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For a continuously differentiable vector field on all of ${\mathbb{R}}^3$, the necessary and sufficient condition for a conservative vector field is $\nabla \times \mathbf{F}=0$. Necessity follows from equality of mixed partial derivatives of a potential; sufficiency uses the ${\mathbb{R}}^3$ being a simply connected space. On a general domain the topology cannot be omitted.

Here the relevant mixed partial derivatives areThus the curl vanishes. Integrating the first component in $x$ gives $\Phi =x^2\cos y-2x{z}^3+A(y,z)$. Matching the second component gives $A_y=3+2y{e}^z$, hence $A=3y+y^2{e}^z+B(z)$. Matching the last component forces $B^{\prime }=0$. A potential of a conservative vector field with the convention $\mathbf{F}=\nabla \Phi$ is consequentlyIf a physical potential is defined instead through $\mathbf{F}=-\nabla V$, it is $V=-\Phi$.

Fix $(x,y)\in U$ and a sufficiently small rectangle inside $U$. Its rectangular incrementcan be evaluated twice using the fundamental theorem of calculus, givingDivide by $hk$ and let $h,k\to 0$. Continuity of the mixed partial derivatives makes the two limits $D_2{D}_{1}f(x,y)$ and $D_1{D}_{2}f(x,y)$. They are equal everywhere on $U$.

Repeated interchange of adjacent partial derivatives reduces every order-$m$ derivative of a smooth function to $D_1^j{D}_2^{m-j}f$, $0\le j\le m$. Hence there are at most $m+1$ distinct functions. This maximum is attained by $f(x,y)=e^{x+2y}$, whose listed partial derivatives are the distinct functions $2^{m-j}{e}^{x+2y}$. The answer is $m+1$, rather than the $2^m$ possible written orders.

For the supplied $f$, $f(t,t)=1/2$ for $t\ne 0$, whereas $f(0,0)=0$. It is not even continuous at the origin, so $f$ is neither differentiable nor infinitely differentiable there.

For $g$, $|g(x,y)|\le |xy|\le (x^2+y^2)/2$. Thus $g(x,y)=o(\sqrt{x^2+y^2})$, proving Fréchet differentiability at the origin with derivative zero. However,including zero at the origin. Therefore $D_2{D}_{1}g(0,0)=-1$ and $D_1{D}_{2}g(0,0)=1$. $g$ is differentiable but not infinitely differentiable at the origin: it cannot have continuous second partial derivatives near that point.

Use the inverse change of variables $u=(x+y)/2$ and $v=(x-y)/2$. The chain rule gives the differential operatorsThe mixed partial derivatives cancel, assuming the twice continuously differentiable solution appropriate here. Consequently $f_{xy}=(g_{uu}-g_{vv})/4$.

The transformed equation isThe factors of $1/2$ belong to the inverse Jacobian matrix; using the forward transformation instead would give an incorrect factor.