calculus
n. uncountablen. a branch of advanced math that studies how things change. It uses special rules to calculate things like the slope of a curve or the area of a shape.
n. a branch of mathematics dealing with the finding and properties of derivatives and integrals of functions. Often used to model systems where change is continuous.
She is studying calculus to prepare for her engineering degree.
Engineers use calculus to determine the exact rate of change in a bridge's structural integrity over time.
The development of infinitesimal calculus in the seventeenth century provided the mathematical framework necessary for the birth of modern physics and celestial mechanics.
* Borrowed from Latin calculus (“a pebble or stone used as reckoning counters in abacus”), diminutive of calx (“limestone”) + -ulus. * Mathematical topic is from differential calculus.
Uncountable when referring to the field of study; countable in its medical sense referring to a stone or concretion in the body.