Many first year courses require the use of a graphing calculator.  In general, any calculator that is approved for the AP Calculus program  is sufficient.  The most common calculators at Michigan Tech are the TI-89, TI-85, TI-86, and TI-92.  Any of these is acceptable in mathematics courses, but we strongly recommend the TI-89.

Each student is expected to bring his/her calculator to classes and tests. Any common test, such as a departmental final exam, consists of a calculator part and a non-calculator part.  In order to do well on the calculuator part, you should be familiar with the following features of your calculator:

          1.  plot the graph of a function within an arbitrary viewing window,
          2.  find the zeros of functions (solve equations numerically),
          3.  numerically calculate the derivative of a function, and
          4.  numerically calculate the value of a definite integral.

These are the minimum calculator requirements for the AP Calculus test, and they are sufficient for beginning college-level work.

Devices that are not allowed include laptop PCs, Palm Pilots, Newtons, and similar computers.  (Note that some instructors in other departments do not allow students to use anything with a typewriter-style keypad, such as the TI-92, and some departments forbid all calculator use.)