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JEE Main 2026 Preparation: Question Papers, Solutions, Mock Tests & Strategy Unacademy » JEE Study Material » Mathematics » What are derivatives in Maths

What are derivatives in Maths

In mathematics, the derivative is defined as the rate of change of a function with respect to a variable. Calculus and differential equations problems are solved through the use of derivatives, which are fundamental concepts in mathematics.

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It is possible to calculate the derivative of a function of a real variable in mathematics by measuring the sensitivity of the function value (output value) to changes in its argument (input value). Calculus’s derivatives are a fundamental tool for problem solving. A good example is the derivative of the position of a moving object with respect to time, which is also known as the object’s velocity: it measures how quickly the position of the object changes as time progresses. 

The concept of derivatives can be extended to include functions of several real variables. After a suitable translation, the derivative is reinterpreted as a linear transformation, whose graph corresponds to the best linear approximation to the graph of the original function (after a suitable translation). Jacobian matrix: The Jacobian matrix is the matrix that represents this linear transformation with respect to the basis that is determined by the selection of independent and dependent variables. In terms of partial derivatives with respect to the independent variables, it is possible to calculate it mathematically. The Jacobian matrix can be reduced to the gradient vector when dealing with a real-valued function with several variables.

Continuity and Differentiability:

The fact that f is differentiable at point an implies that f must also be continuous at that point. Choose a point a and the step function f to be the step function that yields the value 1 for all x less than a and a different value 10 for all x greater than or equal to a, as an example. There is no way for f to have a derivative at a. The secant line from a to a + h is extremely steep if h is negative, and as h approaches zero, the slope approaches infinity. If h is positive, then a + h is on the low part of the step, and the secant line from a to a + h is very steep as h approaches zero. For positive integers, the step is on the high part of the step, and the secant line from a to a + h has slope zero, as shown in the figure. Therefore, the secant lines do not approach any single slope, and as a result, the difference quotient does not reach its maximum value. 

However, even if a function is continuous at a particular point, it may not be differentiable at that point. When x = 0, for example, the absolute value function denoted by f(x) = |x| is continuous, but it is not differentiable because it is not continuous. If h is positive, then the slope of the secant line from 0 to h is one, whereas if h is negative, then the slope of the secant line from 0 to h is one-hundredth of a percent. This can be visualised graphically as a “kink” or a “cusp” in the graph at the point where x equals zero. There is no way to differentiate between two functions when their tangent is vertical. This is true even for functions with smooth graphs. For example, the function denoted by f(x) = x1/3 is not differentiable at the value of x equal to 0.

Derivative types:

First order derivative: 

The direction of the function is indicated by the first order derivatives, which indicate whether the function is increasing or decreasing. The first derivative math, also known as the first-order derivative, can be thought of as a rate of change that occurs instantly. The slope of the tangent line can also be used to predict the result.

Second order derivative:

Using second-order derivatives, we can get an idea of the shape of the graph corresponding to the given function and its derivatives. Concavity is a property of functions that can be used to classify them. The concavity of the given graph function can be divided into two categories, which are as follows:

  • Concave upwards. 

  • concave downwards. 

Example of derivatives:

The derivative of the function f(x) = 5x2 – 2x + 6 is found to be? 

 

Solution:

 

Given,

 

f(x) = 5x2 – 2x + 6 is the function of x.

 

Now, we’ll look at the derivative of f (x),

 

In this case, 5x2 – 2x + 6 equals d/dx.

 

Let us break down the terms of the function into the following categories:

 

d/dx f(x) = d/dx (5x2) – d/dx (2x) + d/dx (6)

 

Using the following formulas:

 

d/dx (kx) = k and d/dx (xn) = nxn-1 are the values of d/dx (kx).

 

The ratio of two to one is d/dx f(x) = 5(2x) – 2(1) + 0 = 10x – 2.

Conclusion:

In mathematics, the derivative is defined as the rate of change of a function with respect to a variable. It is possible to calculate the derivative of a function of a real variable in mathematics by measuring the sensitivity of the function value (output value) to changes in its argument (input value). The concept of derivatives can be extended to include functions of several real variables. After a suitable translation, the derivative is reinterpreted as a linear transformation, whose graph corresponds to the best linear approximation. 

The Jacobian matrix is the matrix that represents this linear transformation with respect to the basis that is determined by the selection of independent and dependent variables. The direction of the function is indicated by the first order derivatives, which indicate whether the function is increasing or decreasing. Using second-order derivatives, we can get an idea of the shape of the graph corresponding to the given function and its derivatives. Concavity is a property of functions that can be used to classify them. 

 
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What exactly is a derivative in mathematics?

Ans :  When it comes to mathematics, the term “derivat...Read full

What is the formula for the derivative?

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What is the symbol for the derivative?

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Ans :  When it comes to mathematics, the term “derivative” refers to the method that shows the simultaneous rate of change. That is, it is used to represent the amount by which a given function is changing at a specific point on the graph.

Ans : As an example, the derivative of the function y = f(x) can be represented by the equation dy/Dx = d/dX f(x), where the term “dy/dx” denotes the derivative of the function with respect to its origin, and “d/dx” denotes the derivative of the function with respect to its origin.

Ans : The derivative of a function f(x) is denoted by the symbol d/dx f(x) or f’, depending on the context (x). Assuming that the function is denoted by y, then the derivatives of first and second order are denoted by the letters y’ and y” for the first and second order derivatives, respectively.

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