An integral, either definite or improper, cannot always be computed by elementary methods, such as reversed usage of differentiation formulae. Graphical properties, in particular symmetries, can be useful to compute the integral, via an auxiliary computation. We present graded examples, then prove a general result. (Contains 4 figures.)

The sequence 1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13, 21, ..., known as Fibonacci sequence, has a long history and special importance in mathematics. This sequence came about as a solution to the famous rabbits' problem posed by Fibonacci in his landmark book, "Liber abaci" (1202). If the "n"th term of Fibonacci sequence is denoted by [f][subscript n], then it may…

In the seventh century, around 650 A.D., the Indian mathematician Brahmagupta came up with a remarkable formula expressing the area E of a cyclic quadrilateral in terms of the lengths a, b, c, d of its sides. In his formula E = [square root](s-a)(s-b)(s-c)(s-d), s stands for the semiperimeter 1/2(a+b+c+d). The fact that Brahmagupta's formula is…

The normal equations discussed in this paper for a least-squares parabolic fit have a unique solution if and only if there are at least three different x-values in the observations. This requirement is satisfied by most real sets of quantitative observations. For particular data sets, the appropriateness of parabolic fits should be assessed with…

In this paper, the author looks at some classic problems in mathematics that involve motion in the plane. Many case problems like these are difficult and beyond the mathematical skills of most undergraduates, but computational approaches often require less insight into the subtleties of the problems and can be used to obtain reliable solutions.…

For those instructors lacking artistic skills, teaching 3-dimensional calculus can be a challenge. Although some instructors spend a great deal of time working on their illustrations, trying to get them just right, students nevertheless often have a difficult time understanding some of them. To address this problem, the author has written a series…

In this article, the author takes up the special trinomial (1 + x + x[squared])[superscript n] and shows that the coefficients of its expansion are entries of a Pascal-like triangle. He also shows how to calculate these entries recursively and explicitly. This article could be used in the classroom for enrichment. (Contains 1 table.)