Animating Calculus: Mathematica® Notebooks for the Laboratory (Texts and Studies in Religion; 68)

Packel, Ed, Wagon, Stan

ISBN 10: 0387947485 / ISBN 13: 9780387947488

Published by Springer, 1996

About this Item

Like New.

Seller Inventory # ERICA77303879474856

Bibliographic Details

• Title: Animating Calculus: Mathematica® Notebooks for the Laboratory (Texts and Studies in Religion; 68)
• Publisher: Springer
• Publication Date: 1996
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0387947485
• ISBN 13: 9780387947488
• Binding: Paperback
• Condition: Like New
• Book Type: book

About this title

Synopsis

Calculus and change. The two words go together. Calculus is about change, and approaches to teaching calculus are changing dramatically. Thus it is both timely and appropriate to apply techniques of animation to the varied and important graphical aspects of calculus. AB a computer algebra system, Mathematica is an excellent tool for numerical and symbolic computation. It also has the power to generate striking and colorful graphical images and to animate them dynamically. The combination of these capabilities makes Mathematica a natural resource for exploring the changing world of calculus and approaches to mastering it. In addition, Mathematica notebooks are easy to edit, allowing flexible input for commands to Mathematica and stylish text for explanation to the reader. Much has been written about the use and importance of technology in the teaching and learning of calculus. We will not repeat the arguments or feign objectivity. We are enthusiastic believers in the value of a significant laboratory experience as part oflearning calculus, and we think Mathematica notebooks are a most appropriate and exciting way to provide that experience. The notebooks that follow represent our choice of laboratory topics for a course in one-variable calculus. They offer a balance between what we think belongs in a first-year calculus course and what lends itself well to exploration in a Mathematica laboratory setting.

About the Author

Ed Packel is the Volwiler Professor of Mathematics and Computer Science at Lake Forest College, Lake Forest, Illinois.