Calculus Any suggestions for good beginner calculus textbooks.

[TheAnt]

Hi, i am looking for a good textbook for someone who knows nothing about calculus.

 

[ebos]

Hi, i am looking for a good textbook for someone who knows nothing about calculus.

Calculus Made Easy by Silvanus P. Thompson

 

[micromass]

Hi, i am looking for a good textbook for someone who knows nothing about calculus.

You need to tell us what you do know and what your longterm goals are.

 

[Joseph Richard]

Well, I don't know, but people here in Brazil at UFRJ uses James Stewart.

 

[micromass]

Yeah, Stewart is about the worst book you can get for calculus, whatever your goals are.

 

[Joseph Richard]

Really? I've heard that it's too basic, now that I remembered
I already know, If you want to know calculus, try Apostol, but remember, you have to know all the subjects of Elementary School II and the High School.

 

[MidgetDwarf]

I would suggest Thomas: Calculus With Analytical Geometry 3rd ed, and Serge Lang's Calculus book. Buy both, they are cheap enough.
Apostol is a great book. However, I would not recommended it to a beginner, unless the student is extremely bright or someone can help them.

 

[Joseph Richard]

Hum... I went to look for, and I found this, I did not go out of the still pre-calculus, now that I went to see my books and have them.

 

[MidgetDwarf]

You are able to read spanish fluently?

Sorry, that appears to be Italian or French. lol I am fluent in both Spanish and English.

 

[micromass]

You are able to read spanish fluently?

You know, reading mathematical texts is very different from usual texts. I am completely certain I can't say a single sentence in spanish. However, I am able to read spanish mathematical texts decently. Given some time and a dictionary, it's pretty easy to fluently read a foreign math book!

 

[Joseph Richard]

This is not Spanish, it's Portuguese, I'm native Portuguese speaker (from Brazil).

 

[MidgetDwarf]

You know, reading mathematical texts is very different from usual texts. I am completely certain I can't say a single sentence in spanish. However, I am able to read spanish mathematical texts decently. Given some time and a dictionary, it's pretty easy to fluently read a foreign math book!

I may try that Differential Equations book by Kamke then. It is German, and I always see it referenced in other books.

 

[MidgetDwarf]

This is not Spanish, it's Portuguese, I'm native Portuguese speaker (from Brazil).

Oh ok, I asked because I know of a very good Calculus book in Spanish. There is also a series of good physics book that are affordable in Spanish, but not English.

 

[TheAnt]

You need to tell us what you do know and what your longterm goals are.

I am in the french system but i think i have igcse/as level mathematics. My goal is simply to apply calculus to physics as i was told it was needed to move on.

 

[micromass]

I am in the french system but i think i have igcse/as level mathematics. My goal is simply to apply calculus to physics as i was told it was needed to move on.

Sorry, but this tells us nothing. I know high school students who can't solve a simple arithmetic problem, and I know of some who are doing general relativity. So you'll need to be more specific.

I understand that you want to be a physicist? Or an engineer? Why is it that you want to learn physics?

 

[TheAnt]

Sorry, but this tells us nothing. I know high school students who can't solve a simple arithmetic problem, and I know of some who are doing general relativity. So you'll need to be more specific.

I understand that you want to be a physicist? Or an engineer? Why is it that you want to learn physics?

Sorry for the lack of precision in my earlier reply. What i want for the moment is just a basic knowledge of calculus as it is tackled much later and in less depth in France than in other countries (eg. England). The main goal is to get on par with the British level once I reach university. As for my current level, it is pretty good in the french system (top marks) but this is without counting the knowledge I lack.

 

[MidgetDwarf]

Sorry for the lack of precision in my earlier reply. What i want for the moment is just a basic knowledge of calculus as it is tackled much later and in less depth in France than in other countries (eg. England). The main goal is to get on par with the British level once I reach university. As for my current level, it is pretty good in the french system (top marks) but this is without counting the knowledge I lack.

What Micromass is asking you, is what mathematics do you know. Ie, do you know algebra, geometry,trig etc. At what level do you know these topics? Ie, trigonometry from a general run of of the mill trig book, or maybe Gelfand, or even better, Loney?

 

[smodak]

The Calculus Lifesaver by Banner
https://www.amazon.com/dp/0691130884/?tag=pfamazon01-20
Also comes with free video instructions.