Local Linearity

Local Linearity

In calculus (a branch of mathematics), a differentiable function is a function whose derivative exists at each point in its domain. The graph of a differentiable function must have a non-vertical tangent line at each point in its domain. As a result, the graph of a differentiable function must be relatively smooth, and cannot contain any breaks, bends, cusps, or any points with a vertical tangent.

More generally, if x0 is a point in the domain of a function ƒ, then ƒ is said to be differentiable at x0 if the derivative ƒ′(x0) exists. This means that the graph of ƒ has a non-vertical tangent line at the point (x0, ƒ(x0)). The function ƒ may also be called locally linear at x0, as it can be well approximated by a linear function near this point.

Read more about Local Linearity:  Differentiability and Continuity, Differentiability Classes, Differentiability in Higher Dimensions, Differentiability in Complex Analysis, Differentiable Functions On Manifolds

Famous quotes containing the word local:

    Eclecticism is the degree zero of contemporary general culture: one listens to reggae, watches a western, eats McDonald’s food for lunch and local cuisine for dinner, wears Paris perfume in Tokyo and “retro” clothes in Hong Kong; knowledge is a matter for TV games. It is easy to find a public for eclectic works.
    Jean François Lyotard (b. 1924)