Calculus Text Puzzles

Peter Jipsen, August, 2002

This is the home page for Calculus Text Puzzles: An interactive way of reading scrambled calculus definitions, examples and proofs. The text on these dynamic webpages can be rearranged easily, and the reader is given automatic feedback on whether the original correct form of the definitions, examples or proofs has been reconstructed.

Click on some of the sample results below and see how this approach allows you to (re)discover concepts. This can help with understanding calculus, and it is more interesting than simply reading the textbook. It is meant as an intermediate step between studying existing definitions and proofs versus writing your own. You are encouraged to print out the unscrambled version of a completed puzzle and keep it as a record and study-aid. The pages below require Netscape 4.5-4.78 or IE5+ on a PC, and currently do not work properly with Netscape 6+ or on a Mac (due to font problems and my lack of good testing platforms).

Instructions: The lines of the definitions and proofs below have been shuffled, and your task is to sort them into the logically correct order (if there seem to be several correct orders, choose one that produces the 'most sensible' result). Click a round button to select a line, then click the appropriate square grey button to move the line to that particular place. When you think you are done, click on the Grade button. If you are happy with your grade, you can enter your name and print the page. Don't worry, the grade and your name are not recorded anywhere on the web (the Text Puzzels run locally in your browser).
Here is some more information about Text Puzzles in general, and hints on how to use the underlying JavaScript program to make your own.

Definitions and results about calculus (based on Stewarts Calculus, 4th edition).

Preliminaries: Appendix A

Definitions: Integers, Rational, Irrational and Real Numbers.
Definitions: Basic set notation.
Definitions: Intervals, open, closed, half-open.

Chapter 1: Functions and Models

Definitions: Functions, domain, range, symmetry, increasing, decreasing
Definitions: Linear, Polynomial, Power, Rational, Algebraic, Trigonometric, Exponential, Logarithmic, Transcendental Functions
Results: Shifting, stretching and reflecting functions

Chapter 2: Limits, Continuety and Rates of Change

Definitions: Limits, from the left and right, and to infinity.
Results : Limit laws.

Left-Right Limit Theorem:

Sum of Limits Theorem:

Product of Limits Theorem:

Reciprocal of Limits Theorem:

Limit Order Theorem:

Squeeze Theorem:

Chapter 3: Derivatives

Coming soon.