calculus in our everday lives
...nd society, enrollment in mathematics programs has been declining at all levels of the American educational system. Yet the application of mathematics is indispensable in such diverse fields as medicine, computer sciences, space exploration, the skilled trades, business, defense, and government. To help encourage the study and utilization of mathematics, it is appropriate that all Americans be reminded of the importance of this basic branch of science to our daily lives." (Reagan 1) Another author wrote: “… mathematics and science courses build the students’ skills in analysis..”(Otto 2) Analysis is a vital part of any engineering Discipline. Engineers are expected to analyze and solve difficult problems on a daily basis, and mathematics provides this valuable skill. There is a great example in our calculus text using Lagrange multipliers. It involves determining the mass of each of the three stages of a rocket, minimizing the overall mass of the rocket while still enabling it to get to a certain velocity. (Stewart 958) If I worked for N.A.S.A. this would probably be very beneficial to me to know how to do this. If this calculations were off it could be the difference between the space ship safely leaving the atmosphere, and disaster. After 10 years or so I would like to have learned my profession well enough and have an extensive enough understanding of applying calculus and other forms of mathematics and physics to make a breakthrough in technology. Maybe I will design a new form of propulsion or design a new space shuttle. If I did design one of these things just one of the many calculus elements I would need would be the integral. I would need it to calculate the different potential energies of the rocket at different heights above the earth which may prove useful in determining power levels needed in the rocket, and various other elements. The integral would be useful here because the gravitational force varies at different heights above th...