by Kenneth H Luther
Yes, this is another Calculus
book. However, it fits in a niche between the two predominant types of
such texts. It could be used as a textbook, albeit a streamlined one —
it contains exposition on each topic, with an introduction, rationale,
train of thought, and solved examples with accompanying suggested
exercises. It could be used as a solution guide — because it contains
full written solutions to each of the hundreds of exercises posed
inside. But its best position is right in between these two extremes.
It is best used as a companion to a traditional text or as a refresher —
with its conversational tone, its 'get right to it' content structure,
and its inclusion of complete solutions to many problems, it is a
friendly partner for students who are learning Calculus, either in
class or via self-study.
Exercises
are structured in three sets to force multiple encounters with each
topic. Solved examples in the text are accompanied by 'You Try It'
problems, which are similar to the solved examples; the students use
these to see if they're ready to move forward. Then at the end of the
section, there are 'Practice Problems': more problems similar to the
'You Try It' problems, but given all at once. Finally, each section has
Challenge Problems — these lean to being equally or a bit more
difficult than the others, and they allow students to check on what
they've mastered.
The goal is to
keep the students engaged with the text, and so the writing style is
very informal, with attempts at humor along the way. The target
audience is STEM students including those in engineering and
meteorology programs.
Contents:
- Preface
- Mathematical Deja Vu
- Can We All Agree That Just One Variable Was Lame?
- And Can We Agree Rectangular Coordinates Are Rather Dull?
- Player V Has Entered the Game
- We've Been Framed!
- Big Bang
- Appendix A: Conics, Quadrics, and Parametrics
- Appendix B: Solutions to All Practice Problems
- Appendix C: Solutions to All Challenge Problems
- Index
Readership: Undergraduate students currently taking or refreshing themselves on Calculus.
