Monthly Archives: April 2012

Thinking Infinitesimally – Multivariate Calculus (II)

Posted on April 17, 2012 by limsup

Chain Rule for Multivariate Calculus We continue our discussion of multivariate calculus. The first item here is the analogue of Chain Rule for the multivariate case. Suppose we have parameters f, u, v, x, y, z. Suppose {u, v} are independent parameters (in particular, … Continue reading →

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Thinking Infinitesimally – Multivariate Calculus (I)

Posted on April 15, 2012 by limsup

[ Background required: some understanding of single-variable calculus, including differentiation and integration. ] The object of this series of articles is to provide a rather different point-of-view to multivariate calculus, compared to the conventional approach in calculus texts. The typical … Continue reading →

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Why Do We Need Eigenvalues and Eigenvectors?

Posted on April 1, 2012 by limsup

[ Prerequisites : basic linear algebra, matrices and determinants. ] Eigenvalues and eigenvectors are often confusing to students the first time they encounter them. This article attempts to demystify the concepts by giving some motivations and applications. It’s okay if … Continue reading →

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