verb
differentiate
to calculate the derivative of a function
Differentiate the function with respect to time.
Etymology
Latin differentia means difference. Mathematical differentiation uses the limiting behavior of differences to obtain a function’s derivative, connecting the operation with rates of change.
More examples
- She differentiated the polynomial to find its rate of change.
- The exercise asks students to differentiate both sides of the equation.
- He checked the result by differentiating the original expression.
Forms
differentiate · differentiates · differentiated · differentiating
Similar words
- derive
- Derive finds a result from earlier facts generally; differentiate specifically calculates a derivative.