Math 519–the Implicit Function Theorem

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The Implicit Function Theorem, Bifurcations

The Implicit Function Theorem.  Let $f(x, y)$ be a function defined on some plane domain with continuous partial derivatives in that domain, and suppose that a point $(x_0, y_0)$ in the zero set of $f$ is given.

The Implicit Function Theorem. The zero set of a function $f(x, y)$ does not have to be the graph of a function, but if at some point ($A$) on the zero set we have $f_y\neq0$, then, near that point $A$, the zero set is the graph of a function $y=\varphi(x)$. If $f_x\neq0$ at some point ($B$), then near $B$ the zero set is also the graph of a function, provided we let $x$ be a function of $y$ : $x=\psi(y)$.

About the proof of the Implicit Function Theorem.

Implicit differentiation

If $ f_y (x_0, y_0) \neq 0$ then the IFT implies that there is a small rectangle centered at $(x_0, y_0)$ such that within this rectangle the zero set of $f$ is the graph of a differentiable function $y=\varphi(x)$. The method implicit differentiation from calculus allows one to compute thederivative of this function. The result is \begin{equation}\label{eq:IFTdydx} \varphi'(x) = \frac{dy}{dx} = -\frac{f_x(x, \varphi(x))}{f_y(x,\varphi(x))}, \end{equation} but the following derivation is more important. If the zeroset of $f(x,y)$ near $(x_0,y_0)$ is the graph of a function $y=\varphi(x)$, then we have \[ f(x, \varphi(x)) = 0 \text{ for all } x\in(x_0- \delta, x_0+\delta). \] Differentiating both sides of this equation leads us via the chain rule, \[ \frac{d f(x, \varphi(x))}{dx} = f_x (x, \varphi(x)) \,\frac{dx}{dx} + f_y (x,\varphi(x)) \, \frac{d\varphi(x)}{dx}, \] to \begin{equation} 0 = \frac{d f(x, \varphi(x))}{dx} =f_x(x, \varphi(x)) + f_y(x, \varphi(x)) \varphi'(x). \label{eq:IFTdydx-derivation} \end{equation} Solving this for $\varphi'(x)$, we get \[ \varphi'(x) = \frac{dy}{dx} = -\frac{f_x(x, \varphi(x))}{f_y(x, \varphi(x))}, \] which is what the theorem claims.