F:A→R, A⊂R2, is homogeneous of degree p on A if there is a constant p such that
F(λx,λy)=λpF(x,y)
for all λ∈R and suitably restricted λ,x,y with (λx,λy)∈A.
The same definition extends to three variables: G:B→R, B⊂R3, is homogeneous of degree p if G(λx,λy,λz)=λpG(x,y,z).
("Suitably restricted" simply means λ,x,y,z are kept away from values that would divide by zero.)
Tip
The fastest test in practice: a function built purely as a ratio/sum of terms each of the same total degree (every monomial in x,y,z carrying the same power count, arguments of sin,cos,log,e(⋅) etc. being themselves degree-0 ratios) is homogeneous, with degree = (degree of numerator) − (degree of denominator), or the common degree of every term in a sum. A function that mixes terms of genuinely different degrees — including a bare additive constant, which is "degree 0" — is NOT homogeneous, since λp cannot simultaneously rescale two differently-scaling pieces correctly for every λ.
For instance F(x,y)=x3−2y3+5xy2 is homogeneous of degree 3 (every term has total degree 3), while G(x,y)=ex2+3y2 is not homogeneous, because G(λx,λy)=e(λx)2+3(λy)2=λpG(x,y) for any single p (the exponential term does not scale as a power of λ at all).
Theorem (Euler, on Homogeneous Functions). If F:A→R has continuous partial derivatives and is homogeneous of degree p on A⊂R2, then
x∂x∂F(x,y)+y∂y∂F(x,y)=pF(x,y)∀(x,y)∈A.
The three-variable version is exactly analogous: if F:B→R (B⊂R3) is homogeneous of degree p with continuous partials,
x∂x∂F+y∂y∂F+z∂z∂F=pF(x,y,z)∀(x,y,z)∈B.
(The proof is omitted in this course, but the theorem holds for a homogeneous function of any number of variables, and is a fast route to a first-order-partial-derivative identity without differentiating at all.)
Tip
When the given function is not homogeneous but is built as (some function) applied to a homogeneous "core" — e.g. u=sin−1(x+yx+y) or v=log(x+yx2+y2) — the working trick is: isolate the homogeneous piece f (here f=sinu=x+yx+y, degree 21; or f=ev=x+yx2+y2, degree 1), apply Euler's Theorem to that piece (xfx+yfy=pf), then differentiate the outer function (sinu or ev) with the chain rule and simplify (dividing by cosu, or by ev) to land on the required identity in u or v directly. This is far shorter than a brute-force computation of every partial derivative of the original (non-homogeneous) function.
Check whether every term shares one common total degree.
(i) degree-3 terms PLUS a bare constant 7 (degree 0) — mixed degrees.
(ii) numerator all degree 5, denominator degree 2 — clean ratio.
(iv) xy is degree 2, but sin(xyy2−2z2) is degree 0 — mixed degrees.
✓Final answer
(i) NOT homogeneous (constant term breaks it) (ii) homogeneous, degree 3 (iii) homogeneous, degree 0 (iv) NOT homogeneous (degree-2 term mixed with a degree-0 term)
For each function, test F(λx,λy) (or F(λx,λy,λz)) against λpF(x,y): either every term scales consistently as one common power of λ (homogeneous, with that degree), or two pieces scale differently (not homogeneous).
For this to equal λpf(x,y)=λp(x2y+6x3+7) for EVERY λ, the constant 7 (degree 0) would need to scale as λp too — impossible unless p=0, but then the degree-3 part λ3(x2y+6x3) would need to equal x2y+6x3 for all λ, which fails. So f is NOT homogeneous (mixing a degree-3 part with a degree-0 constant).
Part (ii): h(x,y)=2020x2+2019y26x2y3−πy5+9x4y.
Every term of the numerator (x2y3,y5,x4y) has total degree 5; every term of the denominator (x2,y2) has degree 2.
Under the square root, 3x2+5y2+z2 is homogeneous of degree 2 (every term degree 2), so 3(λx)2+5(λy)2+(λz)2=λ2(3x2+5y2+z2)=λ3x2+5y2+z2 (for λ≥0) — degree 1. The denominator 4x+7y is degree 1.
The argument xyy2−2z2 is a ratio of a degree-2 numerator over a degree-2 denominator, hence degree 0 — unchanged under (x,y,z)→(λx,λy,λz); so sin(⋅) of it is ALSO unchanged (degree 0). But xy scales as λ2xy (degree 2). So
U(λx,λy,λz)=λ2xy+sin(xyy2−2z2),
which mixes a λ2-scaling piece with a λ0-scaling piece — this cannot equal λpU(x,y,z) for any single p. So U is NOT homogeneous.
✓Final answer
(i) NOT homogeneous (mixed degree-3 and degree-0 terms) (ii) homogeneous, degree 3 (iii) homogeneous, degree 0 (iv) NOT homogeneous (mixed degree-2 and degree-0 pieces)
Test F(λx,λy,(λz))=λpF(x,y,(z)) term-by-term; a mix of degrees breaks homogeneity
Assuming ANY ratio of polynomials is automatically homogeneous without checking every term shares the same degree
Treating an additive constant (degree 0) as if it "doesn't count" instead of recognising it breaks homogeneity when mixed with higher-degree terms