differential calculus

American  

noun

1. the branch of mathematics that deals with differentials and derivatives.

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differential calculus British  

noun

1. the branch of calculus concerned with the study, evaluation, and use of derivatives and differentials Compare integral calculus

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differential calculus Scientific  

1. The mathematics of the variation of a function with respect to changes in independent variables, especially the use of differentiation to calculate rates of change of a function and the maximum and minimum values of a function. Differential calculus has applications such as calculating compound interest, organic growth, and slopes of curves, and studying the acceleration of moving bodies.

2. Compare calculus of variations integral calculus

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Etymology

Origin of differential calculus

First recorded in 1700–05

Example Sentences

“Megyn Kelly knows as much about the Vatican as I know about differential calculus, which is nothing,” he said.

From Washington Times • Jun. 20, 2022

Imagine acing differential calculus and then failing geometry.

From Los Angeles Times • Oct. 19, 2017

We’re not talking about how well-read these people are, about their skills at differential calculus, or whether they can say snarky things at cocktail parties about the shoddy curation of the Tribeca Film Festival.

From New York Times • Nov. 1, 2016

He showed an aptitude for mathematics and in high school won a statewide science contest with his paper on finite differential calculus.

From Washington Post • May 14, 2016

Two years later he invented the differential calculus.

From "Cosmos" by Carl Sagan