(a) The function f(x,y) obeys
xyf(x,y)+x+y2+f(x,y)3=0(∗)
for all x and y (sufficiently close to (−1,1)).
Differentiating (∗) with respect to x gives
yf(x,y)+xyfx(x,y)+1+3f(x,y)2fx(x,y)=0⟹fx(x,y)=−3f(x,y)2+xyyf(x,y)+1
Without knowing f(x,y) explicitly, there's not much that we can do with this.
(b) f(−1,1) obeys
(−1)(1)f(−1,1)+(−1)+(1)2+f(−1,1)3=0⟺f(−1,1)3−f(−1,1)=0
Since f(−1,1)<0 we may divide this equation by f(−1,1)<0,
giving f(−1,1)2−1=0. Since f(−1,1)<0, we must have f(−1,1)=−1.
By part (a)
fx(−1,1)=−3f(−1,1)2+(−1)(1)(1)f(−1,1)+1=0
To get the linear approximation, we still need fy(−1,1).
Differentiating (∗) with respect to y gives
xf(x,y)+xyfy(x,y)+2y+3f(x,y)2fy(x,y)=0
Then setting x=−1, y=1 and f(−1,1)=−1 gives
(−1)(−1)+(−1)(1)fy(−1,1)+2(1)+3(−1)2fy(−1,1)=0⟹fy(−1,1)=−23
So the linear approximation is
f(x,y)≈f(−1,1)+fx(−1,1)(x+1)+fy(−1,1)(y−1)=−1−23(y−1)
(c) By part (b),
f(−1.02,0.97)≈−1−23(0.97−1)=−0.955