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Total derivative

Function

definition ddt:(X1××Xn×RR)((RX1××Xn)×R)R
let  f(x1,,xn,t)
definition (ddtf)(tr1(t),,rn(t),t):=nj=1fxj(r1(t),,rn(t),t)rjt(t)+ft(r1(t),,rn(t),t)

Example

The total derivative of the (not explicitly time dependent) function

f:R3R,   f(x,y,t):=x2cos(y)

along the trajectory

R:RR2,   R:=t7t,3t5

is

(ddtf)(R,t)=2Rx(t)cos(Ry(t))Rx(t)+Rx(t)2sin(Ry(t))Ry(t)

=272tcos(3t5)3572t2+4sin(3t5)

Reference

Wikipedia: Total derivative


Requirements

Differentiable function