Single Variable Calculus

Course

URL study guide

https://studiegids.vu.nl/en/courses/2025-2026/XB_41007

Course Objective

At the end of this course students will be able to:calculate limits using appropriately chosen methods, such as l'Hôpitals rule or by identifying dominant terms. calculate derivatives, find local extreme values and use these to graph functions. calculate integrals using appropriately chosen methods, such as the substitution method, integration by parts or partial fraction expansion. solve simple differential equations with or without initial data. compute Taylor polynomials and manipulate Taylor series. determine if a series converges using an appropriately chosen convergence test. write down the arguments involved in solving a calculus problem in a logically correct manner.

Course Content

This course deals with calculus of functions of one variable. In particular we covermanipulating algebraically with exponential, logarithmic and (inverse) trigonometric functionsdetermining limits by identifying dominant termscomputing limits using l'Hôpital's rulecalculating derivatives of any composition of elementary functionscomputing Taylor polynomialscomputing tangent lines to implicitly defined curves in the planefinding and classifying the (local) minima and maxima of functionsgraphing simple functions (e.g. rational functions, exponentials, logarithms and compositions thereof)calculating areas under the graphs of elementary functionscomputing antiderivatives using integration by partscomputing antiderivatives using an appropriately chosen substitutionintegrating simple rational functions (using "partial fractions")determining if an improper integral converges (and compute the area)solving first order differential equations of separable type and of linear inhomogeneous typeperforming arithmetic with complex numbersdetermining if a series converges by comparing to a geometric series or p-series.determining if a series converges using an appropriately chosen convergence testdetermining the interval of convergence of a power seriesperforming simple algebraic manipulations with power seriessimple analysis type epsilon proofs

Teaching Methods

Class meetings (twice per week, 2x2=4 hours), tutorials (once per week, 2 hours)

Method of Assessment

Weekly MyMathLab exercises (10%), a homework assignment on proofs (10%), two Midterm exams (20% and 25%) and a Final exam (35%). There is a resit that covers the material of both midterm exams, the homework assignment, and the final; the resit has a weights of 90%, with the MyMathLab exercises retaining a 10% weight.

Literature

Calculus: A Complete Course, by Adams and Essex, 9th edition, Pearson 2016. ISBN 978-0134154367

Target Audience

First year of the bachelor programme Mathematics

Additional Information

Participation in the first class is compulsory

Recommended background knowledge

Mathematics at exit level Wiskunde B or comparable
Academic year1/09/2531/08/26
Course level6.00 EC

Language of Tuition

  • English

Study type

  • Bachelor