h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Entry: Calculus - A1056863
Author: WonderNewt - U227686

Hey math people, please let me know if you see something important you feel I left out. This is a very rough work, on a tough subject, but I thought I would go ahead and make a first pass at it.

I really don't expect my article to be the definitive final version, so if you feel something could be added to make this better, please post not only what you would add, but also how you would word it. So I can add it in and add you to the researchers.

I enjoyed it, Newt. Just a spelling thing tho: it's 'Leibniz'!

You might want to say that intergrals are often called antiderivatives, and are generally found by answering the question 'What equation would I have to differentiate to get the equation in front of me?'.

Good entry though, I might have another read through in a couple of days to see if I can suggest any more improvements.

Oh, you might want to say that 'slopes' are also known as 'gradients'.

Hi Wondernewt,

Good entry, for the first time in about 9 years this prompted me to get my university calculus book out (It still causes me pain)

Looking through it's intro suggests that maybe your intro can be expanded a bit more.

Calculus is a system that allows us to describe motion quantitavely, (although the frog was a very good analogy)

Newton invented Calculus to formulate the laws of gravitation and motion, and from this was able to prove Kepplers claims that the planets had elliptical orbits.

Laws of nature are more conviniently expressed as equations involving the rates of change of quantities.

Also differentiation is closely linked to geometry, and a lot of diff calc is trying to find the tangential line to a curve at a given point.

Perhaps a mention could be made of real numbers, cartesian planes and co-ordinate systems.

Well that's me put that book away again until I read something else that prompts it's extraction from under all the enginering books at the bottom of my bookcase

Regards

KJ

Hey.

It always comes as a bit of a shock when you realize that the math you learned a few years ago turns out to be of some use to you.

I think that you need to expand the section on derivatives a bit, maybe touch upon what a second derivative actually is before giving an example, or mention that accekeration is the derivative of velocity vs time.

You might also want to mention another very useful property of calculus is finding maximum and minimum parts of functions. That you get one of those when the derivative is zero and you can use that to find things like the biggest area you can make with a set length of fence to surround it.

Anover thing you may want to alloborate on is volume, since calculating volumes precicily is one of the most usful parts of Calculus. Its always fun to baffel your freinds when you prove conclusivly that a coke can actuly contains the 375ml of liquid it cliams to hold.

Thanks everyone! Your input is terrific! You folks are great!

I guess it's about time I make the revised edition.

Thanks again!

Author has elvised - flea market?

Yeah. If only someone could one day write an explanation of calculus that I could understand

Calculus - A mathematical model for the measurement, explication and extrapolations of curves to be able to measure the length of any curve. In this way it is possible, using math's to measure the length of infinity.

I saw that this entry is in the flea market and was thinking about taking it on. How much can you change the entry around?

Ariston

As much as you like, but you should still credit the original author if you pick it up from the Flea Market.

Thanks, I would like to take it on and would definitely fully acknowledge the author. But I would want to make some big changes to the original entry.

I do happen to be a mathematician. Though I also have a degree in Philosophy, keeping me goofy and less stale.

Ariston

I look forward to seeing it in PR Hopefully I'll be able to finally, after all these years, get a grasp on calculus