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In mathematics, the derivative is a fundamental tool that quantifies the sensitivity to change of a function's output with respect to its input. The derivative of a function of a single variable at a chosen input value, when it exists, is the slope of the tangent line to the graph of the function at that point.
The original notation employed by Gottfried Leibniz is used throughout mathematics. It is particularly common when the equation y = f(x) is regarded as a functional relationship between dependent and independent variables y and x. Leibniz's notation makes this relationship explicit by writing the derivative as: [1].
Lagrange's notation for the derivative: If f is a function of a single variable, ′, read as "f prime", is the derivative of f with respect to this variable. The second derivative is the derivative of ′, and is denoted ″. ˙
This is called the second derivative test. An alternative approach, called the first derivative test, involves considering the sign of the f' on each side of the critical point. Taking derivatives and solving for critical points is therefore often a simple way to find local minima or maxima, which can be useful in optimization.
The higher-order derivatives are less common than the first three; [1] [2] thus their names are not as standardized, though the concept of a minimum snap trajectory has been used in robotics. [ 3 ] The fourth derivative is referred to as snap , leading the fifth and sixth derivatives to be "sometimes somewhat facetiously" [ 4 ] called crackle ...
In mathematics, differential refers to several related notions [1] derived from the early days of calculus, put on a rigorous footing, such as infinitesimal differences and the derivatives of functions. [2] The term is used in various branches of mathematics such as calculus, differential geometry, algebraic geometry and algebraic topology.
The word derivative sounds fancy and perhaps a little intimidating. But the key thing to know about derivatives is that they are a financial contract whose value is derived from the value of ...
The derivative f′(x) of a curve at a point is the slope (rise over run) of the line tangent to that curve at that point. Differential calculus is the study of the definition, properties, and applications of the derivative of a function. The process of finding the derivative is called differentiation. Given a function and a point in the domain ...