4/12/24, 6:45 PM Third derivative - Wikipedia

Third derivative
In calculus, a branch of mathematics, the third derivative or third-order derivative is the rate at
which the second derivative, or the rate of change of the rate of change, is changing. The third
derivative of a function can be denoted by

Other notations can be used, but the above are the most common.

Mathematical definitions
Let . Then and . Therefore, the third derivative of f is, in this
case,

or, using Leibniz notation,

Now for a more general definition. Let f be any function of x such that f ′′ is differentiable. Then the
third derivative of f is given by

The third derivative is the rate at which the second derivative (f′′(x)) is changing.

Applications in geometry
In differential geometry, the torsion of a curve — a fundamental property of curves in three
dimensions — is computed using third derivatives of coordinate functions (or the position vector)
describing the curve.[1]

Applications in physics
In physics, particularly kinematics, jerk is defined as the third derivative of the position function of
an object. It is, essentially, the rate at which acceleration changes. In mathematical terms:

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where j(t) is the jerk function with respect to time, and r(t) is the position function of the object with
respect to time.

Economic examples
When campaigning for a second term in office, U.S. President Richard Nixon announced that the rate
of increase of inflation was decreasing, which has been noted as "the first time a sitting president used
the third derivative to advance his case for reelection."[2] Since inflation is itself a derivative—the rate
at which the purchasing power of money decreases—then the rate of increase of inflation is the
derivative of inflation, opposite in sign to the second time derivative of the purchasing power of
money. Stating that a function is decreasing is equivalent to stating that its derivative is negative, so
Nixon's statement is that the second derivative of inflation is negative, and so the third derivative of
purchasing power is positive.

Since Nixon's statement allowed for the rate of inflation to increase, his statement did not necessarily
indicate price stability.

See also
Aberrancy (geometry)
Derivative (mathematics)
Second derivative

References
1. do Carmo, Manfredo (1976). Differential Geometry of Curves and Surfaces. ISBN 0-13-212589-7.
2. Rossi, Hugo (October 1996). "Mathematics Is an Edifice, Not a Toolbox" (http://www.ams.org/notic
es/199610/page2.pdf) (PDF). Notices of the American Mathematical Society. 43 (10): 1108.
Retrieved 13 November 2012.

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