Computing A Multivariable Limit: $\lim_{(x,y) \to (0,0)}\frac{2x^2y}{x^4 + y^2}.$

Please help me in computing the following limit. $$\lim_{(x,y) \to (0,0)}\frac{2x^2y}{x^4 + y^2}.$$ This will be my first attempt in computing a limit involving 2 variables. Is this a part of multivariable calculus as it contains more than one variable? How can I interpret this geometrically?

Thank You


Put $f(x,y):=\frac{2x^2y}{x^4 + y^2}$. Fix a real number $m$. Then for $x\neq 0$ $$f(x,mx^2)=\frac{2x^2mx^2}{x^4+m^2x^4}=\frac{2m}{1+m^2},$$ so if there was a limit, it would be $\frac{2m}{1+m^2}$. These one depends on $m$, which is absurd since the limit would be unique.


The reason we teach this particular problem is to show that directional limits along straight lines are not enough. Along a straight line $y=mx,$ with $m \neq 0,$ we have $$ f(x,mx) = \frac{2 x^2 y}{x^4 + y^2} = \frac{2 m x^3 }{x^4 + m^2 x^2} = \frac{2 m x }{x^2 + m^2} $$ from which $$ |f(x,mx) | = \left| \frac{2 m }{x^2 + m^2} \right| \cdot |x| \leq \left| \frac{2 m }{ m^2} \right| \cdot |x| = \left| \frac{2 }{ m} \right| \cdot |x|. $$ Also, if we take either a vertical line $x=0$ or a horizontal line $y=0$ we get 0.

So, approaching the origin along any straight line gives an evident limit of 0. In one variable, that would be enough, but in at least two variables, that is not sufficient to show that there is a limit, just approach the origin along a parabola $y = m x^2$ instead, as in Davide's answer.