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JoeyCentral
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Hello, I am taking integral calculus at the moment at my college, and I was just wondering what is the difference between integral calculus and multivariable calculus?
RJLiberator said:Yes -- The major difference is multiple variables. Usually, universities will focus strongly on the multivariable aspect and assume you have a working knowledge of integration/differentiation once reaching that point.
For many I speak with and from my experience, integral calculus was more difficult then multivariable calculus. Integral calculus is a lot of new topics whereas multivariable is like an extension of them into more dimensions.
Integral calculus is concerned with finding the area under a curve, while multivariable calculus deals with functions of multiple variables.
Yes, while both branches of calculus use some of the same concepts, they each have their own unique techniques for solving problems.
Finding the maximum or minimum value of a function with multiple variables, such as optimizing a production process with multiple inputs, would require multivariable calculus.
In multivariable calculus, derivatives are used to find the slope of a function in multiple dimensions, while integrals are used to calculate the volume under a surface in multiple dimensions.
Yes, integral calculus is a fundamental component of multivariable calculus and provides the necessary foundation for understanding more complex concepts in multivariable calculus.