‘Calculus’ (Latin, calculus, a small stone used for counting) is a branch of
mathematics that includes the study of limits, derivatives, integrals, and
infinite series, and constitutes a major part of modern university education.
Historically, it was sometimes referred to as “the calculus”, but that usage is
seldom seen today.
Calculus has widespread applications in science and engineering and is used to
solve complicated problems for which algebra alone is insufficient. Calculus
builds on algebra, trigonometry, and analytic geometry and includes two major
branches, ‘[[differential calculus]]’ and ‘[[integral calculus]]’, that are
related by the fundamental theorem of calculus. In more advanced mathematics,
calculus is usually called analysis and is defined as the study of functions.
More generally, calculus can refer to any method or system of calculation.