In mathematics, the subderivative, subgradient, and subdifferential generalize the derivative to functions which are not differentiable. The subdifferential of a function is set-valued. Subderivatives arise in convex analysis, the study of convex functions, often in connection to convex optimization.Let f:I→R be a real-valued convex function defined on an open interval of the real line. Such a function need not be differentiable at all points: For example, the absolute value function f(x)=|x| is nondifferentiable when x=0. However, as seen in the picture on the right, for any x0 in the domain of the function one can draw a line which goes through the point (x0, f(x0)) and which is everywhere either touching or below the graph of f. The slope of such a line is called a subderivative (because the line is under the graph of f).