Customer Reviews

Calculus (London School of Economics Mathematics)

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This book would also be of considerable value to physicists and engineers, although the primary audience is probably economists. The aproach is a thoroughly modern one of using a linear algebra approach to calculus.

The book makes no pretense about avoiding the formal definition-theorem-proof approach appropriate to a mathematician. It is not intended to be a rigorous approach. Instead, it focuses on geometric intuition and the "whys" as well as the "hows." The many excellent multi-colo(u)r diagrams are extremely helpful in explaining concepts. Although the book says that prerequisites are basic familiarity with single-variable calculus and linear algebra, the review sections on those topics are thorough enough to learn from, as long as the reader is not completely unfamiliar, by working through the carefully constructed exercises. In fact, the first chapter is, in of itself, an excellent primer on linear algebra.

My hope, for the next edition, is that the authors, having beautifully developed the vector calculus of Grad, might extend the development to Div and Curl (along the intuitive lines of Schey - Div, Grad, Curl and All That) to make the book even more appropriate to physicists/engineers.

If you want a crystal-clear exposition of multi-variable calculus, while learning linear algebra at the same time, this is THE book (and there is nothing else like it that I have seen out there). The book is wonderfully laid out, attractive to work through, and the examples and problem sets are first rate. I hesitate to say it, but I believe you will actually really enjoy the topic, whatever your previous misgivings about calculus may have been. If that is true, you will learn a tremendous amount from this book.

Bravo, the authors!

excellent book I used it very easy to follow easy access and will help you if you have some problems with calculus

sophisticatedly simple and effective. very good book for calculus 101, coupled with lang and you are done

While this book is not a textbook per se, it is probably the best book I have ever seen for understanding the concepts of calculus. It takes a different approach than most books. For example the book starts early on with matrices. I found this approach very refreshing. This is also not a 'teach yourself calculus' book. If you have had some calculus courses and would like to either refresh your knowledge, or look deeper into the concepts, this is the book for you.