Thinking Outside the Box

First, draw two vertical lines parallel and upright about four inches apart in width atop a
real number line starting from A on the left line to B on the right line. From the left line,
draw an arrow parallel to the number line towards the right line, just barely touching it. Slightly
below the arrow head, begin another arrow headed the opposite way of the first line; however,
stop when you have covered two-thirds of the distance of the previous line. If you continue this
pattern and draw numerous lines, lets say infinity lines, in this fashion what do we realize? We
realize that the arrows lead to a finite number between A and B. With this simple illustration, you
have just discovered the proof to the Alternating Series Theorem, an advanced topic in calculus.
Calculus has been rumored to be the terror of high school/college ever since we were
young. When you hear about a difficult math class, whether it be on television or from
friends/family, it usually has to do with calculus. In our heads, we imagine white boards that are
covered with differential equations and integrals, or in laymens terms, lots of letters and funky
symbols. But is this image well deserved? Formally, calculus is the study of change with direct
emphasis on differentiation, which is about multiple changing variables, and integration, or
accumulation (What is Calculus?). We have just seen that calculus is not all about number
crunching or complicated equations. In fact, from our previous example, we can see that calculus
can merely be ideas and from these ideas come a revolutionary thought process that has changed
the whole world. It is important to understand that calculus is more than just a subject of
numbers, but rather the explanation of numbers that help make the world become understandable
and much more defined. In this way, calculus has its roots deeply developed in our past, present
and future generations.

Calculus can be credited for starting the scientific revolution and thus can be credited for
shaping the world as we know it. Before calculus, there was not much spot light on the sciences.
Popular thinkers consisted of John Locke, who spoke to end monarchy and Adam Smith whose
ideas about capitalism largely influence our current economy (Historical and Biographical
Resources). But among these social and economic reformers were scientists and mathematicians.
Similar to Locke and Smith, they had abstract ideas that often went against the norm. Sir Isaac
Newton and Liebniz are considered the fathers of calculus, and it is due to their patient attention
and determined work that civilization has become so advanced. In a time where science was
easily shrugged off and the world revolved mainly around the church, these two men realized
that the wonders of the world could be ascertained by observations and measurements. With the
development of calculus, Sir Isaac Newton with his Principia Mathematica, revolutionized
science by providing an explanation of the forces that controlled the regular movement of planets
as described by German astronomer Johannes Keplers (1571-1630) laws of planetary motion
(Isaac Newton). The publishing of Principia Mathematica became the crowning accomplishment
of the Scientific Revolution and disproved thousands of years of Greek philosophy and religious
beliefs that placed the Earth at the center of our solar system. Our understanding of the universe
was made possible with calculus, and without it, our explanations of planetary motion and
earthly objects would still be incorrect and vague, based largely on faith.
With our currently developed Calculus we are able to deal with, and understand multiple
changing variables, which allows us to account for changing circumstances in daily life. An
example of this can be seen when filling a water bottle. With a constant flow of water from a sink
head we can observe the water climb up the walls of a bottle. However, the bottle is not
cylindrical all the way up; in fact, the head of the bottle is conic. When filling up the bottle near

the tip, we see that the water level rises significantly faster than when filling the main body. This
has to do with the change in the diameter of the bottle at each particular water level as the water
climbs up the bottle. Since cones have a smaller volume and circumference than a cylinder, the
water level climbs faster, thus giving off the unique sucking sound as the bottle reaches full
capacity. We can see there are two changing variables in this example: time and diameter.
Although it is true that a typical person would not take the time to analyze the speed of water
inclination as he/she fills their bottle, it is notable that we are able to make sense of these
constantly changing variables and understand its effects. As Ron Freidwald, a professor at
Washington University, states, The day-to-day work may seem tedious at times, but it's
essential, like finger exercises for the future pianist. Or, to change the analogy, it's like learning a
new language: it can open new vistas but only if you're willing to memorize vocabulary, learn to
conjugate verbs, and practice, practice, practice! It is with this logic and ability to understand
rates of change that we can provide a better world for ourselves. Motor vehicles are a great
example of this. When dealing with the safety of motor vehicles on the road, it is improbable for
us to approach this with the archaic trial-and-error method. Instead, we can apply calculus and
analyze rates of change of a cars velocity and acceleration. With this knowledge, we can
calculate the distance a car must travel before it can come to a complete stop, the time required
to stop, the effects of friction, and etc. This type of higher thinking and analysis is a direct result
of calculus that has integrated itself into our modern society and provides us with our daily
functions.
Calculus is abstract in that it deals with the concept of infinity and the limits of a
function, and therefore it requires a higher level thinking that forces people to look beyond what
is on the paper. Unlike other mathematics courses, calculus often needs mental visuals and

critical thinking to approach a problem. This is evident in the topic of integrals. Integrals assist
us to conceptualize and finalize the area under a curve. Instead of dealing with an X/Y axis, we
are now looking at an X/Y/Z axis that allows us to deal with a larger array of problems. With this
progress in more complicated calculation, we can experience more innovation. It is the ability to
think beyond the scope of what is presented to us in our daily lives that allow us to continually
move forward towards a more efficient and effective society. For example, calculus ability to
explain rates of change allows us to easily predict future results of bacteria/disease spread,
interest rates of money, and trends. The single most necessary component of any attempt to
make predictions about the future is a deep internalized understanding of the accelerating,
exponential rate of change (The Futurist). The first step to making a prediction is to be able to
recognize a pattern and analyze its trend, which is exactly what calculus enables us to do. More
specifically, calculus allows us to break from a linear train of thought. Instead of being able to
approach a straight line and interpret its slope from two arbitrary points, we can look at curved
graphs and calculate the slope at each individual point. In this respect, calculus can approach an
entire new set of problems and allows us to advance with each new generation. Without calculus,
progress would be impossible. It is because of calculus that we have the physical abilities to
make complicated calculations in futuristic designs, as well as the mental capabilities to think of
these designs in the first place.
Calculus has proven itself to be a difficult course to master; however, its importance has
shown to be well worth the time and effort. The roots of calculus gave birth to the revolutionary
scientific method, and its current development has significantly influence our society and will
continue to shape our future. Calculus ability to assess rates of change and develop abstract

thoughts has been immeasurably valuable since its discovery. It is to calculus that we owe the
world as we know it and because of calculus that the world will continue to strive.

Works Cited
Cornish, Edward, Cynthia G. Wagner, Rick Docksai, Lisa Mathias, and Patrick Tucker.
"Acceleration Aware." : Are You Acceleration Aware? The Futurist, n.d. Web. 13 Nov.
2012. <http://www.singularity2050.com/2006/12/are_you_acceler.html>.

Freidwald, Ron. "What Is Calculus About?" Web log post. What Is Calculus About? N.p., n.d.
Web. 13 Nov. 2012. <http://www.math.wustl.edu/~freiwald/Math131/calculus.html>.
"Historical and Biographical Resources." Historical and Biographical Resources. N.p., n.d. Web.
12 Nov. 2012. <http://eulerarchive.maa.org/resources.html>.
Isaac Newton. Scientist: Their Lives and Work. Gale, 2006, Gale Student Resources In
Context. Web. 12 Nov. 2012. < http://ic.galegroup.com/>.
"What Is Calculus? Answered in an Easy to Understand Way with Pictures, Diagrams and No
Fancy Words!" Math Scoop. N.p., n.d. Web. 13 Nov. 2012.
<http://www.mathscoop.com/calculus/what-is-calculus.php>.