A quick check-up on directional derivatives

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SUMMARY

The calculation of a directional derivative of a function f(x,y) at a point \vec{u} in the direction of a unit vector \hat{v} can be performed using the formula \nabla f(\vec{u}) \cdot \hat{v}. This method simplifies the process of determining the rate of change of the function in a specified direction. The discussion references a resource from MathWorld for further clarification on the concept.

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  • Basic concepts of directional derivatives
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Char. Limit
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Just a quick question...

To calculate a directional derivative of f(x,y) at the point \vec{u} in the direction \hat{v}, can I just use the formula...

\nabla f(\vec{u}) . \hat{v}?

It would be so easy.
 
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