What is calculus and what does it have to do with?

Calculus is a branch of mathematics which came from the thoughts of many different individuals. For example, the Greek scholar Archimedes (287-212 B.C.) calculated the areas and volumes of complex shapes. Isaac newton further developed the notion of calculus.

There are two branches of calculus which are: differential calculus and integral calculus. The former seeks to describe the magnitude of the instantaneous rate of change of a graph, this is called the derivative. For example: the derivative of a position vs. time graph is a velocity vs. time graph, this is because the rate of change of position is velocity. The latter seeks to describe the area covered by a graph and is called the integral. For example: the integral of a velocity vs. time graph is the total displacement.

Calculus is useful because the world is rarely static; it is a dynamic and complex place. Calculus is used to model real-world situations, or to extrapolate the change of variables.