Written by the Fiveable Content Team • Last updated September 2025
Verified for the 2026 exam
Verified for the 2026 exam•Written by the Fiveable Content Team • Last updated September 2025
Definition
"With respect to" signifies which variable we are considering when taking derivatives or integrals. It indicates which variable we are focusing on when analyzing how one quantity changes in relation to another.
Related terms
Partial Derivative: A partial derivative measures how one variable changes with respect to another while keeping all other variables constant.
Total Derivative: The total derivative of a multivariable function measures how the entire function changes with respect to changes in all its variables.
The chain rule is used when finding derivatives of composite functions. It helps us analyze how changes in one variable affect the overall rate of change of the composite function.