Multivariable Calculus

The world and our lives are fundamentally multivariate. Tomorrow’s weather forecast is based on today’s solar wind velocity, heat transfer rates, pressure, and humidity levels, among other factors. The price to the consumer of a commercial flight is dependent partly on market demand, travel distance, cost of fuel, and governmental taxes. Multivariable calculus addresses the mathematics of functions such as these that depend on several variables. Specific topics to be addressed include vectors, partial derivatives, gradients, multiple integration, line and surface integrals, and their diverse applications. For conference work, students may choose to undertake a deeper investigation of a single topic or application of the calculus or to conduct a study in some other branch of mathematics. Prerequisite: Two semesters of college-level calculus.