Princeton MAT 175: Mathematics for Economics/Life Sciences
MAT 175 is Princeton's calculus course tailored for economics and life-science students: differentiation, optimization, integration, and selected multivariable and applied topics with examples drawn from those fields. It satisfies calculus requirements for majors that don't need the full math-track sequence.
Fennie is independent and not affiliated with Princeton University. This is an unofficial study guide.
What makes it hard
Students expecting a soft requirement get surprised by the pace and the applied word problems: setting up an optimization or rate problem from an economics or biology scenario is the part you can't fake. As in every calculus course, algebra errors, not the calculus concepts, cause most exam losses, and the breadth of applied topics rewards steady work.
What you'll cover
- • Derivatives and differentiation rules
- • Optimization and applications
- • Exponential and logarithmic models
- • Integration
- • Applied multivariable topics
- • Modeling in economics and life sciences
The MAT 175 study guide
How to study for Princeton MAT 175, step by step.
- 1
Treat it as a real calculus course
MAT 175's applied framing hides genuine calculus difficulty. Build a real weekly study rhythm from day one rather than assuming an applied course is a soft one.
- 2
Shore up algebra before it costs you
As in every calculus course, algebra errors, not concepts, cause most lost exam points. Spend the first two weeks rehabbing factoring, exponents, and log manipulation.
- 3
Live in the applied word problems
Setting up optimization and rate problems from economics or biology scenarios is the skill exams isolate. Practice the setup from scratch, since rereading solutions teaches recognition, not production.
- 4
Automate the differentiation rules early
Short daily drills until the rules are reflex. The applied problems that decide grades assume the differentiation itself is free.
Today
Today's MAT 175 plan
What a Fennie Daily Plan looks like for MAT 175. Yours is built from your own syllabus and adapts every day to your deadlines and progress.
First plan free, no card required. Fennie is independent and unaffiliated with your school.
FAQ
Is MAT 175 at Princeton hard?
Harder than its applied reputation suggests. The pace is real and the word problems require setting up equations from economics and biology scenarios, which you can't fake. Students who treat it as a genuine calculus course do fine.
Who takes MAT 175?
Primarily economics and life-science students who need calculus but not the full math-track sequence. It's titled Mathematics for Economics/Life Sciences and pulls its examples from those fields; check whether your major requires it specifically.
How do I pass MAT 175?
Drill differentiation until automatic, then spend most study time on applied word problems: practice the setup from scratch rather than rereading solutions. Shore up algebra early; it's the silent cause of most exam errors.
More Princeton courses
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MAT 103 is Princeton's introductory Calculus I course, covering limits, derivatives, applications of differentiation, and an introduction to integration, for students who need a calculus foundation before continuing in the sequence or supporting science and economics coursework.
MAT 104: Calculus II
MAT 104 is Princeton's Calculus II course, covering integration techniques, applications of integrals, sequences and series, and parametric and polar topics, continuing from MAT 103 for students across the sciences, economics, and engineering-adjacent tracks.
MAT 201: Multivariable Calculus
MAT 201 is Princeton's multivariable calculus course: vectors and the geometry of space, partial derivatives, multiple integrals, and vector calculus including line and surface integrals and the major theorems. It follows the single-variable sequence for students in quantitative fields.
MAT 202: Linear Algebra with Applications
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