Differential may refer to:
Mathematics
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Differential (mathematics)
In mathematics, differential refers to several related notions derived from the early days of calculus, put on a rigorous footing, such as infinitesimal differences and the derivatives of functions.
The term is used in various branches of mathe ...
comprises multiple related meanings of the word, both in calculus and differential geometry, such as an infinitesimal change in the value of a function
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Differential algebra
In mathematics, differential rings, differential fields, and differential algebras are rings, fields, and algebras equipped with finitely many derivations, which are unary functions that are linear and satisfy the Leibniz product rule. A ...
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Differential calculus
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Differential of a function, represents a change in the linearization of a function
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Total differential is its generalization for functions of multiple variables
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Differential (infinitesimal) (e.g. ''dx'', ''dy'', ''dt'' etc.) are interpreted as infinitesimals
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Differential topology
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Differential (pushforward) The total derivative of a map between manifolds.
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Differential exponent, an exponent in the factorisation of the
different ideal In algebraic number theory, the different ideal (sometimes simply the different) is defined to measure the (possible) lack of duality in the ring of integers of an algebraic number field ''K'', with respect to the field trace. It then encodes the ...
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Differential geometry, exterior differential, or
exterior derivative
On a differentiable manifold, the exterior derivative extends the concept of the differential of a function to differential forms of higher degree. The exterior derivative was first described in its current form by Élie Cartan in 1899. The res ...
, is a generalization to
differential form
In mathematics, differential forms provide a unified approach to define integrands over curves, surfaces, solids, and higher-dimensional manifolds. The modern notion of differential forms was pioneered by Élie Cartan. It has many application ...
s of the notion of differential of a function on a differentiable manifold
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Differential (coboundary), in homological algebra and algebraic topology, one of the maps of a cochain complex
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Differential cryptanalysis, a pair consisting of the difference, usually computed by XOR, between two plaintexts, and the difference of the corresponding ciphertexts
Science and technology
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Differential (mechanical device), as part of a powertrain and car, the device that allows each of the driving wheels to rotate at different speeds
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Limited-slip differential
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Differential steering, the steering method used by tanks and similar tracked vehicles
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Electronic differential In automotive engineering the electronic differential is a form of differential, which provides the required torque for each driving wheel and allows different wheel speeds. It is used in place of the mechanical differential in multi-drive systems ...
, an electric motor controller which substitutes its mechanical counterpart with significant advantages in electric vehicle application
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Differential signaling
Differential signalling is a method for electrically transmitting information using two complementary signals. The technique sends the same electrical signal as a differential pair of signals, each in its own conductor. The pair of conduc ...
, in electronics, applies to a method of transmitting electronic signals over a pair of wires to reduce interference
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Differential amplifier an
Electronic amplifier
An amplifier, electronic amplifier or (informally) amp is an electronic device that can increase the magnitude of a signal (a time-varying voltage or current). It may increase the power significantly, or its main effect may be to boost the ...
that amplifies signals.
Social sciences
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Semantic
Semantics (from grc, σημαντικός ''sēmantikós'', "significant") is the study of reference, meaning, or truth. The term can be used to refer to subfields of several distinct disciplines, including philosophy, linguistics and comput ...
and
structural differential
The structural differential is a physical chart or three-dimensional model illustrating the abstracting processes of the human nervous system. In one form, it appears as a pegboard with tags. Created by Alfred Korzybski, and awarded a U.S. patent o ...
s in psychology
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Quality spread differential, in finance
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Compensating differential, in labor economics
Medicine
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Differential diagnosis, the characterization of the underlying cause of pathological states based on specific tests
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White blood cell differential, the enumeration of each type of white blood cell either manually or using automated analyzers
Other
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Differential hardening
Differential heat treatment (also called selective heat treatment or local heat treatment) is a technique used during heat treating to harden or soften certain areas of a steel object, creating a difference in hardness between these areas. There ar ...
, in metallurgy
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Differential rotation, in astronomy
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Differential centrifugation, in cell biology
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Differential scanning calorimetry, in materials science
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Differential signalling, in communications
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Differential GPS, in satellite navigation technology
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Differential interferometry
Synthetic-aperture radar (SAR) is a form of radar that is used to create two-dimensional images or three-dimensional reconstructions of objects, such as landscapes. SAR uses the motion of the radar antenna over a target region to provide fine ...
in radar
* ''Differential'', an extended play by
The Sixth Lie
The Sixth Lie (stylized as THE SIXTH LIE) is a Japanese electronic rock band formed in May 2015 in Tokyo, Japan. Their music is known for its hybrid style inspired by the latest western music, and their overall science fiction-inspired theme con ...
* ''Handicap differential'', part of the calculation used in producing
golf handicaps
See also
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Different (disambiguation)
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