Everyday Calculus - by Oscar Fernandez (Paperback)

Book Synopsis

A fun look at calculus in our everyday lives

Calculus. For some of us, the word conjures up memories of ten-pound textbooks and visions of tedious abstract equations. And yet, in reality, calculus is fun and accessible, and surrounds us everywhere we go. In Everyday Calculus, Oscar Fernandez demonstrates that calculus can be used to explore practically any aspect of our lives, including the most effective number of hours to sleep and the fastest route to get to work. He also shows that calculus can be both useful--determining which seat at the theater leads to the best viewing experience, for instance--and fascinating--exploring topics such as time travel and the age of the universe. Throughout, Fernandez presents straightforward concepts, and no prior mathematical knowledge is required. For advanced math fans, the mathematical derivations are included in the appendixes. The book features a new preface that alerts readers to new interactive online content, including demonstrations linked to specific figures in the book as well as an online supplement. Whether you're new to mathematics or already a curious math enthusiast, Everyday Calculus will convince even die-hard skeptics to view this area of math in a whole new way.

From the Back Cover

"Everyday Calculus tracks a day in the life of mathematician Oscar Fernandez, from his morning cup of joe to his night out at the theater, and lets us see the world the way he does: written in equations, the language of nature. He gently guides the reader through the basics of derivatives and integrals, revealing the hidden connections lurking just beneath the surface of our daily lives."--Jennifer Ouellette, author of The Calculus Diaries

"Calculus has played an essential role in the development of engineering, medicine, physics, chemistry, geology, statistics, and a variety of other areas. But where is it in our everyday lives? In this beautiful book, Oscar Fernandez answers that question by noting all of the ways that calculus appears in the world around us, from the coffee cooling on the counter to the rain drops hitting an umbrella. You will never look at daily life in quite the same way again."--Colin Adams, coauthor of How to Ace Calculus

"With a clear style and refreshing approach, this book shows how elementary calculus is relevant to practical day-to-day events familiar to us all."--John Adam, author of X and the City: Modeling Aspects of Urban Life

"A fun and delightful read."--Thomas Garrity, Williams College

Review Quotes

"[T]he book is perfect for a reader who really wants to know what mathematics are governing our lives and who wants to learn and understand or polish up his rusty knowledge of these mathematics."---A. Bultheel, European Mathematical Society

"A delightful read. [Everyday Calculus] will make you laugh and capture your imagination. . . . [A] triumph in the pursuit of the lofty goal of comprehending the world."-- "San Francisco Book Review"

"A very captivating read, and certainly contains something for everyone. . . [E]asy to drop into for individual chapters, or to read when you have a couple hours spare. [Everyday Calculus] will certainly open the eyes of any reader who wishes to appreciate the mathematics and calculus which surrounds us."-- "Mathematics Today"

"American Association for the Advancement of Science's Books for General Audiences and Young Adults"

"Fernandez is a delightfully quirky writer and his bookEveryday Calculusis lighthearted and compelling."-- "New York Journal of Books"

"Fernandez presents a broad array of ordinary events like REM sleep, drinking coffee, commuting to work, setting aside money for retirement, catching a cold, enjoying tandoori chicken, and watching a movie. . . . [T]hen ties each aspect to pertinent mathematics. . . . As the subtitle of the book suggests, the thrust is more one of 'discovering the hidden math all around us' rather than showing 'how mathematics is used, ' which provides an honest and very pleasurable journey."-- "Choice"

"Fernandez's witty, delightful approach makes for a winning introduction to the wonderland of math behind the scenes of everyday life."-- "Publishers Weekly"

"One of American Association for the Advancement of Science's Books for General Audiences and Young Adults 2014"

"The author earnestly and excitedly seeks to make the principles of calculus near and natural, without the intimidation of a five-pound textbook dense with equations. . . . Fernandez invites the reader along on this work day and telegraphs an enthusiasm for seeing calculus, with hints of differential equations, presented to him. This excitement will communicate itself to the math enthusiast becoming acquainted with calculus through the author's style, which is both lively and confident."---Tom Schulte, MAA Reviews

"The book offers in clear and concise fashion much of the material found in a traditional calculus textbook, but presents it beginning with a real world observation and then developing the mathematics needed to understand the observation."-- "AAAS"

"Written in a bright conversational tone, this book wonderfully integrates calculus into everyday life."-- "GrrrlScientist"

"Written in a bright conversational tone, [Everyday Calculus] wonderfully integrates calculus into everyday life."-- "Guardian"

About the Author

Oscar E. Fernandez is assistant professor of mathematics at Wellesley College. He is the author of The Calculus of Happiness (Princeton).