Calculus Anton Calculus vs Stewart Calculus for HS Students

[Emmanuel_Euler]

Which textbook is the best for high school students??
anton calculus or stewart calculus?

 

[micromass]

Neither

 

[Emmanuel_Euler]

Neither

why??

 

[romsofia]

I used Stewart's when I started, so I'd say that one. Never heard of Anton, but I'm assuming they're similar.

 

[micromass]

why??

Because both books are awful. I don't know any worse math books than those. There are so many better calculus texts than those.

 

[MidgetDwarf]

Hmm stewart isn't bad. A bit hand wavy, but it is readable. I would use thomas calculus with analytic geometry 3rd ed in conjuction with an older version of stewart. Those books supplement each other nicely. Thomas lacks many visuals (the visuals it does have are excellent), so for a self study class having more geometric visuals can be helpful. Thomas has overall better explanations than stewart. However, stewart explains the chain rule, epsilon delta, and 2 more minor topics better than thomas. Thomas shines in explaining what a derivative is, integral concept, related rates, optimization, solids of revolution etc.

 

[reenmachine]

I would suggest Lang a first course in calculus.I learned calculus from scratch with this book and it was a very fluid read.I skipped the first part of the book and started with the Differentiation section.

I tried to learn calculus with a more rigorous book (Nitecki) at first but I eventually lost sight of the forest for the trees.

Just my experience though, everybody has different abilities and learning style.But I would recommend Lang's book.

 

[jbunniii]

I would suggest Lang a first course in calculus.

I second this recommendation, a very good book. His multivariable calculus book (Calculus of Several Variables) is also excellent. Both books are very clear and well organized, with good arguments to explain why things are true but without becoming too bogged down in rigorous technicalities. And they are not full of unnecessary junk (computer graphics and endlessly repetitive drill problems) like most modern calculus books.

 

[Loststudent22]

I would personally pick something free like pauls calculus notes http://tutorial.math.lamar.edu/Classes/CalcI/CalcI.aspx or paul garrettes notes http://www.math.umn.edu/~garrett/calculus/first_year/notes.pdf

 

[MidgetDwarf]

I second this recommendation, a very good book. His multivariable calculus book (Calculus of Several Variables) is also excellent. Both books are very clear and well organized, with good arguments to explain why things are true but without becoming too bogged down in rigorous technicalities. And they are not full of unnecessary junk (computer graphics and endlessly repetitive drill problems) like most modern calculus books.

Although I typically like Lang's book, I would not recommend it for a high school student.Yes, it is an excellent book,however, Lang's books tend to not have enough exercise to reinforce material. Lang should be use in conjunction with another text. Have you seen Thomas Calculus with Analytical Geometry 3rd ed? Copies an be had under 10 dollars. Heck, even a 5th edition of Stewart is 4 dollars shipped. I would get all 3.

 

[micromass]

Although I typically like Lang's book, I would not recommend it for a high school student.Yes, it is an excellent book,however, Lang's books tend to not have enough exercise to reinforce material. Lang should be use in conjunction with another text. Have you seen Thomas Calculus with Analytical Geometry 3rd ed? Copies an be had under 10 dollars. Heck, even a 5th edition of Stewart is 4 dollars shipped. I would get all 3.

I disagree. Lang has enough exercises to understand the material and to reinforce it. I think Lang's book alone is definitely enough for a first course. Rubbish books like Stewart, Anton or Thomas are not necessary. Besides, a smart student can always make his own exercises, they're not so difficult to construct since they're basically always the same thing.

 

[MidgetDwarf]

I disagree. Lang has enough exercises to understand the material and to reinforce it. I think Lang's book alone is definitely enough for a first course. Rubbish books like Stewart, Anton or Thomas are not necessary. Besides, a smart student can always make his own exercises, they're not so difficult to construct since they're basically always the same thing.

The Older editions of Thomas are not rubbish. The newer editions are nothing like the older versions. It is entirely a different book. Do you own the third edition with analytical geometry? Wondering why you think this a terrible mathbook. It gets Mathwonk seal of approval.

 

[micromass]

The Older editions of Thomas are not rubbish. The newer editions are nothing like the older versions. It is entirely a different book. Do you own the third edition with analytical geometry? Wondering why you think this a terrible mathbook. It gets Mathwonk seal of approval.

And I don't agree with everything mathwonk says.

 

[MidgetDwarf]

You havnt answered the question. Have you worked, read, taught out of and older version of Thomas Calculus with Analytical Geometry?

 

[micromass]

Yes. I didn't like the book.

 

[Emmanuel_Euler]

Because both books are awful. I don't know any worse math books than those. There are so many better calculus texts than those.

please tell me where can i find these (many better calculus texts)??PLEASE.

 

[micromass]

please tell me where can i find these (many better calculus texts)??PLEASE.

Lang calculus is the best text you could wish for when first learning calculus. I don't think the number of exercises is a problem, but if it is a problem for you, then you could always supplement it with a different book, or with an exercise book like Schaum's outline.
Also see the last post of https://www.physicsforums.com/threads/how-to-self-study-mathematics.804404/

 

[Emmanuel_Euler]

Lang calculus is the best text you could wish for when first learning calculus. I don't think the number of exercises is a problem, but if it is a problem for you, then you could always supplement it with a different book, or with an exercise book like Schaum's outline.
Also see the last post of https://www.physicsforums.com/threads/how-to-self-study-mathematics.804404/

thank you so much.

 

[Emmanuel_Euler]

now i have lang calculus.
thank you my friends.

 

[micromass]

now i have lang calculus.
thank you my friends.

Please, do keep us informed on how you like it (or not)!

