Definition:Slope/Curve
< Definition:Slope(Redirected from Definition:Slope of Curve at Point)
Jump to navigation
Jump to search
Definition
Let $P$ be a point on a curve $\CC$ embedded in a Cartesian plane.
The slope of $\CC$ at $P$ is defined as the slope of the tangent to $\CC$ at $P$.
Also known as
The slope of a straight line or curve is also sometimes referred to as its gradient.
However, that term has a more generic and abstract meaning than does the concept of slope as given here.
Some sources suggest that the slope of a straight line is the same as its direction, but this is true only in the plane.
Sources
- 1998: David Nelson: The Penguin Dictionary of Mathematics (2nd ed.) ... (previous) ... (next): slope: 2.
- 2008: David Nelson: The Penguin Dictionary of Mathematics (4th ed.) ... (previous) ... (next): slope: 2.