The calculus section of QuickMath allows you to differentiate and integrate almost any mathematical expression.
What is calculus?
Calculus is a vast topic, and it forms the basis for much of modern mathematics. The two branches of calculus are differential calculus and integral calculus.
Differential calculus is the study of rates of change of functions. At school, you are introduced to differential calculus by learning how to find the derivative of a function in order to determine the slope of the graph of that function at any point.
Integral calculus is often introduced in school in terms of finding primitive functions (indefinite integrals) and finding the area under a curve (definite integrals).
The differentiate command allows you to find the derivative of an expression with respect to any variable. In the advanced section, you also have the option of specifying arbitrary functional dependencies within your expression and finding higher order derivatives. The differentiate command knows all the rules of differential calculus, including the product rule, the quotient rule and the chain rule.
The integrate command can be used to find either indefinite or definite integrals. If an indefinite integral (primitive function) is sought but cannot be found for a particular function, QuickMath will let you know. Definite integrals will always be given in their exact form when possible, but failing this QuickMath will use a numerical method to give you an approximate value.