Related papers: Back to Classics: Teaching Limits Through Infinite…
We present a new way of organizing the few mathematical statements which form introduction to Calculus: the epsilon-delta characterization of the limit is now d e r i v e d from four simple, intuitive and frequently used statements, which…
We provide a simple reformulation of the $\epsilon$-$\delta$ limit definition introduced in undergraduate calculus courses that enhances its pedagogical value for conceptual understanding and computational skill.
We propose a novel foundation for calculus that focuses on the notion of approximations while avoiding the use of limits altogether. Continuity is defined as approximation at a point, while differentiability is defined as approximation with…
In teaching infinitesimal calculus we sought to present basic concepts like continuity and convergence by comparing and contrasting various definitions, rather than presenting "the definition" to the students as a monolithic absolute. We…
In this paper, we consider the concept of limit, one of the basic concepts of mathematical analysis. At a point $a\in{\mathbb{R}}$, the limit of a function $f$ from $A\subset\mathbb{R}$ to $\mathbb{R}$ is $L\in{\mathbb{R}}$ if and only if…
The limit of a sequence by the definition with $\varepsilon$ is introduced by the notion of checkmate in two moves. The idea is also extended to define the limit of a function with $\varepsilon$ and $\delta$.
This article exemplifies a novel approach to the teaching of introductory differential calculus using the modern notion of ``infinitesimal'' as opposed to the traditional approach using the notion of ``limit''. I illustrate the power of the…
We give an exposition of the Newton-Leibniz calculus. We begin by defining the integral as a limit of Riemann sums, verify the integrals of the standard catalog of functions by direct manipulation, prove the substitution lemmas as theorems…
The goal of this paper consists of developing a new (more physical and numerical in comparison with standard and non-standard analysis approaches) point of view on Calculus with functions assuming infinite and infinitesimal values. It uses…
Let $f$ be a continuous real function defined in a subset of the real line. The standard definition of continuity at a point $x$ allow us to correlate any given epsilon with a (possibly depending of $x$) delta value. This pairing is known…
Limit can be defined by two axioms: 1. Strict inequality between limits implies, ultimately, strict inequality between functions. 2. For constant functions limit is trivial. How can basic results on convergence be derived from these axioms?…
This paper establishes calculus upon two physical facts: (1) any average velocity is always between two instantaneous velocities, and (2) the motion of an object is determined once its velocity has been determined. It directly defines…
This note tries to show that a re-examination of a first course in analysis, using the more sophisticated tools and approaches obtained in later stages, can be a real fun for experts, advanced students, etc. We start by going to the…
We give a survey of the use of infinitesimals within mathematical analysis to rigorously deal with the delta-function from physics, and more generally, with distributions in the sense of L. Schwartz. We use the framework of nonstandard…
A non-deterministic call-by-need lambda-calculus \calc with case, constructors, letrec and a (non-deterministic) erratic choice, based on rewriting rules is investigated. A standard reduction is defined as a variant of left-most outermost…
Regular cost functions have been introduced recently as an extension to the notion of regular languages with counting capabilities, which retains strong closure, equivalence, and decidability properties. The specificity of cost functions is…
The epsilon operator is a term-forming operator which replaces quantifiers in ordinary predicate logic. The application of this undervalued formalism has been hampered by the absence of well-behaved proof systems on the one hand, and…
A new computational methodology for executing calculations with infinite and infinitesimal quantities is described in this paper. It is based on the principle `The part is less than the whole' introduced by Ancient Greeks and applied to all…
To support the understanding of declarative probabilistic programming languages, we introduce a lambda-calculus with a fair binary probabilistic choice that chooses between its arguments with equal probability. The reduction strategy of the…
We introduce a linear infinitary $\lambda$-calculus, called $\ell\Lambda_{\infty}$, in which two exponential modalities are available, the first one being the usual, finitary one, the other being the only construct interpreted…