What is calculus, and am I doing calc now? (details in comment)

Question

anonymous · Answer

I am taking a Business Calculus (Calc w/buisness applications) and am not sure what calculus is (almost halfway through the semmester btw).  All that we are doing (and I'm not comlaining, I love it!) is financial stuff on exel.  Eg. "Loan for $150,000 at 12% interest for four years." We then find what the future/present value is.

ybarrap · Answer

Calculus is determining slopes and areas of curves. It's also used to find maximums and minimums. It can also help with graphing by telling you what happens when values are very large or small. 

Calculating interest is more like algebra, perhaps. But there are steps courses will take to get you to applying the principles of calculus. So I would not exclude the possibility that you are heading in that direction. 

Also, I would expect in a course like this that there would be less emphasis on the theory of calculus and more on the results that come from it. I would just enjoy the class and reflect later on how the material ties to the hierarchies of mathematics, since you having fun in the course in any case.

anonymous · Answer

Thank you.  I know that the beginning of the class we were learning more about how to use excel with linear algebra.  I am sure it will get more in depth while still staying away from the theory.