differenziell

Differenziell is a German adjective meaning related to differentiation or to a differential. In mathematical and scientific contexts it is used to indicate concepts, methods, or quantities that arise from differentiation, the process of determining a function’s rate of change.

In calculus, the term is linked to differentials and derivatives. The differential dy denotes an infinitesimal change in y corresponding to an infinitesimal change dx in x, for example in the expression dy = f′(x) dx for a function y = f(x). The derivative itself is the rate of change, and the differential operator d is used in various formulations such as the chain rule. Differential equations describe relations between functions and their derivatives or differ­entials and are foundational in physics, engineering, biology, and economics. Differential geometry extends these ideas to curved spaces using differential forms.

In German-language contexts, differenziell is often used to describe properties, methods, or objects that involve differentiation. It is the counterpart of the English term differential in many technical terms and can appear in discipline-specific phrases.

The English term most closely aligned with differenziell is differential, while the broader field includes differential calculus and differential geometry. See also differential, derivative, differential form, differential equation.