Jose Monterroso

Math 1210-300

Course Reflection

For me math has always been my favorite subject in school because I enjoy the mental

challenges of solving problems and equations. Calculus completed that and more; I really

enjoyed the class. I believe that calculus is a very important tool, and if you look around its used

everywhere. Computers, engineering, designing, video games, and just about anything else that

requires calculations of functions. In the class I have learned many useful things that are applied

to the real world. For example, the derivative, is used in business to help find the marginal cost

(change in cost/change in unit produced) of products. In physics, they can be used to find the

position, velocity, and acceleration of objects. For video games the derivative is used to find the

line tangent to the curve, that can be used to create the motion of a character, or for bullets in a

first-person shooter. In engineering derivatives are used in mechanical, electrical, and civil

engineering, for dynamics, motion, and transmission. Another useful thing I have learned in

calculus is integration. Integration replaces summation when the things are being summed

continuously. A good example of this is in physics when you are trying to find rotational inertia.

Other great examples are how credit card companies use calculus to set the minimum payments

due on credit card statements at the exact time the statement is processed by considering multiple

variables such as changing interest rates and a fluctuating balance. Also, how biologists use

differential calculus to determine the exact rate of growth in a bacterial or cell culture, architects

use integration to determine the amount of materials necessary to construct a curved dome.

I am planning to go into computer science, but have yet to decide if I want to go into the

visual arts/design or the business side of it. One thing for sure is that calculus helps you to learn
how to reason and explain arguments with technical rigor. It challenges your brain to think

logically, and thats highly necessary in the computer science field. In my field of study calculus

is used a lot, for example, in computer graphics, image processing, and optimization you will

need to know differential geometry, how to work with wavelets, and be able to use the Fourier

transformation. In algorithmic programming, calculus is used to solve certain types of

mathematical problems, using the notion of a limit, or integration. Furthermore, calculus is used

in solving relationships between recursions. But, like I said before the main reason they make

computer science majors take calculus is about sharpening the brain in a way thats helpful for

knowledge absorption, and higher-order thinking and reasoning about complex problems.