Question

find the gradient of the graph of y=x^3 at the point x=1

Answer 1

gradient is just derivative :)

find dy/dx or y'
and plug in x=1 !

Answer 2

Just remember a gradient vector is analogous to the derivatives you'd learned in calc 1, but now you're taking into consideration more variables. Therefore the gradient vector is the derivative of a function whose components are all partial derivatives of your function f(x).