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Constants

is an option for Dt which gives a list of objects to be taken as constants.

Details
Details and Options Details and Options
Examples  
Basic Examples  
Scope  
Properties & Relations  
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Constants

Constants

is an option for Dt which gives a list of objects to be taken as constants.

Details

  • If f appears in the list of Constants, then both Dt[f] and Dt[f[…]] are taken to be zero.

Examples

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Basic Examples  (3)

Here both a and b are assumed to depend on x:

Wolfram Language code: Dt[a x ^ 2 + b, x]

Specify that a does not depend on x using the Constants option:

Wolfram Language code: Dt[a x ^ 2 + b, x, Constants -> {a}]

Specify that both a and b are independent of x:

Wolfram Language code: Dt[a x ^ 2 + b, x, Constants -> {a, b}]

Scope  (3)

Use TagSet to prescribe a constant:

Wolfram Language code: y/:Dt[y, x] = 0
Wolfram Language code: Dt[x ^ 2 y, x]

Use SetAttributes to prescribe a constant:

Wolfram Language code: SetAttributes[a, Constant]
Wolfram Language code: Dt[a x ^ 2, x]

For a constant f any expression f[expr] is also assumed to be constant:

Wolfram Language code: Dt[x ^ 2 f[x], x, Constants -> {f}]

Properties & Relations  (2)

Constants allows Dt to emulate D:

Wolfram Language code: {Dt[a x ^ 2 + b, x, Constants -> {a, b}], D[a x ^ 2 + b, x]}

NonConstants allows D to emulate Dt:

Wolfram Language code: {Dt[a x ^ 2 + b, x], D[a x ^ 2 + b, x, NonConstants -> {a, b}]}
Wolfram Research (1988), Constants, Wolfram Language function, https://reference.wolfram.com/language/ref/Constants.html.

Text

Wolfram Research (1988), Constants, Wolfram Language function, https://reference.wolfram.com/language/ref/Constants.html.

CMS

Wolfram Language. 1988. "Constants." Wolfram Language & System Documentation Center. Wolfram Research. https://reference.wolfram.com/language/ref/Constants.html.

APA

Wolfram Language. (1988). Constants. Wolfram Language & System Documentation Center. Retrieved from https://reference.wolfram.com/language/ref/Constants.html

BibTeX

@misc{reference.wolfram_2026_constants, author="Wolfram Research", title="{Constants}", year="1988", howpublished="\url{https://reference.wolfram.com/language/ref/Constants.html}", note=[Accessed: 12-June-2026]}

BibLaTeX

@online{reference.wolfram_2026_constants, organization={Wolfram Research}, title={Constants}, year={1988}, url={https://reference.wolfram.com/language/ref/Constants.html}, note=[Accessed: 12-June-2026]}