A Taylor series is an idea used in computer science, calculus, chemistry, physics and other kinds of higher-level mathematics. It is a series that is used to create an estimate (guess) of what a function looks like. There is also a special kind of Taylor series called a Maclaurin series.

The theory behind the Taylor series is that if a point is chosen on the coordinate plane (x- and y-axes), then it is possible to guess what a function will look like in the area around that point. This is done by taking the derivatives of the function and adding them all together. The idea is that it is possible to add the infinite number of derivatives and come up with a single finite sum.

In mathematics, a Taylor series shows a function as the sum of an infinite series. The sum's terms are taken from the function's derivatives. Taylor series come from Taylor's theorem.