Elements of Calculus

(3 Credit Hours) · Undergraduate

Calculus can be summarized as the study of change. Several fundamental ideas of calculus are over 2000 years old. This course is designed to build upon students' intuition to establish why the main ideas in calculus are natural and true, through consideration of the instantaneous position and velocity of a moving object. We will then be introducing 21st century techniques including Computer Algebra Systems to expand upon that intuition and generalize the main ideas of calculus to a variety of fields, including economics and life sciences. Students will be challenged to acquire a deep, personal understanding of calculus through reading the text and completing preview activities on their own, working on activities in small groups in class, and doing substantial exercises outside of class time. This course will strengthen students' written and oral communication skills by having them write about and explain aloud the key ideas of calculus.