Brief Calculus Solving Problems in Business, Economics, and the Social and Behavioral Sciences

Audience In preparing to write this text, we talked with many colleagues who teach a brief or applied math course to find out if they experienced the same difficulties in teaching this course_ that we have encountered. What we learned is that while there is some similarity in the topics covered and in how much time is spent on each area, there is remarkable uniformity in the needs of students who enroll in these diverse courses. Professors at Community Colleges, Universities, and Liberal Arts Colleges all told us that their students are generally unmotivated, unsure of their algebra skills, uncomfortable with translating English into mathematics, and unschooled in how to set up problems for solution. Armed with this knowledge, we prepared the second edition ofBrief Calculusto address these fundamental needs. As with other applied calculus textbooks, our text may be used in either a one or two term course for students majoring in economics, business, or social or behavioral sciences. We have organized the topics for maximum flexibility so that the text may be adapted to any college or university's curriculum. However, that is where the similarity ends. We have crafted this book around five key principles designed to address students' needs: Present the mathematics in language that students can read and understand Teach good problem solving techniques and provide ample practice Use real data applications to keep it interesting Provide timely reinforcement of algebra and other essential skills Let instructors decide whether to incorporate technology Present the Mathematics in Language That Students Can Read and Understand By writing this text in a conversational, easy-to-read style, we strive to evoke the one-on-one communication of a tutorial session. When students find that they can understand the clear presentation and follow the interesting, real world examples, we believe they will get into the habit of reading the text. Although we have written a text that is accessible, we have been careful not to sacrifice the proper depth of coverage and necessary rigor required of applied calculus. We are confident both objectives have been met. Teach Good Problem Solving Techniques and Provide Ample Practice Problem Solving Sections A new feature of the Second Edition is the addition of dedicated problem solving sections. Before explaining how to solve an entire class of problems, we provide a special section that demonstrates how to apply the appropriate mathematical tools to analyze a given type of problem. For example Section 1.2,Introduction to Problem Solving,introduces our general approach to problem solving and then explores mathematical models and their properties, and how numerical solutions to mathematical models are interpreted. Section 2.3--Problem Solving: Rates of Changeconnects the average rate of change and secant line slope to instantaneous rate of change and tangent line slope using numerical and graphical techniques. Section 6.4--Problem Solving: Integral Calculus and Total Accumulationexplains how the definite integral can be used, given a rate of change function, to determine a continuous sum. Many of the exercises in these problem solving sections prepare students for subsequent sections because they introduce exercises that are solved later in the textbook. Problem Solving Method New to the second edition,our clearly developed problem solving method is the single most distinctive, and user-friendly feature of the book. Frequently, applied mathematics instructors hear students comment that "I don't even know how to begin this problem." or "If the problem was just set up for me, I could solve it." Because skills such as setting up problems and writing the solution in its proper context can be a major challenge for applied calArmstrong, Bill is the author of 'Brief Calculus Solving Problems in Business, Economics, and the Social and Behavioral Sciences', published 2002 under ISBN 9780130655912 and ISBN 0130655910.