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Derivative (mathematics)
instantaneous rate of change (mathematics) / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
For other meanings of the term, see Derivative.
In mathematics (particularly in differential calculus), the derivative is a way to show instantaneous rate of change: that is, the amount by which a function is changing at one given point. For functions that act on the real numbers, it is the slope of the tangent line at a point on a graph. The derivative is often written as ("dy over dx" or "dy upon dx", meaning the difference in y divided by the difference in x). The d is not a variable, and therefore cannot be cancelled out. Another common notation is
—the derivative of function
at point
, usually read as "
prime of
".[1][2][3]
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