Calculus for Beginners and Artists (2003) (www-math.mit.edu)

Article summary

The article presents a table of contents for a calculus textbook titled 'Calculus for Beginners and Artists'. The textbook covers various topics in calculus, including numbers, linear functions, derivatives, and integrals. The content is organized into 19 chapters, with additional resources such as tools, glossary, and index. The textbook appears to be designed for beginners, including artists, who want to learn calculus.

Main themes

• Calculus for beginners
• Mathematics in art
• Textbook organization
• Learning resources
• Mathematical concepts

What commenters say

• The navigation of the calculus textbook is poorly designed, making it difficult to use.
• Lambda calculus and differential calculus are unrelated fields of study, despite sharing a similar name.
• Some artists may be interested in learning calculus to improve their understanding of mathematical concepts in art.
• The textbook's content does not adequately address the needs of artists or provide a clear connection to artistic applications.
• Differential calculus is not directly applicable to compiler design or language development, but lambda calculus is relevant to functional programming.
• The term 'calculus' has different meanings in various fields of study, including mathematics and computer science.
• A good introduction to calculus should start with practical examples and applications, rather than abstract concepts.
• Linear functions can be defined in different ways, including as polynomials of degree one or zero, or as linear maps in linear algebra.