When defined from the first principals, the derivative of a function is the limit of the average rate of change of the function over the interval <math>[x,x+h]</math> as <math>h</math> tends to zero. In other words, the derivative | When defined from the first principals, the derivative of a function is the limit of the average rate of change of the function over the interval <math>[x,x+h]</math> as <math>h</math> tends to zero. In other words, the derivative |