A stroll through calculus: a guide for the merely curious

A Stroll through Calculus: A Guide for the Merely Curious helps students fully understand calculus and successfully grasp its concepts. The foundational premise is that calculus is, at its most basic, about measuring things and how fast they change. The material gives non-majors an appreciation for calculus and teaches them its importance without the formal proofs needed only by math majors. In clear, concise chapters the text familiarizes students with concepts such as the area of a rectangle, notation, and polynomials. It introduces the fundamentals discovered by Newton and Leibniz and their varied applications. Students are encouraged to engage in participatory reading by referring to the examples in the chapters and then checking each step independently. A Stroll through Calculus is designed to supplement instruction in calculus, science, and education classes for non-math majors. It is an excellent learning tool for students in engineering, pre-medical studies, and the social sciences. It can also be used in pre-service teaching programs for educators who will need a solid background for math units they will teach.

Includes index.

Area of a rectangle -- A loved triangle -- Sometimes a great notation -- Simplicity patterns -- Integration from A to B -- Numerical interlude -- Putting pieces together -- It slices, dices, and spins -- In the general area -- Hitting the slopes -- Off on a tangent -- A derivative work -- Everything you always wanted to know about polynomials -- The fundamentals of Newton and Leibniz -- Down with derivatives -- Going around in circles -- Go forth and multiply -- Only as strong as the weakest link -- Transcendental mediations on functions -- As easy as falling off a logarithm -- An integral of many parts -- The anti-chain rule -- The best or worst that you can be -- A second-derivative look at ups and downs -- We conquer gravity -- Population boom -- Polynomials forever! -- So very closely related -- What are the chances? -- Once is not enough -- The gravity of the situation.