| The very definition of the word calculus is derived | | | | Newton's work) pushed the knowledge of calculus to |
| from a mineral build-up and means "hard". The | | | | level that were unthinkable at the time. He was not |
| Mathematical term of calculus describes a field that is | | | | only a mathematician. He started with the study of |
| a theoretical offshoot of algebra that attempts to | | | | Latin and Greek. Shortly thereafter, he began the |
| define the way in which events will change over time. | | | | study of Law, but more relevant was his travel to |
| Calculus is used to determine the slope of a variable, | | | | Paris later in his life. It is here that he met the |
| or chosen identity, and how its rate of change may | | | | famous mathematician Huygens who routed the |
| change over time. The calculations usually produce a | | | | genius of Leibnitz toward the study of mathematics |
| curve or graphical presentation rather than a discreet | | | | in general and to geometry in particular. It was he |
| sum and the information is read from points in the | | | | that developed the theories of Integrated and |
| curve, which reflect the rates of change. There are | | | | Differential Calculus, which remained largely unused |
| relatively simply calculus theorems that will allow the | | | | until the complexity of the twentieth century brought |
| calculation of how often the phone will ring over the | | | | these disciplines to the forefront. Differential calculus |
| next month, or a how a population of deer will grow | | | | was then used in determining the rates of velocity, |
| in the upcoming years. | | | | mass and was useful in the trajectory of rockets. |
| There is also a more scary side though: Calculus is a | | | | Fourier calculations are based upon integral calculus. |
| deep theoretical math field that had foundations | | | | Integral calculus was used to determine the rate at |
| settled in the 18th century by the brightest math | | | | which the door on the space shuttle can close. |
| minds of history (Gauss, Euler, Lagrange, etc). It | | | | Even though Leibnitz and Newton's contribution |
| passed from an empirical set of rules to a formal | | | | represented a major breakthrough, we cannot forget |
| discipline with deep theoretical foundations. That's | | | | the strong foundation laid down by the Greek, at |
| why students typically find difficulties when taking | | | | ancient times. It is thought that at this time, Exodius |
| calculus courses and they see themselves forced to | | | | developed the Method of Exhaustion that contains |
| seek for help. | | | | rudiments of modern calculus. When you find that the |
| The biggest breakthrough in calculus history was | | | | Methods of Exhaustion are directly applying to |
| made by a German genius called Gottfried Leibnitz, | | | | yourself, it is time to seek help with Calculus. |
| whose work (which was parallel and simultaneous to | | | | |