Below is a list of some of the calculator skills that are either essential or very useful for Math 132. You may not yet understand what all these skills mean, since some involve concepts yet to be taught in the course.

For help, in the first instance consult the manual for your calculator, or ask other students. Try the on-line TI-89 tutorial if you’re using a TI-89 or TI-89 Titanium. Or ask your professor or TA for help; be sure to bring the manual with you, especially if you’re not using the recommended calculator.

New calculator skills for Math 132:

• calculate Riemann sums of a function on an interval (see example here);
• calculate the indefinite integral of a function symbolically (blue integral sign key or integrate function, on Calc menu);
• expand a rational function into a sum of partial fractions (expand command);
• find the exact value of a definite integral (blue integral sign key or integrate function, on Calc menu);
• approximate the value of a definite integral (nInt function, on Calc menu);
• split a quotient of polynomials into partial fractions (expand function, on Algebra menu);)
• graph a sequence (MODE > Graph > SEQUENCE);
• graph both a sequence and its sequence of partial sums;
• calculate the sum of a finite list or of an infinite series (sum function, on Calc menu);
• calculate Taylor polynomials for a function (taylor function, on Calc menu);
• graph a curve using parametric equations (MODE > Graph > PARAMETRIC);
• graph a curve using polar coordinates (MODE > Graph > POLAR).

Basic calculator skills (from Math 131):

• set or reset the calculator mode to use radians (MODE > Angle > RADIAN);
• set or reset the mode to use floating point display and to increase the number of display digits;
• evaluate a function at a numerical input;
• evaluate a function at a symbolic input, e.g., evaluate f(2 + h) in terms of h if f(x) = e^2x + cos (x³ + 5x);
• find the roots (zeros) of a polynomial; more generally…
• solve an equation—numerically, in case the calculator cannot solve it symbolically in exact form (solve function, on Alg menu);
• graph a function within a window, as given by an x-interval and a y-interval;
  find the limit of a function f(x) at a number or as x tends to infinity (limit function, on Calc menu);
• locate the “local minima” (valley bottoms) and “local maxima” (mountain tops) on the graph of a function;
• calculate the derivative of a function symbolically (special blue d key or differentiate function, on Calc menu);
• graph together both a given function and its derivative.

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