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"Explain calculus to a layperson"

K

KnickNut3

Platinum Member
Bombed this prompt in an interview I just had with an investment bank. I have a feeling I might have tried to be too general. I'd appreciate someone a little bit more eloquent off the cuff taking a stab at it.
 
Calculus is the study of how things change. Whether something changes quickly or slowly, whether the change results in growth or loss etc...

That's how I would define it and then proceed to give an example.
 
Originally posted by: KnickNut3
Bombed this prompt in an interview I just had with an investment bank. I have a feeling I might have tried to be too general. I'd appreciate someone a little bit more eloquent off the cuff taking a stab at it.
Click to expand...

That's kind of a toughy....

I would've probalbly had just said "Calculus is just trying to find the relationship between how quickly things change with how much total they have changed".

Then, if it looked like the interviewer is expecting a little more, I would then go on and give the classic example involving driving from point A to point B, and how if you know your speed at every possible time, than you can also calculate your total distance traveled, and acceleration at any point..

 
Originally posted by: talyn00
Originally posted by: Jzero
I probably would have showed how to find the area under a curve by using increasingly smaller quanta.
Click to expand...

that doesn't quite exlain it to a layperson
Click to expand...

I'm certainly not going to go through it here....it's a pretty simple concept, and it can easily be explained in laymen's terms with a pencil and paper.

Given the vagueness of the question, I would assume the point is to see how well you can explain a technical concept to a non-technical person.
 
The study and measurement of the rate of change of a function.

For example, a person drives from NYC to LA. At any point in time, he looks at his speedometer and the MPH tells him his rate of change. Calculus gives you the tools to calculate such things.
 
Originally posted by: MathMan
Originally posted by: KnickNut3
Bombed this prompt in an interview I just had with an investment bank. I have a feeling I might have tried to be too general. I'd appreciate someone a little bit more eloquent off the cuff taking a stab at it.
Click to expand...

That's kind of a toughy....

I would've probalbly had just said "Calculus is just trying to find the relationship between how quickly things change with how much total they have changed".

Then, if it looked like the interviewer is expecting a little more, I would then go on and give the classic example involving driving from point A to point B, and how if you know your speed at every possible time, than you can also calculate your total distance traveled, and acceleration at any point..
Click to expand...

What about integral calc?
 
cal·cu·lus - NOUN:
The combined mathematics of differential calculus and integral calculus.


integral calculus - NOUN:
The study of integration and its uses, such as in finding volumes, areas, and solutions of differential equations

differential calculus - NOUN:
The study of slopes of curves, accelerations, maxima, and minima by means of derivatives and differentials.
 
Originally posted by: Tick
Originally posted by: MathMan
Originally posted by: KnickNut3
Bombed this prompt in an interview I just had with an investment bank. I have a feeling I might have tried to be too general. I'd appreciate someone a little bit more eloquent off the cuff taking a stab at it.
Click to expand...

That's kind of a toughy....

I would've probalbly had just said "Calculus is just trying to find the relationship between how quickly things change with how much total they have changed".

Then, if it looked like the interviewer is expecting a little more, I would then go on and give the classic example involving driving from point A to point B, and how if you know your speed at every possible time, than you can also calculate your total distance traveled, and acceleration at any point..
Click to expand...

What about integral calc?
Click to expand...

???

If you know your speed at any time T, then differential calculus will give you your acceleration at any time T. Integral calc will give you total distancce traveled at any time T.
 
...Wow...

How would you start? I guess begin with functions, go to limits, then derivatives, anti-derivatives, and into integrals from there...
 
Originally posted by: MathMan
Originally posted by: Tick
Originally posted by: MathMan
Originally posted by: KnickNut3
Bombed this prompt in an interview I just had with an investment bank. I have a feeling I might have tried to be too general. I'd appreciate someone a little bit more eloquent off the cuff taking a stab at it.
Click to expand...

That's kind of a toughy....

I would've probalbly had just said "Calculus is just trying to find the relationship between how quickly things change with how much total they have changed".

Then, if it looked like the interviewer is expecting a little more, I would then go on and give the classic example involving driving from point A to point B, and how if you know your speed at every possible time, than you can also calculate your total distance traveled, and acceleration at any point..
Click to expand...

What about integral calc?
Click to expand...

???

If you know your speed at any time T, then differential calculus will give you your acceleration at any time T. Integral calc will give you total distancce traveled at any time T.
Click to expand...

Integral calc almost always deals with area under curves.
 
Originally posted by: jonessoda
...Wow...

How would you start? I guess begin with functions, go to limits, then derivatives, anti-derivatives, and into integrals from there...
Click to expand...

No, that would be too complicated for a non-technical person.
 
Originally posted by: Tick
Originally posted by: MathMan
Originally posted by: Tick
Originally posted by: MathMan
Originally posted by: KnickNut3
Bombed this prompt in an interview I just had with an investment bank. I have a feeling I might have tried to be too general. I'd appreciate someone a little bit more eloquent off the cuff taking a stab at it.
Click to expand...

That's kind of a toughy....

I would've probalbly had just said "Calculus is just trying to find the relationship between how quickly things change with how much total they have changed".

Then, if it looked like the interviewer is expecting a little more, I would then go on and give the classic example involving driving from point A to point B, and how if you know your speed at every possible time, than you can also calculate your total distance traveled, and acceleration at any point..
Click to expand...

What about integral calc?
Click to expand...

???

If you know your speed at any time T, then differential calculus will give you your acceleration at any time T. Integral calc will give you total distancce traveled at any time T.
Click to expand...

Integral calc almost always deals with area under curves.
Click to expand...

And your point is?
 
Calculus is for mathematicians who could not live with "Error - undefined"....
They just had to define some new mathematics to divide by zero.
 
The simplest thing I can think of is this: Calculus is a tool for analyzing functions. With calculus, one can discover certain properties and characteristics of a function which may aid in decision making and/or the development of a solution to a problem. Then give an example.

-Tom

EDIT: Oops, hit enter by mistake before I typed 😱
 
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