chain rule

American  

noun

Mathematics.

1. the theorem that defines the method for taking the derivative of a composite function.

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chain rule British  

noun

1. maths a theorem that may be used in the differentiation of the function of a function. It states that d u /d x = (d u /d y )(d y /d x ), where y is a function of x and u a function of y

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Etymology

Origin of chain rule

First recorded in 1860–65

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

chain rule

The chain rule for functions of more than one variable involves the partial derivatives with respect to all the independent variables.

From Textbooks ● Mar. 30, 2016

This notation for the chain rule is used heavily in physics applications.

From Textbooks ● Mar. 30, 2016

In this section, we study extensions of the chain rule and learn how to take derivatives of compositions of functions of more than one variable.

From Textbooks ● Mar. 30, 2016

There is an important difference between these two chain rule theorems.

From Textbooks ● Mar. 30, 2016

Instead, we use the chain rule, which states that the derivative of a composite function is the derivative of the outer function evaluated at the inner function times the derivative of the inner function.

From Textbooks ● Mar. 30, 2016