Difference quotient

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差商是单变量微积分中的一个关键概念，它衡量了函数在某区间内的平均变化率。当h趋近于0时，差商的极限给出了函数的导数，即瞬时变化率。此外，对于一个区间[a, b]上的函数，差商可以表示该区间内导数的平均值，并与切线斜率和中值定理相关联。在数值微分中，差商被用来近似导数，但也存在批评意见。差商有时也被称为牛顿商或费马的差商。

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In single-variable calculus, the difference quotient is usually the name for the expression

{\displaystyle {\frac {f(x+h)-f(x)}{h}}}{\frac {f(x+h)-f(x)}{h}}
which when taken to the limit as h approaches 0 gives the derivative of the function f.[1][2][3][4] The name of the expression stems from the fact that it is the quotient of the difference of values of the function by the difference of the corresponding values of its argument (the latter is (x + h) - x = h in this case).[5][6] The difference quotient is a measure of the average rate of change of the function over an interval (in this case, an interval of length h).[7][8]: 237 [9] The limit of the difference quotient (i.e., the derivative) is thus the instantaneous rate of change.[9]

By a slight change in notation (and viewpoint), for an interval [a, b], the difference quotient

{\displaystyle {\frac {f(b)-f(a)}{b-a}}}{\frac {f(b)-f(a)}{b-a}}
is called[5] the mean (or average) value of the derivative of f over the interval [a, b]. This name is justified by the mean value theorem, which states that for a differentiable function f, its derivative f′ reaches its mean value at some point in the interval.[5] Geometrically, this difference quotient measures the slope of the secant line passing through the points with coordinates (a, f(a)) and (b, f(b)).[10]

Difference quotients are used as approximations in numerical differentiation,[8] but they have also been subject of criticism in this application.[11]

Difference quotients may also find relevance in applications involving Time discretization, where the width of the time step is used for the value of h.

The difference quotient is sometimes also called the Newton quotient[10][12][13][14] (after Isaac Newton) or Fermat’s difference quotient (after Pierre de Fermat).[15]