What's the important in editions of calculus textbooks?

Question

for a class i'll be taking in the fall, basic calc, i was supposed to get the 6th edition of stewart's early transcendentals calculus textbook, but even a used copy is about a hundred forty on amazon.

but i was able to get the fifth edition for only 3 dollars!

do they really differ enough that i need the new (6th) edition? or is the fifth edition good enough.

Answer 1

Nope.. not really.

The problems may be different in some sections (especially word problems), but they are the same information. This might suck when trying to follow the guide your professor sets, or any examples he uses from the book and doesnt write down. But, you can ask if he/she has a syllabus/homework list for the 5th edition.

New editions usually try to update their word problems so they are more up to date with the current society (e.g. you might see global warming problems etc).

Answer 2

If the teacher plans on giving you problems out of the book, then it matters that the problems and their numbers match from version to version. It may be worth checking this out.

However the math is no different. If you plan to learn calculus well (as opposed to just surviving the class) you are better off have lots of calculus texts books to read, to give you different perspectives. It really helps when you are stuck on some concept. Check out a few other texts and it will probably become clear.

There is an inexhaustible supply of cheap calculus textbooks around in second hand stores and online. Go get a few.

Also, try ebay. I just looked and saw cheaper ones there.