Learn Calculus with Python - by Nick McIntyre (Paperback)

Book Synopsis

See calculus in action with Python, visualization, and real-world applications.

Maybe you took calculus once. Maybe you remember derivatives, integrals, and something about the slope of a tangent line. Did any of it make sense?

Learn Calculus with Python puts calculus in motion. You see what a derivative does before you learn the rule for it.

You'll write simple Python programs, experiment in Jupyter Notebooks, and watch mathematical ideas unfold on screen. You start by programming a virtual turtle, and as you shrink its steps you arrive at limits, derivatives, integrals, and finally the Fundamental Theorem of Calculus. Throughout the book you move between the math and approximations you can run, and each side makes the other clearer.

Once the fundamentals are solid, the second half takes you into the tools applied mathematicians reach for most. You'll model supply and demand with derivatives. Simulate swarming behavior with differential equations. Transform geometry with linear algebra. Watch a dynamical system tip into chaos. Build a neural network and its backpropagation from scratch. Take apart signals with Fourier transforms. More than 200 exercises give you room to tinker.

If calculus has always felt like a bag of mysterious rules, this is where you find out what those rules describe.

Run the code. Watch the math move.

Requires basic algebra and geometry (an appendix covers what you need). No programming experience required.

Review Quotes

"Learn Calculus with Python is an engaging and unique primer for those eager to learn calculus in an intuitive and useful way. Beyond covering the basics of calculus and Python, Nick discusses how to translate clean mathematical equations into numerical approximations that can be solved by a computer. He introduces many real-world examples to help readers understand and appreciate mathematics better. I highly recommend this book for readers of all ages interested in learning (or re-learning) calculus."--Mark Z. Jacobson, Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Stanford University"This well-thought-out book about calculus, applied math, and Python programming is an accessible introduction that provides learners with a solid analytical foundation. McIntyre's clear writing style demystifies complex topics with exercises that guide the reader through the learning objectives. The book is designed to foster agency and build confidence in applying advanced math through Python tools. A must-have for any student who learns best by doing!"--James Schmitz, Artist and Author of the py5 Creative Coding Framework

About the Author

Nick McIntyre is an experienced educator who designs learning experiences around clarity, intuition, and curiosity. His background in teaching mathematics, robotics, and computer science informs an approach that treats calculus as something to be explored and understood--not endured.