Find the points at which slope of the tangent on the curve x^2y^2+xy=2 is -1?

3 Answers
Mar 10, 2017

Here is an outline. I've omitted details.

x^2y^2 + xy = 2

dy/dx = -(2xy^2+y)/(2x^2y+x)

Set dy/dx = -1 and then use algebra to get

2xy^2-2x^2y+y-x=0.

Which is equivalent to

2xy(y-x)+(y-x)= and consequently to

(2xy+1)(y-x) = 0

So either

2xy+1 = 0 and y=-1/(2x)

or y=x

Replacing y by each of these in the original x^2y^2 + xy = 2, we get

no solution when y=-1/(2x)

and

x=+-1 when y=x.

Mar 10, 2017

See below.

Explanation:

x^2y^2+xy-2=0 or (xy)^2+(xy)-2=0

solving for (xy)

(xy)=(-1pm sqrt(1+8))/2 = {(-2),(1):}

so we have

x^2y^2+xy-2=0->{(xy=-2),(xy=1):}

The slopes of -1 occurs in

xy = 1 at points (-1,-1) and (1,1) because for xy=1

(dy)/(dx)=-y/x=-1/x^2=-1->x=pm1

Mar 10, 2017

At points (1,1) and -1.-1)

Explanation:

Slope of a tangent at a point on the curve x^2y^2+xy=2 will be given by the value of (dy)/(dx) at that point. So let us find its derivative, which is given by,

2x xxy^2+x^2xx2yxx(dy)/(dx)+1xxy+x xx(dy)/(dx)=0

i.e. (dy)/(dx)[2x^2y+x]=-2xy^2-y and

(dy)/(dx)=-(2xy^2+y)/(2x^2y+x)

= -(y(2xy+1))/(x(2xy+1))=-y/x

and as we have to identify, where slope of tangent is -1, we have solution y=x

and as x^2y^2+xy=2, this is at

x^4+x^2-2=0

or (x^2-1)(x^2+2)=0

or x^2-1=0

i.e. x=+-1 and as y=x

we have slope of tangent as -1 at (1,1) and (-1,-1)
graph{(x^2y^2+xy-2)(x-y)(y+x-2)(y+x+2)=0 [-10, 10, -5, 5]}