"Explain calculus to a layperson"

[Pepsi90919]

Originally posted by: acemcmac
oh boy

see sig.

 

[oboeguy]

Originally posted by: KnickNut3
I'm reminded of the Pirates of Penzance at this point

:music:
I'm very good at integral and differential calculus
I know the scientific names of beings animalculous
In short, in matters vegetable, animal, and mineral
I am the very model of a modern Major-General

In short, in matters vegetable, animal, and mineral
He is the very model of a modern Major-General
:music:

And anyone using the word "function" fails the question. IMO, giving a specific example (e.g. the relationship between distance and speed) should handily serve for both integral and differential calculus. A "layperson's" explanation that is all vague generalities about as useless as one the uses specific mathetmatical terms like "function".

 

[JS80]

They just want to see how your brain works. If you blabbered something coherent for 15 minutes, I'm sure you did well.

 

[Goosemaster]

dude...


imagine that you are a bum on the street and get an opportunity to get access to a whole truckload of Bounty + a trunkload of Windex...maybe from a bank heist or something...

doesn't matter...point is you have and endless supply.

Now imagine you pull a Richard Pryor and become some pawn in some millionaires bet and are progressively transformed into one of the richest men into society.

Now let me tell you what calculus is.

At the beginning, your confidence was in the pits. You probably had only a shred, but what was there was practically zero.

Now when you become rich, your confidence is through the roof.

Now when Andy garcia pertends to be you by pertending to be the guy who rescued everyone from the plane....

whoops...wrong movie...got off track.....


anyways, after you become rich, you give it all up, and lets say your confidence goes to zero because you realzie how many women you could have had....

....anyways...


Calculus can describe your situation in two major ways.

First, it can tell you, at any time along your journey, how fast you confidence ischanging.
For example, if you are with a prostitute that you can now afford and don't have to get beat up by yet another pimp, your confidence is in reasing faster.

Now when Andy garcia is put on the news and it breaks your heart, your confidence is wavering and goes up slowly or not at all...


oh wait...wrong movie...


anyways, the other thign calculus can do is describe your entire journey as a whole.

sort of how you can find how much stuff can fit in an empty box, calulus the entire details of your journey as it relates to the whole...


now go rent your self some bitches you stud

 

[GTaudiophile]

I imagine the best answer would of course be relevant to an investor: Basically the mathematical study of graphical trend lines to best estimate the future profit or loss of a given investment. Do you remember studying Y=MX+B in high school? Well, calculus is not too disimilar, but instead of studying straight lines, you study curves.

 

[spidey07]

It is the study of change and the varying rates of change between variables.

These changes are sometimes plotted on a graph.

 

[Soccer55]

Originally posted by: oboeguy

Originally posted by: KnickNut3
I'm reminded of the Pirates of Penzance at this point

:music:
I'm very good at integral and differential calculus
I know the scientific names of beings animalculous
In short, in matters vegetable, animal, and mineral
I am the very model of a modern Major-General

In short, in matters vegetable, animal, and mineral
He is the very model of a modern Major-General
:music:

And anyone using the word "function" fails the question. IMO, giving a specific example (e.g. the relationship between distance and speed) should handily serve for both integral and differential calculus. A "layperson's" explanation that is all vague generalities about as useless as one the uses specific mathetmatical terms like "function".

What if the term "function" was defined before it was used? The definition of a function can be stated in a single sentence and should be fairly easy to comprehend. The person could even use an example involving interest to demonstrate what a function does.

-Tom

 

[archcommus]

Originally posted by: spidey07
It is the study of change and the varying rates of change between variables.

These changes are sometimes plotted on a graph.

Hmm, so far calc 3 is not about this at all. So far it's about vectors and sh!t.

 

[Fingolfin269]

Originally posted by: archcommus
it's about vectors and sh!t.

And there is your answer OP. To the layperson this would definately work wonders. They would then respond 'Thanks dawg'.

 

[KnickNut3]

Originally posted by: Fingolfin269

Originally posted by: archcommus
it's about vectors and sh!t.

And there is your answer OP. To the layperson this would definately work wonders. They would then respond 'Thanks dawg'.

Thanks! If "thanks, dawg" is the coveted response I will get, then "It's about vectors and sh!t" is what I will say!

