As a current student in calculus, I have always wondered about its importance in the real world. Each concept seems like an endless loop of useless ideas and concepts. Honestly, I have always assumed the most critical math for the real world is basic, like addition/subtraction, multiplication/division, fractions, decimals, etc. However, through research, it is far from the truth.

Before learning calculus, I only heard about “limits” in Mean Girls when Cady Heron says, “The limit never approaches anything… the limit does not exist. The limit does not exist!” I can finally understand Cady Heron. A limit is the idea of what a function is approaching. I find limits unreasonable, but it is used to measure the strength of the magnetic field. The magnetic field protects our planet from cosmic radiation and the charged particles emitted by our Sun. It also calculates the electric field’s strength, allowing electric force to act on charged objects. Essentially, limits protect us from the world population being obliterated and working batteries and microwaves.

As a daily consumer of Amazon, I never realized the work that goes into making the boxes. By assumption, it seems easy to construct a box by measuring. However, there is much more math behind the famous Amazon box. Optimization is a process to make the best or most effective use of resources. To design a box, a manufacturer must calculate dimensions to produce a box with either minimum or maximum volume. Optimization, from storage capacity to the layout of shelves in a supermarket, exists everywhere in the world.

One of the more accessible topics of calculus is differentiation. Differentiation calculates the instantaneous rate of change, in other terms, slope. Commonly, differentiation is used in physics to calculate velocity and acceleration with respect to time. Many careers use differentiation, such as engineering. Predicting the vehicle’s behavior in motion is helpful when designing vehicles precisely. In the business and economic field, differentiation assists in determining profits and costs. Integration is the inverse of differentiation, essentially undoing the slope. It is way more complex than differentiation in the long run. Integration is used in various ways, such as determining the shape of a building, analyzing medical data, or even animation.

Although it is far from easy to calculate answers for these calculus topics, I have more respect and patience to do the subject as it is vital in everyday careers or life.