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Suppose $y$ is a function of $x$, i.e. $y=f(x)$. (just univariate) Would both of the following notations for the first derivative of $y$ (with respect to $x$) be correct and usable?

  1. $\dfrac{dy}{dx}$
  2. $\dfrac{dy(x)}{dx}$

The second one is just to emphasize that $y$ is a function of $x$, even without which it seems obvious. But this notation is still okay to use, correct?

TShiong
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Curiosity
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1 Answers1

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The simple answer is yes, it's quite common to omit the dependent variable but including is just as correct.

b00n heT
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    It is more common to omit the dependent variable. So you will often see $\frac{dy}{dx}$ or $y'(x)$ or $\frac{d}{dx} y(x)$, while $\frac{dy(x)}{dx}$ is rarer though still reasonable and $\frac{dy}{dx} (x)$ might confuse some people – Henry Sep 22 '23 at 16:55