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Slope illustrated for y = (3/2)x − 1.Click on to enlarge Slope of a line in coordinates system, from f(x) = −12x + 2 to f(x) = 12x + 2. The slope of a line in the plane containing the x and y axes is generally represented by the letter m, [5] and is defined as the change in the y coordinate divided by the corresponding change in the x coordinate, between two distinct points on the line.
A linear function is a polynomial function in which the variable x has degree at most one: [2] . Such a function is called linear because its graph, the set of all points in the Cartesian plane, is a line. The coefficient a is called the slope of the function and of the line (see below). If the slope is , this is a constant function defining a ...
Y-intercept. Graph with the -axis as the horizontal axis and the -axis as the vertical axis. The -intercept of is indicated by the red dot at . In analytic geometry, using the common convention that the horizontal axis represents a variable and the vertical axis represents a variable , a -intercept or vertical intercept is a point where the ...
Linearizations of a function are lines —usually lines that can be used for purposes of calculation. Linearization is an effective method for approximating the output of a function at any based on the value and slope of the function at , given that is differentiable on (or ) and that is close to . In short, linearization approximates the ...
Gradient. The gradient, represented by the blue arrows, denotes the direction of greatest change of a scalar function. The values of the function are represented in greyscale and increase in value from white (low) to dark (high). In vector calculus, the gradient of a scalar-valued differentiable function of several variables is the vector field ...
By the inverse function theorem, a continuous function of a single variable (where ) is invertible on its range (image) if and only if it is either strictly increasing or decreasing (with no local maxima or minima). For example, the function. is invertible, since the derivative f′(x) = 3x2 + 1 is always positive.
Motion graphs and derivatives. The green line shows the slope of the velocity-time graph at the particular point where the two lines touch. Its slope is the acceleration at that point. In mechanics, the derivative of the position vs. time graph of an object is equal to the velocity of the object. In the International System of Units, the ...
v. t. e. In mathematics, the derivative is a fundamental tool that quantifies the sensitivity of change of a function 's output with respect to its input. The derivative of a function of a single variable at a chosen input value, when it exists, is the slope of the tangent line to the graph of the function at that point.