Calculus for the Practical Man

by J.E. Thompson

CALCULUS For the Practical Man by J. E. THOMPSON. Originally published in 1931. PREFACE: THIS book on simplified calculus is one of a series designed by the author and publisher for the reader with an interest in the meaning and simpler technique of mathematical science, and for those who wish to obtain a practical mastery of some of the more usual and directly useful branches of the science without the aid of a teacher. Like the other books in the series it is the outgrowth of the author's experience with students such as those mentioned and the demand experienced by the publisher for books which may be read as well as studied. One of the outstanding features of the book is the use of the method of rates instead of the method of limits. To the conven tional teacher of mathematics, whose students work for a college degree and look toward the modern theory of functions, the author hastens to say that for their purposes the limit method is the only method which can profitably be used. To the readers contem plated in the preparation of this book, however, the notion of a limit and any method of calculation based upon it always seem artificial and not hi any way connected with the familiar ideas of numbers, algebraic symbolism or natural phenomena. On the other hand, the method of rates seems a direct application of the principle which such a reader has often heard mentioned as the extension of arithmetic and algebra with which he must become acquainted before he can perform calculations which involve changing quantities. The familiarity of examples of changing quantities in every-day life also makes it a simple matter to in troduce the terminology of the calculus; teachers and readers will recall the difficulty encountered in this connection in more formal treatments. The scope and range of the book are evident from the table of contents. The topics usually found in books on the calculus but not appearing here are omitted in conformity with the plan of the book as stated in the first paragraph above. An attempt has been made to approach the several parts of the subject as naturally and directly as possible, to show as clearly as possible the unity and continuity of the subject as a whole, to show what the calculus is all about and how it is used, and to present the material in as simple, straightforward and informal a style as it will permit. It is hoped thus that the book will be of the greatest interest and usefulness to the readers mentioned above. The first edition of this book was prepared before the other volumes of the series were written and the arrangement of the material in this volume was not the same as in the others. In this revised edition the arrangement has been changed somewhat so that it is now the same in all the volumes of the series.

Genres: Mathematics, Science, Calculus, Stem, Nonfiction, Textbooks

364 pages, Kindle Edition

First published March 15, 2007

About the author

James Edgar Thompson

Reviews

[Chayan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Perfect for a thorough review of high school calculus. Specifically liked the last bonus chapter The natural law of growth and the number e, where it takes an interesting take on the exponential growth and its relationship with logarithms, hyperbolic functions and pi.

Not 5 star, because a couple of topics were not substantiated very well. Those topics, however, can easily be argued to be beyond the scope of the book, but in that case I felt the proof should have been completely left out instead of having provided a flimsy one.

Nevertheless, it was a pretty interesting read.

[Vikas Khaitan · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have wanted to brush up on my high-school calculus for a long time and kept trying several books, but was finding it difficult to grasp the basics as they are always presented in a confusing manner. But once I started reading this book published in 1945, I could not really keep it down, as it explained the very basics in a step-by-step method. I enjoyed and relished it like a novel for two weeks, with a very easy to read language usage for a book on calculus. I highly recommend this book if you find calculus a bit difficult to understand. I think, the best aspect of the book are the various illustrated solved examples within each chapter, which make the concepts really understandable. I did not need to do the end of the chapter exercises, but if you are in high school, then I would recommend you practice the questions as well. One of the best books I have read in a long time.

[Ugur Gunduz · Rating 5 out of 5]

I wish I would have read this book before I took Math 151 course in the Middle East Technical University.

[glenn merrell anderson · Rating 1 out of 5]

Terrible

Looks like each page was a poor photocooy. No dictionary, typeface, or other kindle features. Even the English grammar and spelling was erratic. I searched in vain for an opportunity to cancel as purchased by mistake.

[Leto]

Does anyone have the book in the EU and willing to sell?

[Chris · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ok-ish. Pre-limits which makes it difficult to apply to modern calculus

[Calvin · Rating 4 out of 5]

The best of the series, but I guess that is because I like calculus. The last chapter had some interesting content and overall this is an interesting approach to calculus.

[Jason Wheeler · Rating 5 out of 5]

The content of this book contains material that is capable of restructuring your mind in profound ways. Through the methods of calculus, one is able to consider natural phenomenon as a sequence of instantaneous moments. Thompson does an exquisite job of articulating the power of calculus in a way any person could appreciate.

[Gary · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent calculus book for practical use.