Use of computers in the instruction of integral calculus

Abstract

One of the most difficult concepts in the area of integral multivariate calculus is finding the limits of integration. This thesis describes an interactive computer program designed to help students understand this important concept. The program shows how a given domain is plotted and teaches how to find the limits of integration when evaluating two-dimensional integrals. The program allows the user to enter any known information about a region and then evaluates the integral. The region is plotted, the limits of integration are given along with the area of the region. The program handles cartesian and polar coordinate, two-dimensional integral problems. This program could be used independently by the student and/or used by the calculus instructor in the classroom.