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Honors Analysis II: Problem Set #4

Math 4182H  Spring 2026
Granny's implicit belief that everything should get out of her way extended to other witches, very tall trees, and, on occasion, mountains.
— Terry Pratchett, Wyrd Sisters (not about the curve known as the Witch of Agnesi).

Terminology

S04P01

State the Inverse Function Theorem.

S04P02

State the Implicit Function Theorem.

S04P03

What is a critical point of a function \(f : \R^n \to \R\)?

S04P04

What is a regular value of a function \(f : \R^n \to \R\)?

Numericals

S04P05

Recall S01P06.

Denote the set of \(2\)-by-\(2\) matrices with real entries by \(\Mtwo(\R)\).

Determine the regular values of \(\det : \Mtwo(\R) \to \R\).

S04P06

Recall S01P07.

Let \(\GL_2(\R)\subset \Mtwo(\R)\) be the set of invertible \(2\)-by-\(2\) matrices. Consider the map \(\mathrm{inv}:\GL_2(\R)\to \GL_2(\R)\) defined by \(\mathrm{inv}(A)=A^{-1}\).

Fix \(A_0\in \GL_2(\R)\). Define \[ F:\Mtwo(\R)\times \Mtwo(\R)\to \Mtwo(\R),\qquad F(A,B)=AB-I. \] Note that \(F(A,B)=0\) holds exactly when \(B=A^{-1}\).

Use “implicit differentiation” in order to compute the derivative \(D(\mathrm{inv})_{A_0}(H)\), i.e., the derivative of the inverse map at \(A_0 \in \GL_2(\R)\) and in the direction \(H\in \Mtwo(\R)\).

Exploration

S04P07

Define \(\Phi:(0,\infty)\times\R\to\R^2\) by \[ \Phi(r,\theta)=(r\cos\theta,r\sin\theta). \] Compute \(\det D\Phi(r,\theta)\).

Your friend says “so every point of \(\R^2\setminus\{0\}\) has a neighborhood on which \((x,y)\) can be written as \((r,\theta)\) uniquely.”

Is this precisely right?

\pagebreak

S04P08

Consider the elliptic curve \[ E=\{(x,y)\in\mathbb R^2 : y^2 = x^3 - x\}. \] Let \(F(x,y)=y^2-(x^3-x)\), so that \(E=F^{-1}(0)\).

Pick \(x_0\) so that \(p=(x_0,0)\in E\), i.e., pick \(x_0\in\{-1,0,1\}\).

Explain why you cannot solve locally for \(y\) as a function of \(x\) around such a point \(p\), but you can solve locally for \(x\) as a function of \(y\).

More precisely, show there is an \(\epsilon > 0\) and a \(C^1\) function \(f:(-\epsilon,\epsilon)\to\mathbb R\) such that \(f(0)=x_0\) and, when \(-\epsilon < y < \epsilon\), we have \((f(y),y) \in E\). In this case, compute \(f'(0)\).

S04P09

The folium of Descartes is the curve in \(\R^2\) carved out by \[ x^3+y^3=3xy. \] Assume \(y\neq 0\) and set \(t=x/y\).

Express the points on the curve with \(y\neq 0\) in parametric form \((x(t),y(t))\) where \(t = x/y\). Compute \(x'(t)\). For which values of \(t\) is \(x'(t)\neq 0\)?

Use the Inverse Function Theorem to identify points of the folium where the curve is the graph of a differentiable function \(y = y(x)\). Locate the two places where this fails, and explain what happens there.

S04P10

Fix an integer \(k\ge 2\), and consider the map \(P: \Mtwo(\R)\to \Mtwo(\R)\) given by \(P(X)=X^k\). This is the \(k\)-th power map.

Show that \(P\) is differentiable and compute the derivative of \(P\) at \(I\). Show that the derivative at \(I\) is an isomorphism. Conclude that for every sufficiently small matrix \(H\), the equation \(X^k=I+H\) has a solution.

Is it unique? Does every matrix have a \(k\)-th root?

S04P11

Interpret \(\mathbb{R}^{n+1}\) as the coefficients of a degree \(n\) polynomial. Pick \(P \in \mathbb{R}^{n+1}\) so that there is a root \(r\) of the polynomial \(P\), i.e., \[ P_0 + P_1 \, r + P_2 \, r^2 + \cdots + P_n r^n = 0. \] Does there exist a function \(f : U \to \R\) defined on a neighborhood \(U \ni P\) so that \(f(Q)\) is a root of the polynomial \(Q\)? In this case, compute \(f'(P)\).

Prove or Disprove and Salvage if Possible

S04P12

Let \(F:\R\to\R\) be \(C^1\). If \(F'(x) \neq 0\) for all \(x\in\R\), then \(F\) is surjective.

S04P13

Let \(F:\R^n\to\R^n\) be \(C^1\). If \(\det DF(x)\neq 0\) for all \(x\in\R^n\), then \(F\) is injective.

S04P14

Recall S01P14.

Suppose \(F:\R^2 \to\R^2\) is \(C^1\) and \(F(x,y) = (u(x,y),v(x,y))\) for functions \(u, v : \R^2 \to \R\). Suppose \(F\) satisfies the Cauchy–Riemann equations, i.e., \(u_x=v_y\) and \(u_y=-v_x\). Assume \(DF(x_0,y_0)\) is invertible at some \((x_0,y_0)\), and let \(G=(p,q)\) be the \(C^1\) local inverse of \(F\) near \((x_0,y_0)\). Then \(G\) also satisfies the Cauchy–Riemann equations.