 

[Emmanuel_Euler]

I like it.
thank you so much micromass.and all who helped me.

 

[bacte2013]

Dear Emmanuel_Euler,

I do not know if this is already too late, but "Calculus with Analytic Geometry" by George Simmons is also extremely good book, even better than Serge Lang's A First Course in Calculus (I own them both). Simmons's book gives very clear explanation, both theoretical and intuitive approaches, and wide range of problems to increase the understanding; it also covers both single-variable and multi-variable calculus. Although one biggest advantage is its price, I strongly think the contents of the book stands more than its price. I recommend you to check this book out!

 

[micromass]

Dear Emmanuel_Euler,

I do not know if this is already too late, but "Calculus with Analytic Geometry" by George Simmons is also extremely good book, even better than Serge Lang's A First Course in Calculus (I own them both). Simmons's book gives very clear explanation, both theoretical and intuitive approaches, and wide range of problems to increase the understanding; it also covers both single-variable and multi-variable calculus. Although one biggest advantage is its price, I strongly think the contents of the book stands more than its price. I recommend you to check this book out!

Simmons is a very good writer. I have not yet seen his calculus book, but (judging from his other books), it would indeed be quite nice.

 

[Emmanuel_Euler]

Dear Emmanuel_Euler,

I do not know if this is already too late, but "Calculus with Analytic Geometry" by George Simmons is also extremely good book, even better than Serge Lang's A First Course in Calculus (I own them both). Simmons's book gives very clear explanation, both theoretical and intuitive approaches, and wide range of problems to increase the understanding; it also covers both single-variable and multi-variable calculus. Although one biggest advantage is its price, I strongly think the contents of the book stands more than its price. I recommend you to check this book out!

it is not a problem . next month i will buy it.

 

[lonely_nucleus]

it is not a problem . next month i will buy it.

Will you finish reading a big book like Langs in a month? I would be impressed if you did because it would take me 3 months to read a book of around 1000 pages.

 

[Emmanuel_Euler]

Will you finish reading a big book like Langs in a month? I would be impressed if you did because it would take me 3 months to read a book of around 1000 pages.

wow! 3 months.i love reading books specially calculus books.

 

[Billioville]

From my experience, the best books on Calculus are in order,
James Stewart, Soo Tan, followed by Thomas' Calculus and Howard Anton. The first 2 are excellent in that the proofs are presented well with no need to read in between.
I would mention Robert Minton, then Robert Adams'&Essex book as good reference books.
The point is to understand the material and I would not recommend stuff like Spivak, Lang, Apostol or any other old school books as they might even discourage you as they are a bit cumbersome and to most people overwhelming.

 

[Emmanuel_Euler]

WoW! Do you have all this books?
You are right.
if i ask some one he usually tell me that stewart is better than anton.

 

[Billioville]

I do have all of them, so I would advise you to go with James Stewart and Soo Tan.

 

[brocks]

If you read this forum for a while, you will see that there is a fairly small number of prolific posters, who always give the same answer to your question, which has been asked a thousand times.

Some posters here are mathematicians, and either never knew (because of their extremely high aptitude) or have forgotten what it was like to be struggling to learn calculus. They dismiss almost all of the most popular textbooks as garbage. Some even recommend Spivak or Apostol as a first calculus text.

But there has to be a reason that Stewart is used by hundreds of universities for freshman calculus, and Spivak or Apostol is only used for honors courses, or for students at the likes of MIT and CalTech. The common denominator for the classes using Spivak or Apostol is that very few students in those classes are seeing calculus for the first time.

Stewart, Anton, Larson, Adams, etc. are all popular texts, and all cover the same material in pretty much the same sequence. They would not keep coming out with new editions, and would not be used in so many universities, if they were garbage. The one that is best for you is the one you find easiest to understand, but I would recommend buying old, cheap editions of several of them (any calculus text written in the last 50 years covers the same material), so if something from one author doesn't click, you can see a slightly different approach from another author. If you skim through any of those texts and just do the drill problems, you won't learn much. If you work hard with any of those texts, making sure you understand all the proofs, and doing as many problems as you can from the end of the problem sets rather than the beginning, you will get a first class background in calculus, and be ready for any second year text.

 

[Billioville]

If you read this forum for a while, you will see that there is a fairly small number of prolific posters, who always give the same answer to your question, which has been asked a thousand times.

Some posters here are mathematicians, and either never knew (because of their extremely high aptitude) or have forgotten what it was like to be struggling to learn calculus. They dismiss almost all of the most popular textbooks as garbage. Some even recommend Spivak or Apostol as a first calculus text.

But there has to be a reason that Stewart is used by hundreds of universities for freshman calculus, and Spivak or Apostol is only used for honors courses, or for students at the likes of MIT and CalTech. The common denominator for the classes using Spivak or Apostol is that very few students in those classes are seeing calculus for the first time.

Stewart, Anton, Larson, Adams, etc. are all popular texts, and all cover the same material in pretty much the same sequence. They would not keep coming out with new editions, and would not be used in so many universities, if they were garbage. The one that is best for you is the one you find easiest to understand, but I would recommend buying old, cheap editions of several of them (any calculus text written in the last 50 years covers the same material), so if something from one author doesn't click, you can see a slightly different approach from another author. If you skim through any of those texts and just do the drill problems, you won't learn much. If you work hard with any of those texts, making sure you understand all the proofs, and doing as many problems as you can from the end of the problem sets rather than the beginning, you will get a first class background in calculus, and be ready for any second year text.

Excellent observation!

 

[Emmanuel_Euler]

I do have all of them, so I would advise you to go with James Stewart and Soo Tan.

Thank you for the advise.