Calculus for the Practical Man

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...