Calculus: An Introduction

By Joseph C. Mazur
272
2026

Description

Calculus is the broad area of mathematics dealing with such topics as instantaneous rates of change, areas under curves, and sequences and series. Underlying all of these topics is the concept of a limit, which consists of analyzing the behaviour of a function at points ever closer to a particular point, but without ever actually reaching that point. Calculus has two basic applications: differential calculus and integral calculus. The main purpose of this volume is to provide an introduction to calculus in its many forms. Give some presentations to illustrate how powerful calculus is as a mathematical tool for solving a variety of scientific problems, introduce concepts from a variety of application areas, such as biology, chemistry, economics, physics and engineering, to demonstrate applications of calculus. This text is intended for an honors calculus course or for an introduction to analysis. Involving rigorous analysis, computational dexterity, and a breadth of applications, it is ideal for undergraduate majors. This book emphasizes the fundamental concepts from calculus and analytic geometry and the application of these concepts to selected areas of science and engineering. Topics covered includes: Sets, Functions, Graphs and Limits, Differential Calculus, Integral Calculus, Sequences, Summations and Products and Applications of Calculus. In this book, much emphasis is put on explanations of concepts and solutions to examples. By reading the book carefully, students should be able to understand the concepts introduced and know how to answer questions with justification. Students should bear in mind that the main purpose of learning calculus is not just knowing how to perform differentiation and integration but also knowing how to apply differentiation and integration to solve problems. For that, one must understand the concepts.

About Author

Joseph C. Mazur is Professor Emeritus of Mathematics at Marlboro College, in Marlboro, Vermont. He holds a B.S. from Pratt Institute, where he first studied architecture. He spent his junior year in Paris, studying and returned to Pratt to earn a B.S. in mathematics. From there he went directly to M.I.T to receive his Ph.D. in mathematics (algebraic geometry) in 1972. He has held a visiting scholar position at M.I.T and several visiting professor positions at The Mathematics Institute of the University of Warwick. In 2006 he was awarded a Guggenheim Fellowship for work on mathematical narrative. In 2008 he was awarded a Bellagio Fellowship from the Rockefeller Foundation, and in 2009 was elected to Fellow of the Vermont Academy of Arts and Sciences. In 2011, 2013, and 2019 he was awarded Bogliasco Fellowships.

Table of Content

Preface
Chapter 1. Foundations of Calculus

The Need for Calculus in Science and Engineering
Intervals, Subsets and Real Numbers
Functions and Their Representations
Types of Functions: Polynomial, Rational, Trigonometric
Domain, and Range of a Function

Chapter 2. Limits and Continuity
Formal Definition of a Limit
One-Sided Limits
Infinite Limits and Vertical Asymptotes
Continuity and Types of Discontinuities
Theorems on Limits
Limits at Infinity and Horizontal Asymptotes
Intermediate Value Theorem

Chapter 3. Derivatives: Basic Concepts
Tangent Lines and Slopes
The Definition of the Derivative
Derivative as a Function
Physical Interpretation: Velocity and Rate of Change

Chapter 4. Techniques of Differentiation
Polynomial and Rational Functions
Chain Rule
Product and Quotient Rules
Implicit Differentiation
Parametric and Polar Differentiation Basics

Chapter 5. Applications of Derivatives
Increasing/Decreasing Functions
Relative Extrema and First Derivative Test
Curve Sketching
Concavity and Inflection Points
Optimization Problems
Linear Approximation and Differentials
Related Rate
Chapter 6. Integration: Antiderivatives and Definite Integrals
Antiderivatives and Indefinite Integrals
Basic Integration Rules
Area Under a Curve
The Definite Integral
Properties of the Definite Integral

Chapter 7. Techniques of Integration
Integration by Parts
Substitution Method
Trigonometric Integrals
Partial Fraction Decomposition
Numerical Integration: Trapezoidal and Simpson’s Rule

Chapter 8. Applications of the Integral
Area Between Curves
Defining Disc Integration 
Volume by Shell Method
Arc Length and Surface Area
Applications in Economics and Biology

Chapter 9. Differential Equations
Introduction to Differential Equations
Separable Differential Equations
Linear First-Order Equations
Exponential Growth and Decay Models
Applications in Physics and Population Dynamics
Euler’s Method

Chapter 10. Sequences and Series
Introduction to Sequences
Limits of Sequences
Geometric Series
Power Series
Taylor Series

Bibliography