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Math Symbols

Partial Differential

U+2202

The partial differential symbol, also known as curly d, represents a partial derivative in multivariable calculus. It indicates differentiation with respect to one variable while holding all other variables constant.

Copy & encode

Character
Unicode codepoint
U+2202
HTML named entity
∂
HTML decimal entity
∂
HTML hex entity
∂
CSS escape
\2202
JavaScript escape
\u2202

Meaning and usage

This symbol is extensively used in physics and advanced mathematics, particularly in differential equations describing heat, wave propagation, and quantum mechanics. It also appears in machine learning formulas for gradient descent.

Frequently Asked Questions

How does the partial differential symbol differ from the standard letter d?
The curly d indicates that the function has multiple variables and is being differentiated with respect to only one, whereas the standard d is used for single-variable derivatives.
How do I insert this symbol in LaTeX?
In LaTeX documents, you can easily insert this mathematical symbol by using the control sequence backslash partial.