The process of differentiation can be applied several times in succession, leading in particular to the second derivative f″ of the function f, which is just the derivative of the derivative f′. The second derivative often has a useful physical interpretation. For example, if f(t) is the position of an object at time t, then f′(t) is its speed at time t and f″(t) is its acceleration at time t. Newton’s laws of motion state that the acceleration of an object is proportional to the total force acting on it; so second derivatives are of central importance in dynamics. The second derivative is also useful for graphing functions, because it can quickly determine whether each critical point, c, corresponds to a local maximum (f″(c) < 0), a local minimum (f″(c) > 0), or a change in concavity (f″(c) = 0). Third derivatives occur in such concepts as curvature; and even fourth derivatives have their uses, notably in elasticity. The nth derivative of f(x) is denoted by f⁽ⁿ⁾(x) or dⁿf/dxⁿ and has important applications in power series.

An infinite series of the form a₀ + a₁x + a₂x² +⋯, where x and the a_j are real numbers, is called a power series. The a_j are the coefficients. The series has a legitimate meaning, provided the series converges. In general, there exists a real number R such that the series converges when −R < x < R but diverges if x < −R or x > R. The range of values −R < x < R is called the interval of convergence. The behaviour of the series at x = R or x = −R is more delicate and depends on the coefficients. If R = 0 the series has little utility, but when R > 0 the sum of the infinite series defines a function f(x). Any function f that can be defined by a convergent power series is said to be real-analytic.

The coefficients of the power series of a real-analytic function can be expressed in terms of derivatives of that function. For values of x inside the interval of convergence, the series can be differentiated term by term; that is, f′(x) = a₁ + 2a₂x + 3a₃x² +⋯, and this series also converges. Repeating this procedure and then setting x = 0 in the resulting expressions shows that a₀ = f(0), a₁ = f′(0), a₂ = f″(0)/2, a₃ = f′′′(0)/6, and, in general, a_j = f^(j)(0)/j!. That is, within the interval of convergence of f,

This expression is the Maclaurin series of f, otherwise known as the Taylor series of f about 0. A slight generalization leads to the Taylor series of f about a general value x: All these series are meaningful only if they converge.

For example, it can be shown that e^x = 1 + x + x²/2! + x³/3! +⋯, sin (x) = x − x³/3! + x⁵/5! − ⋯, cos (x) = 1 − x²/2! + x⁴/4! − ⋯, and these series converge for all x.

The fundamental theorem of calculus

The process of calculating integrals is called integration. Integration is related to differentiation by the fundamental theorem of calculus, which states that (subject to the mild technical condition that the function be continuous) the derivative of the integral is the original function. In symbols, the fundamental theorem is stated as d/dt(Integral on the interval [a, t ] of ∫ atf(u)du) = f(t).

The reasoning behind this theorem (see figure) can be demonstrated in a logical progression, as follows: Let A(t) be the integral of f from a to t. Then the derivative of A(t) is very closely approximated by the quotient (A(t + h) − A(t))/h. This is 1/h times the area under the graph of f between t and t + h. For continuous functions f the value of f(t), for t in the interval, changes only slightly, so it must be very close to f(t). The area is therefore close to hf(t), so the quotient is close to hf(t)/h = f(t). Taking the limit as h tends to zero, the result follows.

Antidifferentiation

Strict mathematical logic aside, the importance of the fundamental theorem of calculus is that it allows one to find areas by antidifferentiation—the reverse process to differentiation. To integrate a given function f, just find a function F whose derivative F′ is equal to f. Then the value of the integral is the difference F(b) − F(a) between the value of F at the two limits. For example, since the derivative of t³ is 3t², take the antiderivative of 3t² to be t³. The area of the region enclosed by the graph of the function y = 3t², the horizontal axis, and the vertical lines t = 1 and t = 2, for example, is given by the integral Integral on the interval [1, 2 ] of ∫ 12 3t²dt. By the fundamental theorem of calculus, this is the difference between the values of t³ when t = 2 and t = 1; that is, 2³ − 1³ = 7.

All the basic techniques of calculus for finding integrals work in this manner. They provide a repertoire of tricks for finding a function whose derivative is a given function. Most of what is taught in schools and colleges under the name calculus consists of rules for calculating the derivatives and integrals of functions of various forms and of particular applications of those techniques, such as finding the length of a curve or the surface area of a solid of revolution.

Table 2 lists the integrals of a small number of elementary functions. In the table, the symbol c denotes an arbitrary constant. (Because the derivative of a constant is zero, the antiderivative of a function is not unique: adding a constant makes no difference. When an integral is evaluated between two specific limits, this constant is subtracted from itself and thus cancels out. In the indefinite integral, another name for the antiderivative, the constant must be included.)

The Riemann integral

The task of analysis is to provide not a computational method but a sound logical foundation for limiting processes. Oddly enough, when it comes to formalizing the integral, the most difficult part is to define the term area. It is easy to define the area of a shape whose edges are straight; for example, the area of a rectangle is just the product of the lengths of two adjoining sides. But the area of a shape with curved edges can be more elusive. The answer, again, is to set up a suitable limiting process that approximates the desired area with simpler regions whose areas can be calculated.

The first successful general method for accomplishing this is usually credited to the German mathematician Bernhard Riemann in 1853, although it has many precursors (both in ancient Greece and in China). Given some function f(t), consider the area of the region enclosed by the graph of f, the horizontal axis, and the vertical lines t = a and t = b. Riemann’s approach is to slice this region into thin vertical strips (see part A of the figure) and to approximate its area by sums of areas of rectangles, both from the inside (part B of the figure) and from the outside (part C of the figure). If both of these sums converge to the same limiting value as the thickness of the slices tends to zero, then their common value is defined to be the Riemann integral of f between the limits a and b. If this limit exists for all a, b, then f is said to be (Riemann) integrable. Every continuous function is integrable.