The laws of physics are written in mathematical form, and it is
clear that we will need to understand a certain amount of
mathematics if we are to solve any physical problems. To see
what is required, let us consider Newton¿s second law of
mechanics: force equals mass times acceleration. Force and
acceleration are vector quantities, having magnitude and
direction, whereas mass is a scalar quantity, having only
magnitude. It follows that we will have to recognise and
manipulate both scalar and vector quantities. Acceleration is
the rate of change, or time derivative, of velocity; it follows
that we will need to understand differentiation, and its inverse
process of integration. If we next consider electromagnetism, we
see that electric and magnetic fields exist at every point of
three dimensional space, and every instant of time; we must
therefore understand functions of more than one variable, and in
fact extend the ideas of differentiation and integration to such
functions. Finally we may notice that all the