We propose an introduction to the Laplace transform in which Riemann sums are used to approximate the expected net change in a function, assuming that it quantifies a process that can terminate at random. We assume only a basic understanding of probability.

This article describes how a presentation from the point of view of differential operators can be used to (partially) unify the myriad techniques in an introductory course in ordinary differential equations by providing students with a powerful, flexible paradigm that extends into (or from) linear algebra. (Contains 1 footnote.)