EVERYDAY CALCULUS

In EVERYDAY CALCULUS, Oscar Fernandez shows us how to see the math in our coffee, on the highway, and even in the night sky.

Calculus. For some of us, the word conjures up memories of ten-pound textbooks and visions of tedious abstract equations. And yet, in reality, calculus is fun, accessible, and surrounds us everywhere we go. In EVERYDAY CALCULUS, Oscar Fernandez shows us how to see the math in our coffee, on the highway, and even in the night sky.

Fernandez demonstrates that calculus can be used to explore practically any aspect of our lives, including the most effective number of hours to sleep and the fastest route to get to work. He also shows that calculus can be both useful—determining which seat at the theater leads to the best viewing experience, for instance—and fascinating—exploring topics such as time travel and the age of the universe. Throughout, Fernandez presents straightforward concepts, and no prior mathematical knowledge is required. For advanced math fans, Fernandez includes the mathematical derivations in the appendixes.

Oscar E. Fernandez is assistant professor of mathematics at Wellesley College.