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# differential calculus

differential calculus: see calculus.

In mathematics, and more specifically, in differential calculus, the term differential has several interrelated meanings.

## Differential geometry

The notion of a differential motivates several concepts in differential geometry (and differential topology).

## Algebraic geometry

Differentials are also important in algebraic geometry, and there are several important notions.

## Other meanings

The term differential has also been adopted in homological algebra and algebraic topology, because of the role the exterior derivative plays in de Rham cohomology: in a cochain complex $\left(C_bullet, d_bullet\right)$, the maps (or coboundary operators) di are often called differentials. Dually, the boundary operators in a chain complex are sometimes called codifferentials.

The properties of the differential also motivate the algebraic notions of a derivation and a differential algebra.

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