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but wouldn't "the sum of all the little bits of x" just be... x? Like what the fuck Calculus?! Speak plainly.
Yes, that's the whole point of calculus. It's useful for finding x if you don't have other easier ways to do so.
Here's an example of how dividing the area under a curve up into smaller and smaller bits helps to find a value for the area.
I mean, the idea is simple enough to understand. The actual execution is what fucks idiots like me, especially when the exam is full of shit like
integral sin(e ^ (x^2 * cos(e)) * tan(sqrt 5x)That's been an argument among educators. You can teach the basic concepts of Calculus to a fourth grader. What makes it difficult is rigor, but we don't necessarily need to teach rigor to fourth graders.