Differentials - Oregon State University The intuitive idea behind differentials is to consider the small quantities “ d y ” and “ d x ” separately, with the derivative d y d x denoting their relative rate of change
Differentials - MIT OpenCourseWare This arises from the Leibniz interpretation of a derivative as a ratio of “in finitesimal” quantities; differentials are sort of like infinitely small quantities Working with differentials is much more effective than using the notation coined by Newton; good notation can help you think much faster
Differential of a function - Wikipedia The differentials represent finite non-zero values that are smaller than the degree of accuracy required for the particular purpose for which they are intended