In order to embark in a career involving videogame design, specifically the programming aspect, I would need to eventually build a physics engine, which requires a deep understanding of calculus. For example, physics engines require a knowledge of vectors so objects can accurately move, which Calculus III teaches. No one wants to play a game where you throw a ball forwards and the ball goes backwards. Calculus can also determine the growth rate of interest or population growth, the volume of any object that can be represented with a function, and even the vector measurements that make space travel possible. To apply calculus to these real world problems I need experience with calculus, which is why I am currently enrolled in a Calculus II class.
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Experience with the types of mathematics that precede Calculus II will allow me to not struggle overly with new material such as partial fractions. Calculus II builds on the derivatives and integrals of Calculus I and the knowledge of how to simplify complex functions from Algebra. An example of a problem that arises with a weak foundation in these areas might be a student who enters a Calculus II, or even a Calculus I class, without possessing an acceptable understanding of Algebra. They could not perform anything other than the most simple of integrals or derivatives, because anything greater requires algebraic manipulation. A real-life example of this principle occurred when my Calculus II class covered integration by parts, which I had already learned the year …show more content…
The resources I have at my disposal include my professors, books, and the internet, and by taking advantage of these resources, all of my questions will be answered. For example, I am having trouble solving a problem with trigonometric integrals, and I decide to continue to work on it alone, but I still cannot solve it. I then go to ask my professor about it, and he explains, in great detail, how to solve that type of problem, which will allow me to solve future problems of that sort on my own. Each resource also has its own advantages and disadvantages. When conversing with Professor Horton, for example, while seeking assistance, I can receive new ideas from him about anything that interests us at the moment, not just assistance with a specific problem. By discussing the problem with him, if he believes my reasoning to be flawed, he can tell me so and we can discuss alternative methods to solving the problem. On the other hand, since people are not perfect databases of information, I cannot always receive accurate information from them. Though with the internet and books, as long as the information I am looking at is from a reputable source, a textbook or Wolfram Alpha for instance, I can be sure that the information is accurate. The fact that books and the internet
Experience with the types of mathematics that precede Calculus II will allow me to not struggle overly with new material such as partial fractions. Calculus II builds on the derivatives and integrals of Calculus I and the knowledge of how to simplify complex functions from Algebra. An example of a problem that arises with a weak foundation in these areas might be a student who enters a Calculus II, or even a Calculus I class, without possessing an acceptable understanding of Algebra. They could not perform anything other than the most simple of integrals or derivatives, because anything greater requires algebraic manipulation. A real-life example of this principle occurred when my Calculus II class covered integration by parts, which I had already learned the year …show more content…
The resources I have at my disposal include my professors, books, and the internet, and by taking advantage of these resources, all of my questions will be answered. For example, I am having trouble solving a problem with trigonometric integrals, and I decide to continue to work on it alone, but I still cannot solve it. I then go to ask my professor about it, and he explains, in great detail, how to solve that type of problem, which will allow me to solve future problems of that sort on my own. Each resource also has its own advantages and disadvantages. When conversing with Professor Horton, for example, while seeking assistance, I can receive new ideas from him about anything that interests us at the moment, not just assistance with a specific problem. By discussing the problem with him, if he believes my reasoning to be flawed, he can tell me so and we can discuss alternative methods to solving the problem. On the other hand, since people are not perfect databases of information, I cannot always receive accurate information from them. Though with the internet and books, as long as the information I am looking at is from a reputable source, a textbook or Wolfram Alpha for instance, I can be sure that the information is accurate. The fact that books and the internet