → 0 lim 0 = 0
and the limit along the y y y -axis
lim t → 0 ∣ y ∣ x ∣ ( x , y ) = ( 0 , t ) = lim t → 0 ∣ t ∣ 0 = lim t → 0 1 = 1 \lim_{t\rightarrow 0}|y|^x\Big|_{(x,y)=(0,t)}
=\lim_{t\rightarrow 0}|t|^0
=\lim_{t\rightarrow 0}1
=1 t → 0 lim ∣ y ∣ x ( x , y ) = ( 0 , t ) = t → 0 lim ∣ t ∣ 0 = t → 0 lim 1 = 1
are different, the limit as ( x , y ) → 0 (x,y)\rightarrow 0 ( x , y ) → 0 does not exist.