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2016 | OriginalPaper | Chapter
Differentiation of functions
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We can now begin the rigorous treatment of calculus in earnest, starting with the notion of a derivative. We can now define derivatives analytically, using limits, in contrast to the geometric definition of derivatives, which uses tangents. The advantage of working analytically is that (a) we do not need to know the axioms of geometry, and (b) these definitions can be modified to handle functions of several variables, or functions whose values are vectors instead of scalar. Furthermore, one’s geometric intuition becomes difficult to rely on once one has more than three dimensions in play. (Conversely, one can use one’s experience in analytic rigour to extend one’s geometric intuition to such abstract settings; as mentioned earlier, the two viewpoints complement rather than oppose each other.)