What is Calculus?
Calculus is the mathematics of continuous change. It provides the framework for understanding everything from planetary motion to financial market trends. The subject is built upon two fundamental and complementary ideas:
- Differential Calculus: Which focuses on finding the instantaneous rate of change (the derivative). It helps us determine slopes of curves and solve optimization problems.
- Integral Calculus: Which focuses on accumulating quantities and finding the area under a curve (the integral). It allows us to calculate volumes, averages, and more.
Why Students Can Find It Difficult
Calculus is often seen as a major academic hurdle for two main reasons. First, it introduces mind-bending concepts like limits and infinity, which are a significant leap in abstraction. Second, and more importantly, success in calculus is almost entirely dependent on a student's mastery of algebra and trigonometry. Even a perfect understanding of a calculus concept can be undone by a simple algebraic mistake. Weak foundational skills are the most common cause of struggles in calculus.
How We Help
Our approach is twofold. We begin by building a truly intuitive understanding of the core concepts—limits, derivatives, and integrals—so they are not just formulas to be memorized. Simultaneously, we diagnose and strengthen the foundational algebra and trigonometry skills that are essential for execution. By ensuring both the "what" and the "how" are solid, we help students conquer calculus and build a powerful toolkit for their future studies in science and engineering.