Understanding Differentiation
Differentiation is one of the core concepts in calculus. It deals with the understanding of how functions change, and is a fundamental tool for solving problems in science and engineering.
In essence, differentiation allows you to find the rate at which a quantity changes with respect to another. Mathematically, this is represented as the derivative of a function.
Some key concepts to know in differentiation include:
- The Derivative:
f'(x)or\( \frac{dy}{dx} \) - Differentiation Rules: Product, Quotient, and Chain Rule
- Critical Points and Their Role in Graphing