Differential - Mathematics

Mathematics

• Differential (mathematics) comprises multiple related meanings of the word, both in calculus and differential geometry, such as an infinitesimal change in the value of a function
• Differential algebra
• Differential calculus
  • Differential of a function, represents a change in the linearization of a function
  • Differential (infinitesimal) (e.g. dx, dy, dt etc.) are interpreted as infinitesimals
  • Differential topology, in multivariable calculus, the differential of a smooth map between Euclidean spaces or differentiable manifolds is the approximating linear map between the tangent spaces, called pushforward (differential)
• Differential geometry, exterior differential, or exterior derivative, is a generalization to differential forms of the notion of differential of a function on a differentiable manifold
• Differential (coboundary), in homological algebra and algebraic topology, one of the maps of a cochain complex
• Differential cryptanalysis, a pair consisting of the difference, usually computed by XOR, between two plaintexts, and the difference of the corresponding ciphertexts