Are traditional calculus courses missing essential topics?

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In summary, the speaker is a math major who is transitioning to upper level math courses and feels that their community college calculus sequence may have left out important concepts. They plan to review series, vector analysis, Gaussian integral, and Liebniz's integral rule over the summer using the book Apostol. They are also looking for any other necessary or optional topics to study. They are recommended the book Elementary Analysis by Kenneth Ross for beginners and are told that cookie cutter calculus courses typically omit proofs and in-depth explanations.
  • #1
duke_nemmerle
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I'm a math major who is about to have his first brush with transition to upper math courses this coming fall. I took the calculus sequence at a local community college, and when I'm looking at some of the problems here or looking at syllabi of courses I will be taking someday, I get the impression that a lot of necessary things may have been left out of my courses.

I've picked up Apostol to look over this summer; hopefully that will bridge several of the more obvious gaps, particularly those involving any rigour.

Are there any essential things that you'd imagine may be skipped or glossed over in an essentially cookie cutter college calculus course? Some things that are on my checklist to learn over the summer are

A review of series
More vector analysis
Gaussian integral
Liebniz's integral rule

Is that last one usually covered in a traditional sequence or saved until later? I see it in the syllabus of my destination university's real analysis course.

I perpetually feel underprepared, even though I usually wind up doing very well; any additions to a list of necessities or even optional topics are greatly appreciated!
 
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a very good book for the begginner is Elementary analysis by Kenneth Ross. Its rather limited in scope (especially in comparison to the standard, Rudin) and only covers single variable topics. Its divided rather well too, 30 something short chapters that may each correspond to a single lecture. Its also a very inexpensive book at about 40$.
 
  • #3
It is not so much special topics that are omitted from a cookie cutter calc course, but proofs and in depth explanations.

apostol will provide all you need.
 

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