noun
calculus
KAL-kyuh-lus/ˈkælkjələs/
A formal mathematical system for deriving results by rules.
The graph illustrates calculus through a tangent and the area beneath a curve.
Etymology
Latin calculus shifted from a pebble used in counting to reckoning itself. It then named a mathematical method; the modern branch dealing with change and accumulation takes its shortened name from 'differential calculus.'
In context
the job of calculus is basically to describe how certain things change when other things change and this happens all the time in physics so calculus is an incredibly useful mathematical tool
More examples
- Integral calculus can determine the area beneath a curve.
- The course introduced a formal calculus for reasoning about propositions.
- Different logical calculi use different rules of inference.
Forms
calculus · calculi · calculuses
Similar words
- arithmetic
- Deals with basic numerical operations, while calculus uses more developed systems and rules.