The Hitchhiker's Guide to Calculus

✍ Scribed by Michael Spivak

• Publisher: American Mathematical Society
• Year: 1995
• Tongue: English
• Leaves: 130
• Series: Classroom Resource Materials 57
• Category: Library

✦ Synopsis

The Hitchhiker's Guide to Calculus begins with a rapid view of lines and slope. Spivak then takes up non-linear functions and trigonometric functions. He places the magnifying glass on curves in the next chapter and effortlessly leads the reader to the idea of derivative. In the next chapter he tackles speed and velocity, followed by the derivative of sine. Maxima and minima are next. Rolle's theorem and the MVT form the core of Chapter 11, ""Watching Experts at Play."" The Hitchhiker's Guide to Calculus closes with a chapter on the integral, the fundamental theorem, and applications of the integral.

✦ Table of Contents

1 Where are we going? An opportunity for the reader and the author to get acquainted
2 We pack the essentials, before embarking on our journey
3 We leave the straight and narrow. Our first encounter with something new
4 We explore the new terrain more closely
5 We resort to a few calculations to secure our position
6 A brief interlude, just to provide continuity
7 We settle down for a rest, and the author goes off on a tangent, reminiscing about his youth
8 Getting back up to speed
9 Emboldened by our progress thus far, we resolutely begin investigating sin (a truly exhausting endeavor!)
10 The view from on high
11 Scaling vertical walls. We watch the experts at play
12 Ausfart. The Integral
13 Twin Peaks. Meandering in this rarefied air, we discover a bridge between two promontories
14 Approaching the end of our journey; the one with the most toys wins
Index