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Preface
Calculus isn't a hard subject.
Algebra is hard. I still remember
my encounter with algebra. It
was my rst taste of abstraction in
mathematics, and it gave me quite
a few black eyes and bloody noses.
Geometry is hard. For most people,
geometry is the rst time they
have to do proofs using formal, axiomatic
reasoning.
I teach physics for a living. Physics
is hard. There's a reason that people
believed Aristotle's bogus version
of physics for centuries: it's
because the real laws of physics are
counterintuitive.
Calculus, on the other hand, is a
very straightforward subject that
rewards intuition, and can be easily
visualized. Silvanus Thompson,
author of one of the most popular
calculus texts ever written, opined
that \considering how many fools
can calculate, it is surprising that
it should be thought either a di-
cult or a tedious task for any other
fool to master the same tricks."
Since I don't teach calculus, I can't
require anyone to read this book.
For that reason, I've written it so
that you can go through it and
get to the dessert course without
having to eat too many Brussels
sprouts and Lima beans along
the way. The development of any
mathematical subject involves a
large number of boring details that
have little to do with the main
thrust of the topic. These details
I've relegated to a chapter in the
back of the book, and the reader
who has an interest in mathematics
as a career | or who enjoys a
nice heavy pot roast before moving
on to dessert | will want to read
those details when the main text
suggests the possibility of a detour.
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