The Six Pillars of Calculus: Business Edition

Book excerpt: The Six Pillars of Calculus: Business Edition is a conceptual and practical introduction to differential and integral calculus for use in a one- or two-semester course. By boiling calculus down to six common-sense ideas, the text invites students to make calculus an integral part of how they view the world. Each pillar is introduced by tackling and solving a challenging, realistic problem. This engaging process of discovery encourages students to wrestle with the material and understand the reasoning behind the techniques they are learning—to focus on when and why to use the tools of calculus, not just on how to apply formulas. Modeling and differential equations are front and center. Solutions begin with numerical approximations; derivatives and integrals emerge naturally as refinements of those approximations. Students use and modify computer programs to reinforce their understanding of each algorithm. The Business Edition of the Six Pillars series has been extensively field-tested at the University of Texas. It features hundreds of examples and problems designed specifically for business students. The core ideas are introduced by modeling market penetration of a new product, tracking changes in the national debt, and maximizing the profit of a business. Along the way, students learn about present value, consumer and producer surplus, amortization, and probability.