Calculus Applied!
In this course, we go beyond the calculus textbook, working with practitioners in social, life and physical sciences to understand how calculus and mathematical models play a role in their work.
Through a series of case studies, you’ll learn:
How standardized test makers use functions to analyze the difficulty of test questions;
How economists model interaction of price and demand using rates of change, in a historical case of subway ridership;
How an x-ray is different from a CT-scan, and what this has to do with integrals;
How biologists use differential equation models to predict when populations will experience dramatic changes, such as extinction or outbreaks;
How the Lotka-Volterra predator-prey model was created to answer a biological puzzle;
How statisticians use functions to model data, like income distributions, and how integrals measure chance;
How Einstein’s Energy Equation, E=mc2 is an approximation to a more complicated equation.
With real practitioners as your guide, you’ll explore these situations in a hands-on way: looking at data and graphs, writing equations, doing calculus computations, and making educated guesses and predictions.
This course provides a unique supplement to a course in single-variable calculus. Key topics include application of derivatives, integrals and differential equations, mathematical models and parameters.
This course is for anyone who has completed or is currently taking a single-variable calculus course (differential and integral), at the high school (AP or IB) or college/university level. You will need to be familiar with the basics of derivatives, integrals, and differential equations, as well as functions involving polynomials, exponentials, and logarithms.
This is a course to learn applications of calculus to other fields, and NOT a course to learn the basics of calculus. Whether you’re a student who has just finished an introductory Calculus course or a teacher looking for more authentic examples for your classroom, there is something for you to learn here, and we hope you’ll join us!
What you'll learn
- Authentic examples and case studies of how calculus is applied to problems in other fields
- How to analyze mathematical models, including variables, constants, and parameters
- Appreciation for the assumptions and complications that go into modeling real world situations with mathematics
Get a Reminder
Rating | Not enough ratings |
---|---|
Length | 10 weeks |
Effort | 10 weeks, 3–6 hours per week |
Starts | On Demand (Start anytime) |
Cost | $0 |
From | Harvard University, HarvardX via edX |
Instructors | John Wesley Cain, Juliana Belding, Peter M. Garfield |
Download Videos | On all desktop and mobile devices |
Language | English |
Subjects | Mathematics Science Social Sciences |
Tags | Math Biology & Life Sciences Physics Social Sciences |
Get a Reminder
Similar Courses
Careers
An overview of related careers and their average salaries in the US. Bars indicate income percentile.
Counseling Theories & Models Part-Time Faculty $17k
Mathematical Researcher $46k
Trainer of Evidence Based Models $54k
Co Editor, Mathematical Explorations $68k
Mathematical Statisticians $74k
Prof and Head, Mathematical Sciences $82k
MATHEMATICAL STATISTICIAN EAS $82k
Staff Mathematical Statistician Fellow $118k
Chair, Department of Mathematical and Statistical Sciences $120k
Assistant Adjunct Professor Statistical Models $122k
Senior Mathematical Statistician $123k
Risk Analytics Tools and Models Program Manager $136k
Write a review
Your opinion matters. Tell us what you think.
Please login to leave a review
Rating | Not enough ratings |
---|---|
Length | 10 weeks |
Effort | 10 weeks, 3–6 hours per week |
Starts | On Demand (Start anytime) |
Cost | $0 |
From | Harvard University, HarvardX via edX |
Instructors | John Wesley Cain, Juliana Belding, Peter M. Garfield |
Download Videos | On all desktop and mobile devices |
Language | English |
Subjects | Mathematics Science Social Sciences |
Tags | Math Biology & Life Sciences Physics Social Sciences |
Similar Courses
Sorted by relevance
Like this course?
Here's what to do next:
- Save this course for later
- Get more details from the course provider
- Enroll in this course