Purdue MA 16600 Calculus II: Topics, Study Guide and Practice

Purdue MA 16600, Analytic Geometry And Calculus II, is the second course in Purdue's main calculus sequence. It is a 4-credit continuation of MA 16500 that adds vectors, integration techniques, infinite series and polar coordinates. This guide maps every MA 16600 topic to practice problems with instant feedback.

What Purdue MA 16600 covers

The math department lists vectors in two and three dimensions, techniques of integration, infinite series, polar coordinates and surfaces in three dimensions. A Purdue Engineering course outline gives the weekly order: 3D coordinates, vectors, dot and cross products; areas between curves, volumes, shells and average value; integration by parts, trig integrals, trig substitution, partial fractions, tables and approximate integration; improper integrals, arc length, surface area and physics applications; then sequences, series, the integral, comparison, alternating, ratio and root tests, power series, Taylor and Maclaurin series, and finally parametric curves and polar coordinates.

This is a standard Calculus 2 course with an early vector unit borrowed from Calculus 3.

MA 16600 topic map

MA 16600 in the Purdue sequence

Review the first course in the MA 16500 guide, and see what comes next in the MA 26100 guide.

Example problems at the MA 16600 level

1. Volume by shells. Rotate the region under y = x^2, 0 \le x \le 1, about the y-axis:

2. Radius of convergence. For \sum_{n=0}^{\infty} \frac{x^n}{3^n}, the ratio test gives \left|\frac{x}{3}\right| < 1, so the radius of convergence is R = 3.

3. A cross product. For \mathbf{a} = \langle 1, 2, 0 \rangle and \mathbf{b} = \langle 0, 1, 1 \rangle:

How to do well in Purdue MA 16600

• Start vectors strong. They come first and return in MA 26100. The cross product lesson is a quick refresher.
• Practice picking a technique. Mixed problems in choosing a strategy mirror exam questions.
• Build a series checklist. Try the nth-term test first, then compare to geometric or p-series, then reach for the ratio test.
• Keep the formula sheet handy for Maclaurin series and trig identities, and take timed practice exams.
• Review common calculus mistakes before every exam.

Tip: for interval of convergence, the ratio test gives the open interval. Always check the two endpoints separately.