Calculus For Dummies, 2nd Edition

Slay the calculus monster with this user-friendly guide

Calculus For Dummies, 2^nd Edition makes calculus manageable—even if you’re one of the many students who sweat at the thought of it. By breaking down differentiation and integration into digestible concepts, this guide helps you build a stronger foundation with a solid understanding of the big ideas at work. This user-friendly math book leads you step-by-step through each concept, operation, and solution, explaining the “how” and “why” in plain English instead of math-speak. Through relevant instruction and practical examples, you’ll soon learn that real-life calculus isn’t nearly the monster it’s made out to be.

Calculus is a required course for many college majors, and for students without a strong math foundation, it can be a real barrier to graduation. Breaking that barrier down means recognizing calculus for what it is—simply a tool for studying the ways in which variables interact. It’s the logical extension of the algebra, geometry, and trigonometry you’ve already taken, and Calculus For Dummies, 2^nd Edition proves that if you can master those classes, you can tackle calculus and win.

• Includes foundations in algebra, trigonometry, and pre-calculus concepts
• Explores sequences, series, and graphing common functions
• Instructs you how to approximate area with integration
• Features things to remember, things to forget, and things you can’t get away with

Stop fearing calculus, and learn to embrace the challenge. With this comprehensive study guide, you’ll gain the skills and confidence that make all the difference. Calculus For Dummies, 2^nd Edition provides a roadmap for success, and the backup you need to get there.

Table of Contents

Part I: An Overview of Calculus
Chapter 1: What Is Calculus?
Chapter 2: The Two Big Ideas of Calculus: Differentiation and Integration — plus Infinite Series
Chapter 3: Why Calculus Works

Part II: Warming Up with Calculus Prerequisites
Chapter 4: Pre-Algebra and Algebra Review
Chapter 5: Funky Functions and Their Groovy Graphs
Chapter 6: The Trig Tango

Part III: Limits
Chapter 7: Limits and Continuity
Chapter 8: Evaluating Limits

Part IV: Differentiation
Chapter 9: Differentiation Orientation
Chapter 10: Differentiation Rules — Yeah, Man, It Rules
Chapter 11: Differentiation and the Shape of Curves
Chapter 12: Your Problems Are Solved: Differentiation to the Rescue!
Chapter 13: More Differentiation Problems: Going Off on a Tangent

Part V: Integration and Infinite Series
Chapter 14: Intro to Integration and Approximating Area
Chapter 15: Integration: It’s Backwards Differentiation
Chapter 16: Integration Techniques for Experts
Chapter 17: Forget Dr. Phil: Use the Integral to Solve Problems
Chapter 18: Taming the Infinite with Improper Integrals
Chapter 19: Infinite Series

Part VI: The Part of Tens
Chapter 20: Ten Things to Remember
Chapter 21: Ten Things to Forget
Chapter 22: Ten Things You Can’t Get Away With