Students in AT Calculus II certainly learn a lot of mathematics, but Derryfield students aren’t just satisfied with learning how to solve equations or graph functions. Instead, Derryfield students put their mathematical skills to work to solve real world problems. In AT Calculus II with Jim Watt, students apply their knowledge of differential equations to model everything from the 1798 Battle of the Nile to the love story of Romeo and Juliet. This year, students applied their modeling skills to solve famous problems from history. For instance, Adelaide Meehan ’24 and Nick Ferrari ’24 used their knowledge of differential equations to show that Han van Meegeren’s “Johannes Vermeer” paintings were forgeries. They explored the decay of radioactive lead in the paintings and proved that the lead in the van Meegeren paintings had not decayed enough to have been consistent with the production of the paintings during Vermeer’s lifetime. Other students solved other problems such as a “whodunnit” murder mystery solved through application of Newton’s Law of Cooling. As Jim puts it, “The students know someone used differential equations to solve these problems. How did they do it? How can I solve it?” With this project, AT Calculus II students keep building their sense that mathematics is not just a set of processes to learn, but a toolbox for solving real problems.
AT Calculus II: Application of Differential Equations
