---
title: derivative() function
description: derivative() computes the rate of change per unit of time between subsequent non-null records.
url: https://docs.influxdata.com/flux/v0/stdlib/universe/derivative/
estimated_tokens: 1663
product: Flux
version: v0
publisher: InfluxData
canonical: https://docs.influxdata.com/flux/v0/stdlib/universe/derivative/
date: '2024-04-08T16:01:02-06:00'
lastmod: '2024-04-08T16:01:02-06:00'
---

* Flux 0.7.0+

InfluxDB support

`derivative()` computes the rate of change per unit of time between subsequent
non-null records.

The function assumes rows are ordered by the `_time`.

#### Output tables

The output table schema will be the same as the input table.
For each input table with `n` rows, `derivative()` outputs a table with`n - 1` rows.

##### Function type signature

```js
(
    <-tables: stream[A],
    ?columns: [string],
    ?initialZero: bool,
    ?nonNegative: bool,
    ?timeColumn: string,
    ?unit: duration,
) => stream[B] where A: Record, B: Record
```

For more information, see [Function type signatures](/flux/v0/function-type-signatures/).

## Parameters

### unit

Time duration used to calculate the derivative. Default is `1s`.

### nonNegative

Disallow negative derivative values. Default is `false`.

When `true`, if a value is less than the previous value, the function
assumes the previous value should have been a zero.

### columns

List of columns to operate on. Default is `["_value"]`.

### timeColumn

Column containing time values to use in the calculation.
Default is `_time`.

### initialZero

Use zero (0) as the initial value in the derivative calculation
when the subsequent value is less than the previous value and `nonNegative` is`true`. Default is `false`.

### tables

Input data. Default is piped-forward data (`<-`).

## Examples

* [Calculate the non-negative rate of change per second](#calculate-the-non-negative-rate-of-change-per-second)
* [Calculate the rate of change per second with null values](#calculate-the-rate-of-change-per-second-with-null-values)

### Calculate the non-negative rate of change per second

```js
import "sampledata"

sampledata.int()
    |> derivative(nonNegative: true)
```

[](#view-example-input-and-output)

View example input and output

#### Input data

|       \_time       |\_value|\*tag|
|--------------------|-------|-----|
|2021-01-01T00:00:00Z|  \-2  | t1  |
|2021-01-01T00:00:10Z|  10   | t1  |
|2021-01-01T00:00:20Z|   7   | t1  |
|2021-01-01T00:00:30Z|  17   | t1  |
|2021-01-01T00:00:40Z|  15   | t1  |
|2021-01-01T00:00:50Z|   4   | t1  |

|       \_time       |\_value|\*tag|
|--------------------|-------|-----|
|2021-01-01T00:00:00Z|  19   | t2  |
|2021-01-01T00:00:10Z|   4   | t2  |
|2021-01-01T00:00:20Z|  \-3  | t2  |
|2021-01-01T00:00:30Z|  19   | t2  |
|2021-01-01T00:00:40Z|  13   | t2  |
|2021-01-01T00:00:50Z|   1   | t2  |

#### Output data

|       \_time       |\_value|\*tag|
|--------------------|-------|-----|
|2021-01-01T00:00:10Z|  1.2  | t1  |
|2021-01-01T00:00:20Z|       | t1  |
|2021-01-01T00:00:30Z|   1   | t1  |
|2021-01-01T00:00:40Z|       | t1  |
|2021-01-01T00:00:50Z|       | t1  |

|       \_time       |\_value|\*tag|
|--------------------|-------|-----|
|2021-01-01T00:00:10Z|       | t2  |
|2021-01-01T00:00:20Z|       | t2  |
|2021-01-01T00:00:30Z|  2.2  | t2  |
|2021-01-01T00:00:40Z|       | t2  |
|2021-01-01T00:00:50Z|       | t2  |

### Calculate the rate of change per second with null values

```js
import "sampledata"

sampledata.int(includeNull: true)
    |> derivative()
```

[](#view-example-input-and-output)

View example input and output

#### Input data

|       \_time       |\_value|\*tag|
|--------------------|-------|-----|
|2021-01-01T00:00:00Z|  \-2  | t1  |
|2021-01-01T00:00:10Z|       | t1  |
|2021-01-01T00:00:20Z|   7   | t1  |
|2021-01-01T00:00:30Z|       | t1  |
|2021-01-01T00:00:40Z|       | t1  |
|2021-01-01T00:00:50Z|   4   | t1  |

|       \_time       |\_value|\*tag|
|--------------------|-------|-----|
|2021-01-01T00:00:00Z|       | t2  |
|2021-01-01T00:00:10Z|   4   | t2  |
|2021-01-01T00:00:20Z|  \-3  | t2  |
|2021-01-01T00:00:30Z|  19   | t2  |
|2021-01-01T00:00:40Z|       | t2  |
|2021-01-01T00:00:50Z|   1   | t2  |

