What is the definition of the second derivative?

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Author Question: What is the definition of the second derivative? (Read 1621 times)

TI

Sr. Member
Posts: 434

on: Jun 19, 2013

I know the first derivative means the slope of the tangent. What does the second one mean? Third?

federox

Sr. Member
Posts: 308

Reply #1 on: Jun 19, 2013

The second derivative is the derivative of the derivative: the rate of change of the rate of change.

The third derivative is the derivative of the derivative of the derivative: the rate of change of the rate of change of the rate of change.

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Hawke

Hero Member
Posts: 679

Reply #2 on: Jun 19, 2013

The second derivative gives you concavity; it tells you, at a given point, whether the curve is concave up or concave down.

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