MIT OpenCourseWare
Multivariable Calculus (18.02SC)
Overview
Between May and September 2026 I independently worked through 18.02SC, the self-study edition of MIT's undergraduate multivariable calculus course, published openly on MIT OpenCourseWare. The course takes calculus from one variable into two and three dimensions.
It runs from vectors and matrices through partial derivatives and multiple integrals to vector calculus, ending with Green's, Stokes' and the Divergence Theorems. This was self-directed study of MIT's published materials, so there is no certificate or credit attached.
What I Studied
The course's four units.
01
Vectors and Matrices
Vectors, dot and cross products, determinants, matrices and linear systems, and describing lines, planes and motion in space.
02
Partial Derivatives
Functions of several variables, tangent-plane approximation, optimisation and the second-derivative test, the chain rule, gradients and directional derivatives, and Lagrange multipliers.
03
Double Integrals and Line Integrals in the Plane
Double integrals in rectangular and polar coordinates, changes of variables, vector fields, work and line integrals, path independence, and Green's Theorem.
04
Triple Integrals and Surface Integrals in 3-Space
Triple integrals in cylindrical and spherical coordinates, flux through surfaces, the Divergence Theorem, curl, and Stokes' Theorem.