#### Output data

|       \_time       |\_value|\*tag|
|--------------------|-------|-----|
|2021-01-01T00:00:10Z|       | t1  |
|2021-01-01T00:00:20Z| 0.45  | t1  |
|2021-01-01T00:00:30Z|       | t1  |
|2021-01-01T00:00:40Z|       | t1  |
|2021-01-01T00:00:50Z| \-0.1 | t1  |

|       \_time       |\_value|\*tag|
|--------------------|-------|-----|
|2021-01-01T00:00:10Z|       | t2  |
|2021-01-01T00:00:20Z| \-0.7 | t2  |
|2021-01-01T00:00:30Z|  2.2  | t2  |
|2021-01-01T00:00:40Z|       | t2  |
|2021-01-01T00:00:50Z| \-0.9 | t2  |

#### Related

* [Calculate the rate of change](/influxdb/v2/query-data/flux/rate/)
* [InfluxQL – DERIVATIVE()](/influxdb/v1/query_language/functions/#derivative)

[transformations](/flux/v0/tags/transformations/)
| _time | _value | *tag |
| --- | --- | --- |
| _time | _value | *tag |
| 2021-01-01T00:00:00Z | -2 | t1 |
| 2021-01-01T00:00:10Z | 10 | t1 |
| 2021-01-01T00:00:20Z | 7 | t1 |
| 2021-01-01T00:00:30Z | 17 | t1 |
| 2021-01-01T00:00:40Z | 15 | t1 |
| 2021-01-01T00:00:50Z | 4 | t1 |

| _time | _value | *tag |
| --- | --- | --- |
| _time | _value | *tag |
| 2021-01-01T00:00:00Z | 19 | t2 |
| 2021-01-01T00:00:10Z | 4 | t2 |
| 2021-01-01T00:00:20Z | -3 | t2 |
| 2021-01-01T00:00:30Z | 19 | t2 |
| 2021-01-01T00:00:40Z | 13 | t2 |
| 2021-01-01T00:00:50Z | 1 | t2 |

| _time | _value | *tag |
| --- | --- | --- |
| _time | _value | *tag |
| 2021-01-01T00:00:10Z | 1.2 | t1 |
| 2021-01-01T00:00:20Z |  | t1 |
| 2021-01-01T00:00:30Z | 1 | t1 |
| 2021-01-01T00:00:40Z |  | t1 |
| 2021-01-01T00:00:50Z |  | t1 |

| _time | _value | *tag |
| --- | --- | --- |
| _time | _value | *tag |
| 2021-01-01T00:00:10Z |  | t2 |
| 2021-01-01T00:00:20Z |  | t2 |
| 2021-01-01T00:00:30Z | 2.2 | t2 |
| 2021-01-01T00:00:40Z |  | t2 |
| 2021-01-01T00:00:50Z |  | t2 |

| _time | _value | *tag |
| --- | --- | --- |
| _time | _value | *tag |
| 2021-01-01T00:00:00Z | -2 | t1 |
| 2021-01-01T00:00:10Z |  | t1 |
| 2021-01-01T00:00:20Z | 7 | t1 |
| 2021-01-01T00:00:30Z |  | t1 |
| 2021-01-01T00:00:40Z |  | t1 |
| 2021-01-01T00:00:50Z | 4 | t1 |

| _time | _value | *tag |
| --- | --- | --- |
| _time | _value | *tag |
| 2021-01-01T00:00:00Z |  | t2 |
| 2021-01-01T00:00:10Z | 4 | t2 |
| 2021-01-01T00:00:20Z | -3 | t2 |
| 2021-01-01T00:00:30Z | 19 | t2 |
| 2021-01-01T00:00:40Z |  | t2 |
| 2021-01-01T00:00:50Z | 1 | t2 |

| _time | _value | *tag |
| --- | --- | --- |
| _time | _value | *tag |
| 2021-01-01T00:00:10Z |  | t1 |
| 2021-01-01T00:00:20Z | 0.45 | t1 |
| 2021-01-01T00:00:30Z |  | t1 |
| 2021-01-01T00:00:40Z |  | t1 |
| 2021-01-01T00:00:50Z | -0.1 | t1 |

| _time | _value | *tag |
| --- | --- | --- |
| _time | _value | *tag |
| 2021-01-01T00:00:10Z |  | t2 |
| 2021-01-01T00:00:20Z | -0.7 | t2 |
| 2021-01-01T00:00:30Z | 2.2 | t2 |
| 2021-01-01T00:00:40Z |  | t2 |
| 2021-01-01T00:00:50Z | -0.9 | t2 |