Mark Ryan - Calculus Essentials for Dummies

Calculus Essentials For Dummies

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Library of Congress Control Number: 2019936362

ISBN: 978-1-119-59120-7 (pbk); ISBN 978-1-119-59122-1 (ePub); ISBN 978-1-119-59124-5 (ePDF)

1. Chapter 2
2. Chapter 8
3. Chapter 9
4. Chapter 10

1. Chapter 1
2. Chapter 2
3. Chapter 3
4. Chapter 4
5. Chapter 6
6. Chapter 7
7. Chapter 8
8. Chapter 9
9. Chapter 10
10. Chapter 11

The mere thought of having to take a required calculus course is enough to make legions of students break out in a cold sweat. Others who have no intention of ever studying the subject have this notion that calculus is impossibly difficult unless you happen to be a direct descendant of Einstein.

Well, Im here to tell you that you can master calculus. Its not nearly as tough as its mystique would lead you to think. Much of calculus is really just very advanced algebra, geometry, and trig. It builds upon and is a logical extension of those subjects. If you can do algebra, geometry, and trig, you can do calculus. Read this jargon-free book, get a handle on calculus, and join the happy few who can proudly say, Calculus? Oh, sure, I know calculus. Its no big deal.

Calculus Essentials For Dummies is intended for three groups of readers: students taking their first calculus course, students who need to brush up on their calculus to prepare for other studies, and adults of all ages whod like a good introduction to the subject. For those whod like a fuller treatment of the subject, check out Calculus For Dummies.

If youre enrolled in a calculus course and you find your textbook less than crystal clear, Calculus Essentials For Dummies is the book for you. It covers the two most important topics in the first year of calculus: differentiation and integration.

If youve had elementary calculus, but its been a couple of years and you want to review the concepts to prepare for, say, some graduate program, Calculus Essentials For Dummies will give you a quick, no-nonsense refresher course.

Nonstudent readers will find the books exposition clear and accessible. Calculus Essentials For Dummies takes calculus out of the ivory tower and brings it down to earth.

This is a user-friendly math book. Whenever possible, I explain the calculus concepts by showing you connections between the calculus ideas and easier ideas from algebra and geometry. I then show you how the calculus concepts work in concrete examples. Only later do I give you the fancy calculus formulas. All explanations are in plain English, not math-speak.

The following conventions keep the text consistent and oh-so-easy to follow.

• Variables are in italics.
• Calculus terms are italicized and defined when they first appear in the text.
• In the step-by-step problem-solving methods, the general action you need to take is in bold, followed by the specifics of the particular problem.

Call me crazy, but I assume

• You know at least the basics of algebra, geometry, and trig.

• If youre rusty, you might want to brush up a bit on these pre-calculus topics. Actually, if youre not currently taking a calculus course, and youre reading this book just to satisfy a general curiosity about calculus, you can get a good conceptual picture of the subject without the nitty-gritty details of algebra, geometry, and trig. But you wont, in that case, be able to follow all the problem solutions. In short, without the pre-calculus stuff, you can see the calculus forest, but not the trees. If you are enrolled in a calculus course, youve got no choice youve got to know the trees.

• Youre willing to do some w_ _ _.

• No, not the dreaded w-word! Yes, thats w-o-r-k, work. Ive tried to make this material as accessible as possible, but it is calculus after all. You cant learn calculus by just listening to a tape in your car or taking a pill not yet anyway.