Re: how come calculus can be exact?

From: Shmuel (Seymour J.) Metz (spamtrap_at_library.lspace.org.invalid)
Date: 09/06/04 

Date: Mon, 06 Sep 2004 19:18:16 -0300

In <1dc813f.0409051006.f35afef@posting.google.com>, on 09/05/2004
   at 11:06 AM, arjdombivli@indiatimes.com (ashok) said:

>How come calculus gives the exact results despite we are making
>approximations(neglecting the infinitesimal which tends to zero) at
>its basic definition level?

Your question presupposes something contrary to fact. Calculus does
not rely on approximations or "infinitesimals". You need to read up on
limits in order to understand the basic definitions of Calculus.

Note: there is something called Nonstandard Analysis in which the term
infinitesimal is rigorously used, but unless you have a good textbook
using that approach it would only confuse you. 

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