On 12/14/2012 10:40 PM, Peter C. Wallace wrote: > On Fri, 14 Dec 2012, Kent A. Reed wrote: > >> On 12/14/2012 9:57 PM, Gene Heskett wrote: >>> Greetings; >>> >>> I never got far enough in math to know what a 'derivative' is. Does anyone >>> have a URL where I could learn a bit about this function? >>> >>> Thanks. >>> >>> Cheers, Gene >> Actually, the wikipedia article isn't bad: >> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Derivative >> >> If it gets too mathematical too quickly, just remember the geometric >> interpretation: for a smooth continuous curve represented by a function >> f(x), the slope of the curve at a point x=p is the derivative of the >> function df/dx evaluated at x=p (ignoring all the messy bits that >> require the mathematics to explain). >> >> Regards, >> Kent > > And d/dt specifically: > > http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Time_derivative > > > Peter Wallace >
Thanks, Peter, and sorry, Gene. By the time I checked wikipedia I'd forgotten you asked about ddt specifically. For time derivatives, the first derivative (slope) of a function is commonly called velocity (aka time rate of change) and the second derivative is acceleration. Regards, Kent ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ LogMeIn Rescue: Anywhere, Anytime Remote support for IT. Free Trial Remotely access PCs and mobile devices and provide instant support Improve your efficiency, and focus on delivering more value-add services Discover what IT Professionals Know. Rescue delivers http://p.sf.net/sfu/logmein_12329d2d _______________________________________________ Emc-users mailing list Emc-users@lists.sourceforge.net https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/emc-users