 

[Cooler]

In differential calculus is a method to fid a slope at single point.
In Integral calculus is a method to find the area beneath a curve .

It cant get more basic then that.

 

[oboeguy]

Originally posted by: Soccer55

Originally posted by: oboeguy

Originally posted by: KnickNut3
I'm reminded of the Pirates of Penzance at this point

:music:
I'm very good at integral and differential calculus
I know the scientific names of beings animalculous
In short, in matters vegetable, animal, and mineral
I am the very model of a modern Major-General

In short, in matters vegetable, animal, and mineral
He is the very model of a modern Major-General
:music:

And anyone using the word "function" fails the question. IMO, giving a specific example (e.g. the relationship between distance and speed) should handily serve for both integral and differential calculus. A "layperson's" explanation that is all vague generalities about as useless as one the uses specific mathetmatical terms like "function".

What if the term "function" was defined before it was used? The definition of a function can be stated in a single sentence and should be fairly easy to comprehend. The person could even use an example involving interest to demonstrate what a function does.

-Tom

I think at it's most basic a "layperon's" explanation doesn't use any abstract definitions. Sure, go ahead, define a function -- enjoy the glazed look you get in return. If a "layperson" asks me what I do for a living (which is operations research, i.e. math + cs) and I start defining a funciton, the conversation won't last long.

 

[Atomicus]

I would say calculus in general is used to analyze past, present, and future states based on purely mathematical relationships.

 

[Soccer55]

Originally posted by: oboeguy

Originally posted by: Soccer55

Originally posted by: oboeguy

Originally posted by: KnickNut3
I'm reminded of the Pirates of Penzance at this point

:music:
I'm very good at integral and differential calculus
I know the scientific names of beings animalculous
In short, in matters vegetable, animal, and mineral
I am the very model of a modern Major-General

In short, in matters vegetable, animal, and mineral
He is the very model of a modern Major-General
:music:

And anyone using the word "function" fails the question. IMO, giving a specific example (e.g. the relationship between distance and speed) should handily serve for both integral and differential calculus. A "layperson's" explanation that is all vague generalities about as useless as one the uses specific mathetmatical terms like "function".

What if the term "function" was defined before it was used? The definition of a function can be stated in a single sentence and should be fairly easy to comprehend. The person could even use an example involving interest to demonstrate what a function does.

-Tom

I think at it's most basic a "layperon's" explanation doesn't use any abstract definitions. Sure, go ahead, define a function -- enjoy the glazed look you get in return. If a "layperson" asks me what I do for a living (which is operations research, i.e. math + cs) and I start defining a funciton, the conversation won't last long.

Well, I was thinking of a basic definition like: "A rule that assigns to every input AT MOST one output." Then using an example like interest with principle as the input, amount of money after interest as the output, and the "rule" that changes principle to amount of money as the function. I think that's basic enough to understand the idea behind a function without getting too boring/confusing.

Do you think defining a function in this way would work?

-Tom

 

[oboeguy]

I think the key is not to introduce abstraction. High school students specifically in a math class have enough trouble with "A rule that assigns to every input AT MOST one output" over the course of a few weeks of instruction. A typical "layperson" would not get it in a few minutes. Remember, most peoplea are afraid of math and abstraction in general (why? oh why? 'tis a shame). Mabe you could lead in with an example, establish a rough idea of the concept then abstract a bit?

Edit: now I need to find a willing victim for some empircal data.

 

[Martin]

I think the shortest and simplest way to explain it is like this:

"Calculus is a branch of mathematics that allows you to do math on non-trivial problems."

and as an explanation "for example, everybody knows how to find the length of a straight line, but with calculus, youcan find the length of a curve." and you can give similar examples of rectangles vs curves, planes vs surfaces etc.

 

[drnickriviera]

I'd say it's useless to a layperson, so there is no need to explain it.

 

[QED]

Originally posted by: Martin
I think the shortest and simplest way to explain it is like this:

"Calculus is a branch of mathematics that allows you to do math on non-trivial problems."

That's a whole lot of saying without a whole lot of meaning.

Also... that description could fit just about ANY branch of math.

 

[iamme]

"it's that class that everyone drops and re-takes"