A Brief Look at Derivatives

The concept of a derivative is a mystery to many students. Oftentimes, students memorize a sequence of steps, in order to find a derivative, but never fully understand the meaning. On the same note, students often do not understand why there is more than one way to find a derivative. The varying notations of derivatives pose great confusion for many students. This article serves as a very brief introduction to the topic of derivatives. The information provided here may be used to segue into a more in-depth study of the teaching of derivatives.