Symbols · Operators and calculus
d/dx Derivative (Leibniz notation)
Say it: “d by d x”, “the derivative with respect to x of”, “d y d x”
What it means
dy/dx is the derivative of y with respect to x: how fast y changes as x changes. It looks like a fraction and, in the chain rule and in separating variables, often behaves like one.
Read aloud in real formulas
d/dx x² = 2x
Aethel says
the derivative with respect to x of x squared equals 2x
the derivative of x squared
v = dx/dt
Aethel says
v equals the derivative of x with respect to t
velocity is the rate of change of position
Typing it
- LaTeX
- \frac{dy}{dx}
- Unicode
- —
Formulas that use it
Questions
How do you say d/dx out loud?
It is usually read “d by d x”, and also “the derivative with respect to x of” or “d y d x”.
What does d/dx mean in maths?
dy/dx is the derivative of y with respect to x: how fast y changes as x changes. It looks like a fraction and, in the chain rule and in separating variables, often behaves like one.
How do you type d/dx?
In LaTeX, write \frac{dy}{dx}.