# Pitt MATH 0230 Calculus 2: Syllabus, Topics and Practice

> A study guide for Pitt MATH 0230 Analytic Geometry and Calculus 2: transcendental functions, integration techniques, series and polar coordinates.

Source: https://practicecalculus.com/courses/university-of-pittsburgh-math-0230
Updated: 2026-11-08

## At a glance

- **Course code:** MATH 0230
- **Credits:** 4
- **Prerequisites:** MATH 0220, or MATH 0120 and MATH 0205, with a C or better
- **Covers:** Calculus of transcendental functions, techniques of integration, series of numbers and functions, polar coordinates, conic sections
- **Honors version:** MATH 0235 Honors 1-Variable Calculus
- **Next course:** MATH 0240 Analytic Geometry and Calculus 3
- **Practice here:** [Calculus 2](/learn/calculus-2)

## Key takeaways

- MATH 0230 is the 4-credit second course in the University of Pittsburgh's three-course calculus sequence.
- It covers the calculus of transcendental functions, techniques of integration, series of numbers and functions, polar coordinates and conic sections.
- You need MATH 0220, or MATH 0120 plus MATH 0205, with a C or better.
- A recent department syllabus lists two midterms, a departmental final, weekly labs and recitations, and no calculators on exams.

**Pitt MATH 0230** (Analytic Geometry and Calculus 2) is the second of three basic calculus courses at the University of Pittsburgh. It carries 4 credits and needs MATH 0220, or MATH 0120 plus MATH 0205, with a C or better. This guide maps each topic in the department's description to a lesson you can practice.

## What Pitt MATH 0230 covers

The Pitt mathematics department describes MATH 0230 as the second of a sequence of three basic calculus courses, covering the calculus of transcendental functions, techniques of integration, series of numbers and functions, polar coordinates, and conic sections.

The department's Spring 2026 student guidelines and syllabus add practical details. The course is aimed at science and engineering students and treats calculus as a practical problem-solving tool. The listed textbook is Stewart's Essential Calculus, Early Transcendentals (2nd edition). Grades come from two in-class midterms (50%), a comprehensive departmental final (30%), LON-CAPA online assignments (10%) and quizzes (10%). One session each week meets in the Scientific Computing Lab, plus a weekly recitation with a TA. Calculators are not allowed on quizzes or exams.

## MATH 0230 topic map

| MATH 0230 topic | Practice | Read |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Exponential and log functions | [Exponential and log derivatives](/learn/calculus-1/derivative-rules/exponential-and-log-derivatives) | [Derivatives of exponential and log functions](/blog/derivatives-of-exponential-and-logarithmic-functions) |
| Inverse trig functions | [Inverse trig derivatives](/learn/calculus-1/derivative-rules/inverse-trig-derivatives) | [Arctangent](/functions/arctangent) |
| Integration by parts | [Integration by parts](/learn/calculus-2/integration-techniques/integration-by-parts) | [Integration by parts](/blog/integration-by-parts) |
| Trig integrals | [Trig integrals](/learn/calculus-2/integration-techniques/trig-integrals) | [Trig integrals problems](/practice-problems/trig-integrals) |
| Trig substitution | [Trig substitution](/learn/calculus-2/integration-techniques/trig-substitution) | [Trig substitution](/blog/trig-substitution) |
| Partial fractions | [Partial fractions](/learn/calculus-2/integration-techniques/partial-fractions) | [Partial fractions](/blog/partial-fractions) |
| Improper integrals | [Infinite limits of integration](/learn/calculus-2/improper-integrals-and-applications/infinite-limits-of-integration) | [Improper integrals](/blog/improper-integrals) |
| Series of numbers | [Series and partial sums](/learn/calculus-2/sequences-and-series/series-and-partial-sums) | [Convergence tests](/blog/convergence-tests) |
| Convergence tests | [Comparison tests](/learn/calculus-2/sequences-and-series/comparison-tests) | [Ratio test](/rules/ratio-test), [alternating series test](/rules/alternating-series-test) |
| Series of functions | [Maclaurin series](/learn/calculus-2/power-series-parametric-polar/maclaurin-series) | [Taylor series](/blog/taylor-series) |
| Polar coordinates | [Polar coordinates](/learn/calculus-2/power-series-parametric-polar/polar-coordinates) | [Polar area](/learn/calculus-2/power-series-parametric-polar/polar-area) |
| Conic sections and parametric curves | [Parametric curves](/learn/calculus-2/power-series-parametric-polar/parametric-curves) | [Quadratic function](/functions/quadratic-function) |

## MATH 0230 in the Pitt sequence

| Course | Credits | Prerequisite |
| --- | --- | --- |
| [MATH 0220](/courses/university-of-pittsburgh-math-0220) Analytic Geometry and Calculus 1 | 4 | C in MATH 0032 or 0200, or placement 76+ |
| MATH 0230 Analytic Geometry and Calculus 2 | 4 | MATH 0220 (or 0120 + 0205), C or better |
| [MATH 0240](/courses/university-of-pittsburgh-math-0240) Analytic Geometry and Calculus 3 | 4 | C or better in MATH 0230 |

## Example problems at the MATH 0230 level

**1. Integration by parts with a log.** With $u = \ln x$ and $dv = dx$:

$$\int \ln x\,dx = x\ln x - x + C$$

**2. An alternating series.**

$$\sum_{n=1}^{\infty} \frac{(-1)^{n+1}}{n}$$

converges by the alternating series test, because $\frac{1}{n}$ decreases to $0$. It does not converge absolutely.

**3. Area in polar coordinates.** The area inside $r = 2$ is

$$\frac{1}{2}\int_0^{2\pi} 2^2\,d\theta = 4\pi$$

## How to do well in MATH 0230

- **Practice without a calculator from day one,** since exams do not allow one.
- **Use the weekly lab well.** Finish LON-CAPA problems there and ask your TA about anything you get wrong.
- **Mix integration problems** so you practice choosing a method: [choosing a strategy](/learn/calculus-2/integration-techniques/choosing-a-strategy).
- **Make a one-page series summary** with each test and when to use it, then check it against [choosing a test](/learn/calculus-2/sequences-and-series/choosing-a-test).
- **Prepare for the departmental final** with timed [practice exams](/practice) and [convergence test problems](/practice-problems/convergence-tests).

> **Tip:** for a series, always ask first whether the terms go to $0$. If they do not, the series diverges, and no other test is needed.

## Frequently asked questions

### What is MATH 0230 at Pitt?

MATH 0230 Analytic Geometry and Calculus 2 is the second of three basic calculus courses at Pitt. The department says it covers the calculus of transcendental functions, techniques of integration, series of numbers and functions, polar coordinates, and conic sections.

### What is the prerequisite for MATH 0230?

MATH 0220, or MATH 0120 together with MATH 0205 Bridge to Calculus, with a grade of C or better.

### Can I use a calculator in MATH 0230?

The department's Spring 2026 syllabus says calculators are not permitted on quizzes, midterms or the final exam. A scientific calculator is recommended for other parts of the course.

### What textbook does MATH 0230 use?

The Spring 2026 department syllabus lists Essential Calculus, Early Transcendentals, 2nd Edition, by James Stewart. Check your own term's syllabus, since textbooks can change.

### What comes after MATH 0230?

MATH 0240 Analytic Geometry and Calculus 3, which requires a C or better in MATH 0230. MATH 0250 Matrix Theory and Differential Equations also requires a C or better in MATH 0230.