The document discusses explicit and implicit functions. An explicit function expresses the dependent variable in terms of the independent variable, while an implicit function does not. Implicit differentiation is used when the variables in an applied problem are related through an implicit formula rather than an explicit one. The process of implicit differentiation involves taking the derivative of both sides of the implicit equation with respect to the independent variable and solving for the derivative of the dependent variable. The total derivative describes the derivative of a function that depends on variables that are themselves functions of other variables, and can be calculated using a chain rule formula involving the partial derivatives.