Definition of differentiation
Differentiation is the process of finding the derivative (or gradient function) of a function.
Differentiating a function gives us a new function - the derivative function - which tells us the gradient of the original function at any point.
We can substitute different values of (x) into the derivative function to find the gradient of the original function at those points.
Key terms
Section titled “Key terms”| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| Differentiation | The process of finding the derivative of a function. |
| Derivative | The result of differentiation. A function that gives the gradient of the original function at any point. |
| Gradient function | Another name for the derivative. It describes how steep the original function is at different points. |
| Tangent | A straight line that touches a curve at a single point. It represents the gradient of the curve at that point. |