Expert: Paul Klarreich - 2/14/2006

Question
Hi Paul, I don't actually have one question in Calculus but rather if you know a web source that might help me learn the very basics in calculus. I have a class at Arizona State University where they apparently have an aversion to hiring English speaking math teachers and I can not understand mine. The book also sucks and the teacher actually agrees on that. I asked her if there is a better one and she said the library should have some good ones. The library actually has 862 books on calculus and I don't have the time nor the expertise to go through 862 books to find a better one.

One thing that would also make this easier to learn this is if I could find a reason we are learning this other then just converting to another faith, that being mathematics. In class there have been references to business and in my many years of business, (I am a returning student) I have never seen a need for this. Basically you need to know that you did better today then yesterday, better this week then last, better his month then last and better this year then last and a percentage would be nice. I don't need calculus to show me any of that. (It does kind of sound like our national economy is based on a pyramid scheme though, doesn't it)

Can you help me?

Thanks, Chuck


Answer
Hi, Chuck,
You wrote:
Chuck Asks in Category Calculus:
Subject:  Brief calc
Question:  Hi Paul, I don't actually have one question in Calculus but rather if you know a web source that might help me learn the very basics in calculus. I have a class at Arizona State University where they apparently have an aversion to hiring English speaking math teachers and I can not understand mine. The book also sucks and the teacher actually agrees on that. I asked her if there is a better one and she said the library should have some good ones. The library actually has 862 books on calculus and I don't have the time nor the expertise to go through 862 books to find a better one.

One thing that would also make this easier to learn this is if I could find a reason we are learning this other then just converting to another faith, that being mathematics. In class there have been references to business and in my many years of business, (I am a returning student) I have never seen a need for this. Basically you need to know that you did better today then yesterday, better this week then last, better his month then last and better this year then last and a percentage would be nice. I don't need calculus to show me any of that. (It does kind of sound like our national economy is based on a pyramid scheme though, doesn't it)

Can you help me?

Thanks, Chuck
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Sorry about the poor quality of your instructor's diction; that happens more often than college presidents like to admit.  Unfortunately, some of the ones who speak English well aren't very good teachers, either.  You could always attend someone else's class, too, as long as you keep up with your instructor's requirements.

While I was teaching Calculus, the best texts, in my opinion, was the Larson-Hostetler series.  [I have a copy at home, but I am not at home now, so I am not sure of the exact spelling of the second author.  Maybe Hostetler was the quarterback on the 1991 Giants team that won the super bowl.]

There should be used copies of that around, and you might try to obtain the complete solutions manual, in three volumes.  Keep in mind that you don't read a math book the way you read a novel.  Figure about 15 minutes a page, making sure you do all the illustrative examples yourself.

As to your opinions on the national economy, that is outside my expertise, but I always believed that there were many other reasons for studying mathematics besides just knowing how to solve certain problems.  There is a certain mental discipline that I believe only comes from studying mathematics.  

Anyway, good luck and feel free to send tough problems my way.  I might have taught them.