Calculus through Data & Modelling: Techniques of Integration

In this module, we extend the idea of a definite integral to double and even triple integrals of functions of two or three variables. These ideas are then used to compute areas, volumes, and masses of more general regions. Double integrals are also used to calculate probabilities when two random variables are involved. This extension of single variable calculus is the first step towards major tools that arise later in this specialization involving theorems of vector calculus.

For integrals of a function f(x), the region over which we integrate is always an interval of the real line. But for double integrals, we want to expand our abilities to integrate a multivariable function f(x,y) not only over rectangles, but also over more general regions in the plane. In this module, we develop the tools and techniques to do that.

A vector-valued function, also referred to as a vector function, is a mathematical function of one or more variables whose range is a set of multidimensional vectors or infinite-dimensional vectors. The input of a vector-valued function could be a scalar or a vector, but the output of this function is a vector. In this way, points are assigned to vectors. In this module, we will study these new types of functions and develop examples and applications of these new mathematical objects. They will play a key part in the development of vector calculus in future modules.