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derivative
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slope of a line
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- Related Topics:
- calculus
- differentiation
- partial derivative
- quotient rule
- second derivative
derivative, in mathematics, the rate of change of a function with respect to a variable. Derivatives are fundamental to the solution of problems in calculus and differential equations. In general, scientists observe changing systems (dynamical systems) to obtain the rate of change of some variable of interest, incorporate this information into some differential equation, and use integration techniques to obtain a function that can be used to predict the behaviour of the original system under diverse conditions. Geometrically, the derivative of a function can be interpreted as the slope of the graph of the function or, more precisely, as the ...(100 of 546 words)