Eric Fluckiger

Math 1210
Summer 2016

Reflection
I have learned so many useful things in calculus. I think one of the reasons
that people find it so difficult to study math is that its hard to picture ourselves
ever using it in our daily lives, but its actually quite the opposite. I even found
myself guilty of this same fallacy before my eyes were opened to the
possibilities that calculus brings us. Until calculus, most of our time studying
math is spent looking at graphs, familiarizing ourselves with x and y
coordinates, and hammering down endless algebraic rules in order to
manipulate seemingly useless equations. Its hard to make a connection
between linear algebra and the real world, seeing as how almost nothing in the
real world is perfectly straight, and I believe that is why most people think math
is a waste of time. Its a shame that you have to make it to calculus before you
truly understand the real world applications of math, because calculus is a
powerful tool.
Calculus allows us to apply math to the real world. In the real world,
hardly anything is as linear as algebra is, and that is what makes calculus so
powerful, because it deals with curvatures and rates of change. It is especially
useful in dealing with a subject I am exciting to start studying next semester,
physics. We all know that objects dont move in a perfect manner, for example,
they speed up, they slow down, they come to a stop, and they start up again.
This is where linear algebra fails us. You can calculate the average speed of
something over a given time interval if you know time and distance, but you
cannot calculate the minimum speed and maximum speed, nor the intervals
where they occurred. This is where calculus really shines. By deriving a function
of position vs time, you can draw a clear picture of exactly what the object in
question was doing at any given time. Calculus is also an amazing tool for
architects and engineers. Lets say you were building an arena that had a dome
shaped roof, again, in this situation, linear algebra fails us again. Another great

example of the usefulness of calculus can be seen when we think about what it
takes for us to land a rover on Mars. The planets move in circular orbits around
the sun, which is why linear algebra would be of limited use to us.
Calculus is without a doubt one of the most powerful tools in the human
races arsenal. Without calculus, we never would have been able to land on the
moon, let alone landing a robot on the surface of Mars. The applications for
calculus is nearly endless, and our species would not be where it is today
without it.