Calculus (nonfiction)

Simple representation of a curve on a grid.

Calculus (from Latin calculus, literally "small pebble used for counting") is the mathematical study of change.

It has two major branches:

• Differential calculus (concerning rates of change and slopes of curves).
• Integral calculus (concerning accumulation of quantities and the areas under and between curves).

These two branches are related to each other by the fundamental theorem of calculus.

Both branches make use of the fundamental notions of convergence of infinite sequences and infinite series to a well-defined limit. Generally, modern calculus is considered to have been developed in the 17th century by Isaac Newton and Gottfried Leibniz. Today, calculus has widespread uses in science, engineering and economics.

Calculus has historically been called "the calculus of infinitesimals", or "infinitesimal calculus".

Calculus is a part of modern mathematics education. A course in calculus is a gateway to other, more advanced courses in mathematics devoted to the study of functions and limits, broadly called mathematical analysis.

Calculus (plural calculi) is also used for naming some methods of calculation or theories of computation, such as propositional calculus, calculus of variations, lambda calculus, and process calculus.

Fiction cross-reference

• Crimes against mathematical constants
• Gnomon algorithm

Nonfiction cross-reference

• Gottfried Leibniz (nonfiction)
• Isaac Newton (nonfiction)
• Johann Bernoulli (nonfiction)
• Mathematics (nonfiction)

External links:

• Calculus @ Wikipedia