An Intuitive Calculus Book for Engineers

Abstract

With the purpose of studying the history of calculus teaching and, particularly, the consequences of Calculus Made Easy (1910) in the mathematics education context, this work intends to make an historical analysis to clarify the connections between Silvanus Phillips Thompson (its author) and education in the early Twentieth Century, mainly mathematics education. Thompson was concerned about Physics and Radiology,however, at the dawn of the new century, his interests in technical education had also burgeoned. One of his goals was to demystify Calculus, tackling the subject intuitively – Calculus Made Easy. The book did not draw much respect from mathematicians and was acridly criticized. Keywords: Mathematics Education, History of Mathematics Education, Silvanus Phillips Thompson, Calculus Made Easy.