forward difference
Mathematics
noun
Each of a set of finite differences calculated by subtracting the present value of a function f(x) from a new value when the argument x is increased by a small amount; frequently attributive.
- In symbolic terms, a forward difference ∆h = f(x + h) − f(x), in contrast to a backward difference, where ∆h = f(x) − f(x − h)..
Origin
1920s; earliest use found in Tracts for Computers.