What are the top recommended books for mastering Calculus?

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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around recommendations for books to study Calculus, including both academic texts and those with historical context. Participants share personal experiences and suggest various authors and titles that may be beneficial for mastering the subject.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory
  • Technical explanation
  • Debate/contested

Main Points Raised

  • Some participants recommend Stewart's Calculus in conjunction with Spivak's Calculus for a comprehensive understanding.
  • Others suggest that the best books depend on individual circumstances and local community college offerings for undergraduate courses.
  • Several authors are mentioned as potential sources for good undergraduate Calculus textbooks, including Larson & Hostetler, Aufman, and Edwards.
  • There is a distinction made between books focusing on computational techniques, theoretical foundations, and applications of Calculus, with Courant's Calculus and Thomas's Calculus being highlighted for their respective focuses.
  • Some participants mention the importance of finding a book that resonates personally, suggesting visiting a library to explore options.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants express a variety of opinions on the best books for studying Calculus, indicating that there is no consensus on a single recommended text. Multiple competing views remain regarding the most effective resources.

Contextual Notes

Participants note that recommendations may vary based on academic context, such as the specific curriculum of different colleges and universities.

Who May Find This Useful

Students seeking to learn Calculus, educators looking for textbook recommendations, and individuals interested in the historical context of Calculus may find this discussion useful.

José Ricardo
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What are the best book to study Calculus? And there is a academic book with History of Calculus? I would like recommendations. I appreciate all.
 
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I personally found working through Stewart's Calculus along side Spivak's Calculus to be the best. Stewart has tons of problems and you can find all the solutions online and Spivak provides a more comprehensive coverage of topics. Both of them have helped me do well in undergraduate degree.
 
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Hmm... Thanks, Safder!
If someone wants to add something more, feel free.
 
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Just learning Calculus , then what books are best depends where you are. Local community colleges have (best bet) usually the right textbooks for semesters 1, 2, 3 for undergraduate Calculus.
 
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symbolipoint said:
Just learning Calculus , then what books are best depends where you are. Local community colleges have (best bet) usually the right textbooks for semesters 1, 2, 3 for undergraduate Calculus.

My college uses Stewart. I didn't think by this POV.
Thanks, Simboli!
 
Other authors also write good undergraduate Calculus textbooks. Some authors may be Larson & Hostetler; Larson, Hostetler & Edwards; Aufman. Other members would have other suggestions.
 
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Thanks a lot again, Simboli.
 
What are the best books of Calculu that are used in the best universities there in the U.S?
 
José Ricardo said:
What are the best books of Calculu that are used in the best universities there in the U.S?
One would guess that none of them would apply to you (checking your postings and checking your profile).
Regardless of that, you would expect to find textbooks by the authors:
  • Larson & Hostetler
  • Aufman, Barker, & Nation
  • Larson, Hostetler, & Edwards
  • James Stewart
probably others too, depending on what the departments at the colleges and universities choose.
 
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  • #10
symbolipoint said:
One would guess that none of them would apply to you (checking your postings and checking your profile).
Regardless of that, you would expect to find textbooks by the authors:
  • Larson & Hostetler
  • Aufman, Barker, & Nation
  • Larson, Hostetler, & Edwards
  • James Stewart
probably others too, depending on what the departments at the colleges and universities choose.

I think because my academic reality is different from these universities? My university uses Stewart.
 
  • #11
Moise: Calculus.

Everything is build upon from the basics. It has some rough spots, but everything is written clearly.
 
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  • #12
there are books that focus on computational techniques and books that focus more on the theoretical basis for the calculus. then there are books that offer applications of the calculus. the one book that has all of these is courant's calculus. a classic work focusing more on applications and computations is thomas's calculus, preferably an early edition, and a book focusing mostly on theory is spivak's calculus.

there are also books that try to make it as easy as possible, like "calculus made easy" by silvanus p thompson. a good modern book with mostly computations is stewart's calculus, preferably maybe the 2nd or 3rd edition. also edwards and penney preferably an early edition.

if you can invest the time needed to master them, go for the books in the first paragraph above. another practical approach is to go to a library and see which book speaks most clearly to you.
 
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