second derivative

mathematics

Learn about this topic in these articles:

calculus

  • The transformation of a circular region into an approximately rectangular regionThis suggests that the same constant (π) appears in the formula for the circumference, 2πr, and in the formula for the area, πr2. As the number of pieces increases (from left to right), the “rectangle” converges on a πr by r rectangle with area πr2—the same area as that of the circle. This method of approximating a (complex) region by dividing it into simpler regions dates from antiquity and reappears in the calculus.
    In analysis: Higher-order derivatives

    …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…

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