What Are Recommended Calculus Books for Self-Study?

[Ben09]

I'm a college student needing to take calculus 2 this fall. However, I have not taken calc 1, so since I'm good at teaching myself I'm planning on giving myself a crash course in the material covered in calc 1 over this summer. Can anyone recommend a good calculus book for someone who's fairly good at math but has limited experience with calc? Thanks!

 

[sEsposito]

Hm.. It's going to be pretty hard for you to excel in calc II without taking calc I, frankly, I'm not sure how you even got enrolled into a calc II class without having calc I under your belt, but it's not my business.

There's a book called the calculus life saver, which may be of interest to you. Hope this helps.

 

[Dickfore]

PROTIP:
Rules for differentiation:

1. derivative of a constant
   In general, if [itex]f(.)[/itex] does not depend explicitly on some variable, say [itex]x[/itex] it's derivative is zero:
   [tex]
   \frac{d}{d x}\left(C\right) = 0
   [/tex]
2. derivative with respect to the argument:
   [tex]
   \frac{d x}{d x} = 1
   [/tex]
3. rule of sums
   [tex]
   \frac{d}{d x}\left[ f(x) + g(x) \right] = \frac{d f(x)}{dx} + \frac{d g(x)}{dx}
   [/tex]
4. product tule
   [tex]
   \frac{d}{d x}\left[ f(x) \cdot g(x) \right] = \frac{d f(x)}{dx} \cdot g(x) + f(x) \cdot \frac{d g(x)}{dx}
   [/tex]
5. chain rule
   [tex]
   \frac{d}{d x} \left( f[g(x)] \right) = \left. \frac{d f(u)}{du} \right|_{u = g(x)} \cdot \frac{d g(x)}{d x}
   [/tex]
6. derivative of the exponential function
   [tex]
   \frac{d \exp(x)}{dx} = \exp(x)
   [/tex]

Using the above, see if you can derive the following:

1. Quotient rule
   [tex]
   \frac{d}{d x}\left( \frac{f(x)}{g(x)}\right) = \frac{f'(x) \, g(x) - f(x) \, g'(x)}{[g(x)]^{2}}
   [/tex]
2. Derivative of a power function:
   [tex]
   \frac{d}{d x}\left( x^{\alpha} \right) = \alpha \, x^{\alpha - 1}, \ \alpha \in \mathbf{R}
   [/tex]
3. Derivative of an inverse function
   [tex]
   y = f(x) \Rightarrow x = f^{-1}(y)
   [/tex]
   
   [tex]
   f[f^{-1}(x)] = x
   [/tex]
   
   [tex]
   \frac{d}{d x}\left( f^{-1}(x) \right) = \frac{1}{f'[f^{-1}(x)]}
   [/tex]
4. Derivative of a logarithm
   [tex]
   (\log_{a} {x})' = \frac{1}{x \, \ln{a}}
   [/tex]
5. Derivative of trigonometric functions
   Using Euler's identity:
   [tex]
   e^{\textup{i} \, x} = \cos{x} + \textup{i} \, \sin{x}
   [/tex]
   
   and taking the real and imaginary part of the derivative, prove:
   [tex]
   \begin{array}{l}
   (\cos{x})' = -\sin{x} \\
   
   (\sin{x})' = \cos{x}
   \end{array}
   [/tex]
   
6. Find the derivative of
   [tex]
   x^{x}
   [/tex]

 

[Char. Limit]

Shouldn't you include the definition of a derivative before introducing the rules for it? Just a thought...

[tex]\frac{d f\left(x\right)}{dx}= \text{lim}_{h\rightarrow0} \frac{f\left(x+h\right)-f\left(x\right)}{h}[/tex]

To solve it, you first have to eliminate h from the denominator.

 

[CellCoree]

I would highly recommend that you take the time to properly learn the material covered in calculus 1 rather than trying to rush through it with a crash course. Calculus is a fundamental and complex subject, and trying to teach yourself the material in a short amount of time may not provide a solid foundation for calculus 2.

That being said, if you are determined to teach yourself calculus 1 over the summer, I suggest finding a book that has a clear and concise explanation of the concepts and plenty of practice problems. Some popular calculus books for self-study include "Calculus: Early Transcendentals" by James Stewart, "Calculus" by Michael Spivak, and "Calculus" by Ron Larson and Bruce Edwards.

However, I would also recommend seeking additional resources such as online lectures, practice exams, and tutoring services to supplement your self-study. It is important to have a thorough understanding of the material in order to succeed in calculus 2 and beyond. Good luck in your studies!