---
tag: 035V802J58
kind: concept
name: Tangent plane to a graph
aliases: [tangent-plane]
msc: [26B05]
uses: [0JBJYT69ZV, 0HHHDCXZV4]
sources:
  - url: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tangent_space
    locator: Informal description
  - url: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Linear_approximation
    locator: Definition
---

## Summary

Take the [[graph|0JBJYT69ZV]] of a [[differentiable|0HHHDCXZV4]] function of two variables. Its tangent plane at a point is the plane through that point that best approximates the graph nearby.
It is the graph of the linear approximation of the function at the point.