Most people learn to drive without knowing how the engine works. In a similar vein, the author believes that students can learn economics without knowing the algebra and calculus underlying the results. If instructors follow the philosophy of other economics courses in using graphs to illustrate the results, and draw the graphs accurately, then…

Three major techniques are employed to calculate [pi]. Namely, (i) the perimeter of polygons inscribed or circumscribed in a circle, (ii) calculus based methods using integral representations of inverse trigonometric functions, and (iii) modular identities derived from the transformation theory of elliptic integrals. This note presents a…

In this pedagogical article, I explore a unified approach in obtaining the derivatives of functions and their inverses by adopting a guided self-discovery approach. I begin by finding the derivative of the exponential functions and the derivative of their inverses, the logarithmic functions. I extend this approach to generate formulae for the…

An elementary method, based on the use of complex variables, is proposed for solving the equation of motion of a simple harmonic oscillator. The method is first applied to the equation of motion for an undamped oscillator and it is then extended to the more important case of a damped oscillator. It is finally shown that the method can readily be…

Many students, when they take an elementary differential equations course for the first time, bring with them misconceptions from numerical methods that they had learnt in their calculus courses, most notable of which concerns the mesh width in using a numerical method. It is important that we strive to dispel any of these misconceptions as well…

This paper describes how the method of steepest descent can be used to find periodic solutions of differential equations. Applications to two suspension bridge models are discussed, and the method is used to find non-obvious large-amplitude solutions.

The paper shows an alternative way of presenting differential calculus. It is shown that the Race Track Principles (RTP) (or any of the variants) is, in fact, equivalent to the Mean Value Theorem. Moreover, it is demonstrated how major theorems of differential calculus can be derived using RTP. The benefits of using RTP as a means to introduce…

Two years ago I implemented a basic outline of each class for my students to take notes on for Calculus II at the United States Military Academy. The outline provided students with a shell of the class material for each day of class. Their job was to fill in the shell as we went through the material. The outlines provided students an easy method…

This note explores ways in which the Fibonacci numbers can be used to introduce difference equations as a prelude to differential equations. The rationale is that the formal aspects of discrete mathematics can provide a concrete introduction to the mechanisms of solving difference and differential equations without the distractions of the analytic…

We investigate the pendulum equation [theta] + [lambda][squared] sin [theta] = 0 and two approximations for it. On the one hand, we suggest that the third and fifth-order Taylor series approximations for sin [theta] do not yield very good differential equations to approximate the solution of the pendulum equation unless the initial conditions are…

Boundary value problems (BVPs) for partial differential equations are common in mathematical physics. The differential equation is often considered in simple and symmetric regions, such as a circle, cube, cylinder, etc., with global and separable boundary conditions. In this paper and other works of the authors, a general method is used for the…

Procedural evaluations of limits of functions provide invariably better understanding of the limits than the approximations using a calculator. The purpose of this article is to demonstrate that better understanding can be promoted if mathematical understanding precedes the impulse to use calculators. The note clarifies the stages when the…

It was shown by Costa and Levine that the homogeneous differential equation (1-x[superscript N])y([superscript N]) + A[subscript N-1]x[superscript N-1)y([superscript N-1]) + A[subscript N-2]x[superscript N-2])y([superscript N-2]) + ... + A[subscript 1]xy[prime] + A[subscript 0]y = 0 has a finite polynomial solution if and only if [for…

This article looks generally at spreadsheet modelling of feedback situations. It has several benefits as a teaching tool. Additionally, a consideration of the limitations of calculating at many discrete points can lead, at A-level, to an appreciation of the need for the calculus. Feedback situations can be used to introduce the idea of…

In this paper, the authors evaluate the series and integrals presented by P. Glaister. The authors show that this function has the Maclauren series expansion. The authors derive the series from the integral in two ways. The first derivation uses the technique employed by Glaister. The second derivation uses a change in variable in the integral.