Gradient Operator
The Grids | Calculate | Calculus differential and integral operator, Gradient Operator, generates a grid of steepest slopes (i.e. the magnitude of the gradient) at any point on the surface. This is similar to the Terrain Slope operation, but the Gradient Operator is reported as a number (rise over run) rather than in degrees, and the direction is opposite that of the slope. The Gradient Operator is zero for a horizontal surface, and approaches infinity as the slope approaches vertical.
The definition of the gradient yields the following equation:
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Using the compass based grid notation yields the equation used in Surfer:
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