Calculus Words
In short: Calculus vocabulary: 37 terms on limits, continuity, derivatives, integrals, and the main theorems, each defined in plain words with a short example to make any problem statement easier to read and answer.
Limit, continuity, derivative, tangent line, critical point, inflection point, antiderivative, definite integral, Riemann sum, Mean Value Theorem: this calculus vocabulary gathers the terms in the order a course introduces them. Each entry has a plain-language definition and a short example showing the idea on a simple function.
Use it as a reference while you work through a homework set, particularly when a problem asks you to justify an answer using a named theorem. Before an exam, print the sheets and test yourself by stating each definition and its conditions without notes. The terms you hesitate on are the ones to revisit with more problems.
37 words on this page, each with a definition, a figure, a solved example and two quick questions.
Calculus Words: the full list
AP Calculus AB
- Antiderivative
- Area Between Curves
- Average Value of a Function
- Chain Rule
- Concavity
- Continuity
- Critical Point
- Definite Integral
- Derivative
- Derivative Rules
- Differential Equation
- Disk Method
- Equation of a Tangent Line
- Extreme Value Theorem
- First Derivative Test
- Fundamental Theorem of Calculus
- Implicit Differentiation
- Inflection Point
- Integral
- Intermediate Value Theorem
- L'Hôpital's Rule
- Limit
- Limit at Infinity
- Limit Definition of the Derivative
- Mean Value Theorem
- One-Sided Limit
- Optimization (Calculus)
- Power Rule
- Product Rule
- Quotient Rule
- Related Rates
- Riemann Sum
- Second Derivative Test
- Separation of Variables
- Slope Field
- Squeeze Theorem
- U-Substitution