<p>I’m self studying pre-calculus momentarily. I’m actually pretty good at math (well judging from my ease at the SAT and being asked to take the AMC last year)</p>
<p>Am I digging my own grave?</p>
<p>I only began studying Calc for the Physics (I luv physics, hate math, quite logical right?) and I found out that w/ no precalc knowledge, calc posed no problem at all! </p>
<p>so ^ you have nothing to worry about, msot precalc stuff (parametrics, etc.) come in during much more advanced math</p>
<p>I use Khan Academy and the Larson book and got through the first 2 chapters in 2 weeks, and I realize that enable to learn all the way to integrals for iPHo I would have to cover the entire AP Calc AB curriculum (according to the Larson textbook, ch. p-4) </p>
<p>so I might take AP Calc BC concurrently w/ IB math SL (precal) in my school if I can’t get AP Physics, do you think it’s too hard w/out precal? and good luck to anyone who is taking it!</p>
<p>Apparently AP Calc BC can’t fit into my schedule… 
I want to take AP Calc, but I’m not sure if wanting to take AP Calc BC is even pragmatic now. I’d have to self-study that along with other APs and USABO…
dunno if I should do it. :X</p>
<p>Just stumbled onto this after a HSl binge.</p>
<p>I’m taking AB Calc AP next year and I’m probably gonna self study the BC material.</p>
<p>Luckily I got the same teacher who taught me precalc. Good for recs and her tests are ridiculously similar to the practice :D</p>
<p>Taking calc bc this year as a somphmore. This will be my last real math class before I do an independent study at my local university for other math classes. I’m feeling ok about this class but Im scared I’m going to make silly mistakes (which I’m prone to) which will make me get a 4. My teacher is the same one I had for ap stats last year and I got a 5 so I’m not worried about the actual material. Plus my mom is a math professor and will drill everything into my head. 
Any tips from others would be great. Good luck!</p>
<p>I’m gonna be self studying BC. Is Essential Calculus by Stewart a good book? Coupled with Khan Academy+MIT OCW+Review Book, do you think this should be enough for a 5? Thanks!</p>
<p>I’m taking an online class for BC. The stupidest thing is that I’m taking Math 163 (Pre-Calc with Trig) at my local CC EVEN THOUGH I TESTED INTO CALC because it’s required for Physics
Anywho. I’m actually good at Calc type stuff, and I’m anticipating it being…not that hard hahaha. But I have procrastination/cramming SKILLZ. Seriously. I studied the two nights before (pulled two consecutive all-nighters) for AP Bio and somehow pulled off a 5.</p>
<p>By the way, what books are everyone using? I’m using the Larson, Hostetler and Edwards 8th edition ‘Calculus.’</p>
<p>^best book (also won an award for best-looking cover too, lol). I read chp 6-10 (the BC material) in about 3 weeks after the AB test, took a BC practice test, made 3 dumb mistakes total. And 2 of them were AB material. That book is beast.</p>
<p>Hello!
I have a close mentor majoring in higher mathematics. He gave me all sorts (and riiculous number) of calculus books: Barrons AP Cal, Princeton Review AP Cal, Calculus Lifesaver, Schaum Calculus, Schaum 3000 Calculus Questions, Humongous Book of Calculus, ARCO, 5 Steps to a 5, Be Prepared for AP Calculus Exam, and 5 Steps to a 5…</p>
<p>How can I utilize them all?? I am grateful that he gave all those books away to me, but I do not know how to utilize them. I really just want to pick two or three books as core study guide.</p>
<p>Is Laron&Hostetler&Edwards Calculus a good textbook? My school uses “Calculus: Graphical, Numberical, Algebraic” but its contents are not my style. Should I get that book or are those prep books I got are good enough to 5 on BC?</p>
<p>Turns out, my school won’t let me take BC Calc (I’m taking Honors Precalc instead, even though I’ve already studied precalc). So I’ll likely self-study calc during the year using my school’s textbook, Barron’s, AMSCO, Khan Academy, Patrick JMT, OCW, and anything else I might find useful.</p>
<p>Oh yeah, I forgot to include PR as well.</p>
<p>What are you guys doing in your BC Calc class right now? I’m self-studying, and as of now, I’ve pretty much learned all the basic methods of finding limits and derivatives (power rule, product rule, quotient rule, chain rule, implicit differentiation), as well as some L’Hopital’s rule.</p>
<p>Our class is learning about the Second Derivative Test and concavity right now. I’ve already taken Calc I though, so it’s mostly review.</p>
<p>Are Khan Academy and Patrick JMT good resources? Do they explain the concepts and principles in understandable way?</p>
<p>Also I have a question.</p>
<p>what is the derivative of (cosX)^X ?</p>
<p>What is the derivative of (-arccos (1/(X^4)) ?</p>
<p>@Mansu007:</p>
<p>d/dx (cosx)^x - use the chain rule</p>
<p>Let cosx = z (this is a way to make sense of the chain rule if you don’t yet have the intuition; substitute the inside function for another variable and differentiate with respect to it)</p>
<p>If y = (cosx)^x, then the derivative of y (dy/dx) equals dy/dz * dz/dx</p>
<p>dy/dz = d/dz z^x = ln(z)*z^x
dz/dx = d/dx cosx = -sinx</p>
<p>dy/dx = dy/dz * dz/dx = ln(z)<em>z^x</em>-sin(x).</p>
<p>Now, we want the final answer in terms of x, so substitute cosx back in for z. </p>
<p>dy/dx = -ln(cos(x))<em>(cos(x))^x</em>sin(x)</p>
<p>For the second one, -arccos(1/(x^4)) = -arccos(x^-4).</p>
<p>Use the same strategy as above, but using the chain rule means that the derivative of that function derivative of the inside times the derivative of the outside taken at the inside.</p>
<p>derivative of inside (x^-4) = -4x^-5 (this is the power rule)
derivative of outside taken at the inside (-arccos(z)) = -1 * -1/sqrt(1-z^2) = 1/sqrt(1-(x^-4)^2) = 1/sqrt(1-x^-8)</p>
<p>Therefore, the derivative is -4x^-5 * 1/sqrt(1-x^-8) = -4x^-5/sqrt(1-x^-8)</p>
<p>I’m sure everyone has heard the same question by now, but i feel the need to ask this. PR or Barrons? or is there another review book out there that’s better? i know it’s really early to be thinking about the AP test and review books, but i made the most amazing and wisest decision ever to take 5 Ap classes this year so i want to jump ahead.</p>
<p>i’m so looking forward to the written section on the test. <em>sarcasm</em> i look forward to dying this year and anyone and everyone is welcome to attend my funeral!</p>
<p>For the people who are NOT self-studying the class, wouldn’t the teacher be sufficient? My teacher gives a lot of practice AP material so I don’t really need a review book.</p>
<p>^Teacher + Hw is sufficient :)</p>
<p>Last year was AB, this year is BC and we’re going at a rate that can be faster because the first 2.5 weeks was AB review and we take warmup time and every Friday off to do AP test practice (The teacher has never ever had a failing AP tester!)… Currently at Trigonometric Substitution and Partial Fractions. However by the quarter/block system everything BC except for infinite series is going to be done by this quarter which ends early October.</p>
<p>It’s a breath of fresh air with all of the other AP classes in the way, and the tests have problems that weren’t specifically taught or in the homework, and is great practice for Calculus competitions as every now and then I catch a mistake not to make again, revisit problems, and explore new ones :)</p>
<p>Could anyone explain to me delta-epsilon proofs? I understand how to solve the problems, but I’m nearly clueless about what I’m doing.</p>