Page 17 - Calculus Workbook For Dummies

Introduction

f you’ve already bought this book or are thinking about buying it, it’s probably too late —
Itoo late, that is, to change your mind and get the heck out of calculus. (If you’ve still got
a chance to break free, get out and run for the hills!) Okay, so you’re stuck with calculus;
you’re past the point of no return. Is there any hope? Of course! For starters, buy this gem
of a book and my other classic, Calculus For Dummies. In both books, you find calculus
explained in plain English with a minimum of technical jargon. Calculus For Dummies covers
topics in greater depth. Calculus Workbook For Dummies gives you the opportunity to
master the calculus topics you study in class or in Calculus For Dummies through a couple
hundred practice problems that will leave you giddy with the joy of learning . . . or pulling
your hair out.
In all seriousness, calculus is not nearly as difficult as you’d guess from its reputation. It’s a
logical extension of algebra and geometry, and many calculus topics can be easily under-
stood when you see the algebra and geometry that underlie them.

It should go without saying that regardless of how well you think you understand calculus,
you won’t fully understand it until you get your hands dirty by actually doing problems. On
that score, you’ve come to the right place.

About This Book

Calculus Workbook For Dummies, like Calculus For Dummies, is intended for three groups of
readers: high school seniors or college students in their first calculus course, students who’ve
taken calculus but who need a refresher to get ready for other pursuits, and adults of all ages
who want to practice the concepts they learned in Calculus For Dummies or elsewhere.
Whenever possible, I bring the calculus here down to earth by showing its connections to basic
algebra and geometry. Many calculus problems look harder than they actually are because
they contain so many fancy, foreign-looking symbols. When you see that the problems aren’t
that different from related algebra and geometry problems, they become far less intimidating.

I supplement the problem explanations with tips, shortcuts, and mnemonic devices. Often, a
simple tip or memory trick can make it much easier to learn and retain a new, difficult concept.

Conventions Used in This Book

This book uses certain conventions:
Variables are in italics.
Important math terms are often in italics and defined when necessary.
In the solution section, I’ve given your eyes a rest and not bolded all the numbered
steps as is typical in For Dummies books.
Extra hard problems are marked with an asterisk. You may want to skip these if you’re
prone to cerebral hemorrhaging.