ABSTRACT
Asymptotics has been called the “calculus of approximations.” It provides a powerful tool for approximating the solutions to wide classes of problems, including limits, integrals, differential equations, and difference equations. Although the basic definitions are easy to understand, it requires skill to use asymptotics effectively and accurately. The goal of this chapter is to teach the necessary skills for a basic understanding of asymptotics. In later chapters we will apply the techniques to more difficult problems that cannot be solved any other way. In the process, we will learn the properties of some very important functions in applied mathematics.
