Course Name:  Differential and Integral Calculus:  An Overview

Professor:  Gottfried Leibniz

Course Description:  This course will introduce students to calculus and its uses.  It will define derivatives as a measurement of how a function changes as its input values change and will demonstrate how to calculate derivatives using modern notation (originally developed by Professor Leibniz).  It will define integrals, put simply, as the area under a curve (the linear representation of a function) and between two input points of the function.  Most importantly, it will show the relationship between derivatives and integrals through the Fundamental Theorem of Calculus which Professor Leibniz discovered (simultaneously with Newton, but independently).  The first part of this theorem shows that indefinite integration can be reversed by differentiation.  The second part shows that a definite integral of a function can be computed by using its antiderivatives.  Professor Leibniz will demonstrate methods of calculating derivatives and integrals using techniques such as the product rule (which he, again, invented).  The course will only touch on the concepts of limits and infinite series as the rigorous use of these ideas only developed after Professor Leibniz’ time. 

Publication by Professor Leibniz related to course:   “New Method for Maximums and Minimums” 1684

Works Cited:

“Calculus.” En.Wikipedia.org. 15 Nov.2007. Wikimedia Foundation, Inc. 15 Nov. 2007 <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Calculus>.

“Derivative.” En.Wikipedia.org. 12 Nov.2007. Wikimedia Foundation, Inc. 15 Nov. 2007 <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Derivative>.

Glass, Richard. Mat 123: Calculus2. Course home page. Sept. 2007-Dec. 2007. Nov. 2007. Dept. of Mathematics, Nassau Community College.  15 Nov. 2007 http://mat123calc2.wordpress.com/. “I am Willy Leibniz.” 2 Nov. 2007 steevnz kollaz. “Von leibniz.” 5 nov. 2007 docvanwinklen.

“Gottfried Leibniz.” En.Wikipedia.org. 15 Nov.2007. Wikimedia Foundation, Inc. 15 Nov. 2007 <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gottfried_Leibniz.>

 “Integral.” En.Wikipedia.org. 15 Nov.2007. Wikimedia Foundation, Inc. 15 Nov. 2007 <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Integral>.