Okay I feel like saying this.

EctoBiologist

EctoBiologist

Best cat themed touhou. I love touhou and DR.
Banned User
I am honestly having troubles with Calculus and this leaves me pretty stressed because I keep getting bad notes despite of the studying I do and augh it's pretty damn hard. I got 01s and 03s recently which in my country they are pretty damn bad grades.

I honestly would appreaciate some help or insight.
 
While I didn't know of the word "calculus" before, a quick Google search told me it is something along the lines of using formula's to calculate values depending on other values.

So say you have money on a bank, and you receive an interest rate on it of a certain percentage.
We start with $1 000 and the rate is 4% per year. To make things increase with a percentage of 4 percent, you have to multiply it by 1.04.

The formula here is:
A = 1 000 × 1.04t

where A is the result, and t is the time in years. It is an exponential growth, which is recognizable by the superscript.



Now I'm not entirely sure about what part exactly you are having troubles with, so if you could provide an example, that would help us help you.
 
Welll I am just having troubles with limits of a function and derivatives.
 
Sylveon said:
Welll I am just having troubles with limits of a function and derivatives.
Click to expand...

Derivatives?

Such as if f(x) = 2x^2, then f'(x) = 4x?

My teacher for AP calc taught us the shorthand instead of doing all that [f(x-h) - fx]/h crap. Basically this was the formula:

f(x) = (Ax)^n, so f'(x) = ((A*n)(x))^(n-1), which helps a lot. Of course, there are some exceptions, like if you're using e or ln or trig functions, but I will have to get my notes if you want help with that.

And for finding limits, I forgot how to word it, but I remember that we used the derivative of function in order to find the slope? I don't remember exactly. I remember that the derivatives of the original functions would graph completely different (which makes sense), but maybe I'm thinking too far ahead.

Limits basically are where there is a break in the graph. I assume that you already have touched Piece-wise functions, correct? (The ones where there is more than one function, and yet it's still one graph since they are defined by n < x < #). I really shouldn't say much more because I'm pretty sure I am saying gibberish at this point.
 
Sylveon said:
Welll I am just having troubles with limits of a function and derivatives.
Click to expand...
If you can give me some more solid examples, I could probably help as I am studying a pretty high level of maths
just remember: times the number by the power and reduce the power by 1, and if it is a negative number the same applies and that 1/x = x^-1
 
You could try going elsewhere on the Internet for help. Like I used to use Khan Academy all the time to get me through math lessons because my math teacher was literally the worst. Saved my butt. I am almost certain that there are videos on limits and derivatives that break it down easily...except I am not sure if there is subtitles, so let me get back to you on that.
Another website that is useful is Symbolab, which calculates algebraic, trigonometric, and calculus equations, and yes, even limits and derivatives. It's accurate....most of the time, but it's good. It gives you the answer and the steps to get the answer. Now, you could use it as some "cheating program", but if you go through the steps it says to go through and possibly learn from it, it could be a life saver.
 
if you don't understand derivatives (and later anti-derivatives) then you're pretty much doomed

just practice those over and over until you get them. there's not really an easy way to explain them (indeed it took me like thirty minutes to explain derivatives to my brother with the help of a whiteboard, and he's super smart at math)
 
Yo I'm the Maths master.

Could you please show us one of your equations, and what you've done to try and solve it?

Oh and another site that might help you is Math Help Forum. I only know about it because my brother is pretty active there and he's been a Maths teacher (primary through to Uni level) for around 8 years now.