Denote by S the surface G(x,y,z)=0 and by C the parametrized curve
r(t)=(x(t),y(t),z(t)). To start, we'll find the tangent plane to S at r0 and the tangent line to C at r0.
- The tangent vector to C at r0 is
(x′(t0),y′(t0),z′(t0)), so the parametric equations for
the tangent line to C at r0 are
x−x0=tx′(t0)y−y0=tx′(t0)z−z0=tx′(t0)(E1)
- The gradient
(∂x∂G(x0,y0,z0),∂y∂G(x0,y0,z0),∂z∂G(x0,y0,z0)) is a normal vector
to the surface S at (x0,y0,z0). So the tangent plane
to the surface S at (x0,y0,z0) is
(∂x∂G(x0,y0,z0),∂y∂G(x0,y0,z0),∂z∂G(x0,y0,z0))⋅(x−x0,y−y0,z−z0)=0
or
∂x∂G(x0,y0,z0) (x−x0)+∂y∂G(x0,y0,z0) (y−y0)+∂z∂G(x0,y0,z0) (z−z0)=0(E2)
Next, we'll show that the tangent vector
(x′(t0),y′(t0),z′(t0)) to C at r0 and the normal vector (∂x∂G(x0,y0,z0),∂y∂G(x0,y0,z0),∂z∂G(x0,y0,z0)) to S at r0 are
perpendicular to each other. To do so, we observe that,
for every t, the point (x(t),y(t),z(t))
lies on the surface G(x,y,z)=0 and so obeys
G(x(t),y(t),z(t))=0
Differentiating this equation with respect to t gives,
by the chain rule,
0=dtdG(x(t),y(t),z(t))=∂x∂G(x(t),y(t),z(t)) x′(t)+∂y∂G(x(t),y(t),z(t)) y′(t)+∂z∂G(x(t),y(t),z(t)) z′(t)
Then setting t=t0 gives
∂x∂G(x0,y0,z0) x′(t0)+∂y∂G(x0,y0,z0) y′(t0)+∂z∂G(x0,y0,z0) z′(t0)=0(E3)
Finally, we are in a position to show that if (x,y,z) is any point on
the tangent line to C at r0, then (x,y,z) is also on the
tangent plane to S at r0. As (x,y,z) is on the tangent line to C
at r0 then there is a t such that, by (E1),
∂x∂G(x0,y0,z0) {x−x0}+∂y∂G(x0,y0,z0) {y−y0}+∂z∂G(x0,y0,z0) {z−z0}=∂x∂G(x0,y0,z0) {tx′(t0)}+∂y∂G(x0,y0,z0) {ty′(t0)}+∂z∂G(x0,y0,z0) {tz′(t0)}=t[∂x∂G(x0,y0,z0) x′(t0)+∂y∂G(x0,y0,z0) y′(t0)+∂z∂G(x0,y0,z0) z′(t0)]=0
by (E3). That is, (x,y,z) obeys the equation, (E2), of the tangent plane to S at r0 and so is on that tangent plane. So the tangent
line to C at r0 is contained in the tangent plane to S at r0.