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Mathematical Analysis

Differential Calculus

Are there higher derivatives of a function?

Yes, there are higher derivatives of a function, often referred to as higher order derivatives. The “initial” derivative is often written as f' (x), but the “ ' ” is assumed in most cases. The next derivative is the second derivative (second order derivative), most often written as f'' (x); the next is the third derivative, or third order derivative, most often written as f''' (x); fourth derivative, or fourth order derivative, most often written as f(4)(x); and so on. The notation for the higher derivatives, or the nth derivative, is as follows:

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This equation is also seen written as Dn (y) = dny/dxn.



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