Steepest descent on a graph surface ($v=-\frac{U}{|p|\sqrt{1+|p{|}^2}}(p,|p{|}^2),p=\nabla f$)

On the graph of a function $z=f(x,y)$, assume $f$ is differentiable, its planar gradient $p$ is nonzero, and speed $U>0$ is measured by the three-dimensional Euclidean norm. The upward unit normal vector is $n=(-p,1)/\sqrt{1+|p{|}^2}$. Projecting the downward vertical vector $-e_z$ onto the tangent plane gives $-(p,|p{|}^2)/(1+|p{|}^2)$. By the Cauchy-Schwarz inequality, normalizing this projected vector produces the tangent direction with greatest height decrease at the prescribed speed, giving the displayed velocity. Its vertical component is $-U|p|/\sqrt{1+|p{|}^2}$, and its horizontal direction is parallel to $-\nabla f$. Consequently its planar paths agree with negative gradient flow up to a change of time, although the speeds differ. Where $p=0$, every tangent direction has zero first-order height change and this normalized formula is undefined.