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mathematics Mathematics is an area of knowledge that includes the topics of numbers, formulas and related structures, shapes and the spaces in which they are contained, and quantities and their changes. These topics are represented in modern mathematics ...
, a differentiable function of one real variable is a function whose
derivative In mathematics, the derivative of a function of a real variable measures the sensitivity to change of the function value (output value) with respect to a change in its argument (input value). Derivatives are a fundamental tool of calculus. ...
exists at each point in its
domain Domain may refer to: Mathematics *Domain of a function, the set of input values for which the (total) function is defined ** Domain of definition of a partial function ** Natural domain of a partial function **Domain of holomorphy of a function * ...
. In other words, the graph of a differentiable function has a non- vertical tangent line at each interior point in its domain. A differentiable function is smooth (the function is locally well approximated as a linear function at each interior point) and does not contain any break, angle, or cusp. If is an interior point in the domain of a function , then is said to be ''differentiable at'' if the derivative f'(x_0) exists. In other words, the graph of has a non-vertical tangent line at the point . is said to be differentiable on if it is differentiable at every point of . is said to be ''continuously differentiable'' if its derivative is also a continuous function over the domain of the function f. Generally speaking, is said to be of class if its first k derivatives f^(x), f^(x), \ldots, f^(x) exist and are continuous over the domain of the function f.


Differentiability of real functions of one variable

A function f:U\to\mathbb, defined on an open set U\subset\mathbb, is said to be ''differentiable'' at a\in U if the derivative :f'(a)=\lim_\frac exists. This implies that the function is
continuous Continuity or continuous may refer to: Mathematics * Continuity (mathematics), the opposing concept to discreteness; common examples include ** Continuous probability distribution or random variable in probability and statistics ** Continuous g ...
at . This function is said to be ''differentiable'' on if it is differentiable at every point of . In this case, the derivative of is thus a function from into \mathbb R. A continuous function is not necessarily differentiable, but a differentiable function is necessarily
continuous Continuity or continuous may refer to: Mathematics * Continuity (mathematics), the opposing concept to discreteness; common examples include ** Continuous probability distribution or random variable in probability and statistics ** Continuous g ...
(at every point where it is differentiable) as being shown below (in the section Differentiability and continuity). A function is said to be ''continuously differentiable'' if its derivative is also a continuous function; there exists a function that is differentiable but not continuously differentiable as being shown below (in the section
Differentiability classes In mathematical analysis, the smoothness of a function is a property measured by the number of continuous derivatives it has over some domain, called ''differentiability class''. At the very minimum, a function could be considered smooth if ...
).


Differentiability and continuity

If is differentiable at a point , then must also be
continuous Continuity or continuous may refer to: Mathematics * Continuity (mathematics), the opposing concept to discreteness; common examples include ** Continuous probability distribution or random variable in probability and statistics ** Continuous g ...
at . In particular, any differentiable function must be continuous at every point in its domain. ''The converse does not hold'': a continuous function need not be differentiable. For example, a function with a bend, cusp, or vertical tangent may be continuous, but fails to be differentiable at the location of the anomaly. Most functions that occur in practice have derivatives at all points or at
almost every In measure theory (a branch of mathematical analysis), a property holds almost everywhere if, in a technical sense, the set for which the property holds takes up nearly all possibilities. The notion of "almost everywhere" is a companion notion to ...
point. However, a result of Stefan Banach states that the set of functions that have a derivative at some point is a meagre set in the space of all continuous functions.. Cited by Informally, this means that differentiable functions are very atypical among continuous functions. The first known example of a function that is continuous everywhere but differentiable nowhere is the Weierstrass function.


Differentiability classes

A function f is said to be if the derivative f^(x) exists and is itself a continuous function. Although the derivative of a differentiable function never has a jump discontinuity, it is possible for the derivative to have an essential discontinuity. For example, the function f(x) \;=\; \begin x^2 \sin(1/x) & \textx \neq 0 \\ 0 & \text x = 0\end is differentiable at 0, since f'(0) = \lim_ \left(\frac\right) = 0 exists. However, for x \neq 0, differentiation rules imply f'(x) = 2x\sin(1/x) - \cos(1/x)\;, which has no limit as x \to 0. Thus, this example shows the existence of a function that is differentiable but not continuously differentiable (i.e., the derivative is not a continuous function). Nevertheless, Darboux's theorem implies that the derivative of any function satisfies the conclusion of the intermediate value theorem. Similarly to how continuous functions are said to be of continuously differentiable functions are sometimes said to be of A function is of if the first and second derivative of the function both exist and are continuous. More generally, a function is said to be of if the first k derivatives f^(x), f^(x), \ldots, f^(x) all exist and are continuous. If derivatives f^ exist for all positive integers n, the function is smooth or equivalently, of


Differentiability in higher dimensions

A function of several real variables is said to be differentiable at a point if there exists a linear map such that :\lim_ \frac = 0. If a function is differentiable at , then all of the partial derivatives exist at , and the linear map is given by the Jacobian matrix, an ''n'' × ''m'' matrix in this case. A similar formulation of the higher-dimensional derivative is provided by the fundamental increment lemma found in single-variable calculus. If all the partial derivatives of a function exist in a neighborhood of a point and are continuous at the point , then the function is differentiable at that point . However, the existence of the partial derivatives (or even of all the directional derivatives) does not guarantee that a function is differentiable at a point. For example, the function defined by :f(x,y) = \beginx & \texty \ne x^2 \\ 0 & \texty = x^2\end is not differentiable at , but all of the partial derivatives and directional derivatives exist at this point. For a continuous example, the function :f(x,y) = \beginy^3/(x^2+y^2) & \text(x,y) \ne (0,0) \\ 0 & \text(x,y) = (0,0)\end is not differentiable at , but again all of the partial derivatives and directional derivatives exist.


Differentiability in complex analysis

In complex analysis, complex-differentiability is defined using the same definition as single-variable real functions. This is allowed by the possibility of dividing complex numbers. So, a function f:\mathbb\to\mathbb is said to be differentiable at x=a when :f'(a)=\lim_\frac. Although this definition looks similar to the differentiability of single-variable real functions, it is however a more restrictive condition. A function f:\mathbb\to\mathbb, that is complex-differentiable at a point x=a is automatically differentiable at that point, when viewed as a function f:\mathbb^2\to\mathbb^2. This is because the complex-differentiability implies that :\lim_\frac=0. However, a function f:\mathbb\to\mathbb can be differentiable as a multi-variable function, while not being complex-differentiable. For example, f(z)=\frac is differentiable at every point, viewed as the 2-variable real function f(x,y)=x, but it is not complex-differentiable at any point. Any function that is complex-differentiable in a neighborhood of a point is called holomorphic at that point. Such a function is necessarily infinitely differentiable, and in fact
analytic Generally speaking, analytic (from el, ἀναλυτικός, ''analytikos'') refers to the "having the ability to analyze" or "division into elements or principles". Analytic or analytical can also have the following meanings: Chemistry * ...
.


Differentiable functions on manifolds

If ''M'' is a differentiable manifold, a real or complex-valued function ''f'' on ''M'' is said to be differentiable at a point ''p'' if it is differentiable with respect to some (or any) coordinate chart defined around ''p''. If ''M'' and ''N'' are differentiable manifolds, a function ''f'': ''M'' → ''N'' is said to be differentiable at a point ''p'' if it is differentiable with respect to some (or any) coordinate charts defined around ''p'' and ''f''(''p'').


See also

* Generalizations of the derivative * Semi-differentiability * Differentiable programming


References

{{Differentiable computing Differential calculus Multivariable calculus Smooth functions