Massively Multivariable Open Online Calculus Course

M2O2C2 is an invitation to think carefully about how one thing changing affects something else. What is the "derivative" of a function of many variables? How can a curved object be approximated by a flat plane? What does the chain rule look like when many things are affecting many other things? How do we find an input which maximizes a function of many variables?

This is a first course in multivariable differential calculus, but along the way, we will also introduce a ton of linear algebra. The result is a course targeted at a student who has seen a bit of calculus and who is willing to learn about linear transformations and vectors; such a student will have the best possible vantage point from which to explore derivatives of functions of many variables.



All lectures and written instructional materials developed for this course by the Ohio State University are licensed under the Creative Commons AttributionNonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License. To view a copy of this license, visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/

This course is a first taste of multivariable calculus, but viewed through the lens of linear algebra. Introducing matrices (and linear transformations!) permits us to share a more coherent story about multivariable differential calculus.

Week 1: Multiple variables
Week 2: Limits and derivatives
Week 3: The chain rule
Week 4: Second derivative
Week 5: Optimization
Week 6: Higher derivatives