derivative?

Answer 1

a derivative is the rate of change of a quantity. A derivative is an instantaneous rate of change: calculated at a specific instant rather than as an average over time.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Derivative
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Answer 2

In mathematics, a derivative is the rate of change of a quantity. A derivative is an instantaneous rate of change: calculated at a specific instant rather than as an average over time. The process of finding a derivative is called differentiation. The reverse process is integration. The two processes are the central concepts of calculus and are related via the fundamental theorem of calculus.

Moreover, for a real-valued function of a single real variable, the derivative at a point equals the slope of the tangent to the graph of the function at that point. Derivatives can be used to characterize many properties of a function, including

whether and at what rate the function is increasing or decreasing through a value of the function
whether and where the function has maximum or minimum values.
The concept of a derivative can be extended to functions of more than one variable (see multivariable calculus), to functions of complex variables (see complex analysis) and to many other cases.

Differentiation has many applications throughout all numerate disciplines. For example, in physics, the derivative of the position of a moving body is its velocity and the second derivative of the body's position is its acceleration. In turn, the 'velocity' of the body in a given direction is its 'speed' in that direction, another derivative. Speed on position-time axes is the (instantaneous rate of) unit change in position of the body per unit change in time.


In finance, a derivative is a financial instrument derived from some other asset; rather than trade or exchange the asset itself, market participants enter into an agreement to exchange cash, assets or some other value at some future date based on the underlying asset. A simple example is a futures contract: an agreement to exchange the underlying asset (or equivalent cash flows) at a future date. The exact terms of the derivative (the payments between the counterparties) depend on, but may or may not exactly correspond to, the behaviour or performance of the underlying asset.

Answer 3

In most fields, a product made from simpler substances.

In Maths, if y is a function of x and dy is the increment in y resulting from dx a small increment in x, then the derivative is the ratio dy/dx as dx approaches zero.

In Finance, a security that derives its value from that of an underlying asset or value.

Answer 4

Are you looking for the dictionary definition of a derivative, or examples?

Answer 5

a very brief question....derivative means a form of something

Answer 6

It means something taken from something else, example, 'hydrogen is a derivitive of H2O'. You could felsh out your question a bit though, sometimes words change their meaning when used in different contexts.

Answer 7

It would be more informative and polite if you phrased a question properly.

Answer 8

something thats received or obtained from a source or origin

Answer 9

It is here
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Derivative
http://www.investopedia.com/terms/d/derivative.asp
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Derivative_(finance)