Who Will Be My Instructor?


Unlike many other distance education courses, ALL instruction, grading, feedback, and interaction with the students is completed by qualified HUMAN instructors. We do not use AI or Multiple Choice or other automated grading mechanisms.

Head Professor: Robert R. Curtis, Ph.D.

robert curtis photo Robert completed his B.A. with Highest Honors in Mathematics at the University of California, Santa Cruz, in 1987, followed by his M.A. and Ph.D. in Mathematics at the University of California, San Diego, in 1993, writing in algebraic geometry with advisors George Kempf and Adrian Wadsworth.

Robert began 1991 teaching at Delta College in California, traveling one day to visit master teacher Phil Smith in his new mathematics computer lab at American River College in Sacramento. Phil's students were learning Calculus II using a new graphical computer algebra program called Theorist, accomplishing long u-substitution integration problems with drag-and-drop ease on the Macintosh, a coupling of computer algebra usage with visual and symbolic learning. The new field of Distance Mathematics Education was born from a single Mac computer in Delta colleague Chris Barker's office, empowering Theorist files to be click-launched on the World-Wide-Web via the new Netscape (now Firefox) browser.

In 1995, Robert moved to Cambridge, Massachusetts to found MathMonkeys, and purchased Theorist in 1999, rebranding it to LiveMath. Robert continues to lead the programming team working on a Qt-based LiveMath to return it full multiplatform glory.

Robert co-founded the Distance Calculus program in 1997, originally at Suffolk University in Boston, Massachusetts; later moved to Shorter University in Georgia, and now at Roger Williams University in Rhode Island, USA, where Robert is the Head Professor and Program Director of the University College program.

Robert adapted the Calculus&Mathematica courseware series into LiveMath, as well as adding to further development of this wonderful curriculum series originally written by Bill Davis and Jerry Uhl, et al. Robert is currently working on the adaptation of the Alfred Grey's Differential Geometry Using Mathematica text to the Distance Calculus platform.

On a good day at low tide, Robert can be found at sunrise on a long beach walk with a thermos of coffee percolating new and interesting ways to experience mathematics empirically with computer algebra.

Primary Email: robert@distancecalculus.com











Distance Calculus - Student Reviews

Quinn M.★★★★★
Posted: May 17, 2025
Courses Completed: Linear Algebra
Online learning for math is certainly a different way of learning than most are used to in school - However, Distance Calculus does a great job of providing valuable feedback and tips on each assignment, and the professor is always available for detailed instruction and help. Tools like Mathematica provide an environment for learning with a lot more freedom and opportunity for exploration of concepts than the regular classroom setting.
Transferred Credits To: Chaminade University of Honolulu
Ian M.★★★★★
Posted: May 18, 2025
Courses Completed: Multivariable Calculus
Distance Calculus was a life saver! I needed an accredited program to complete multi-variable calculus for grad school and at the time was an American living in England. Being able to take the course on my own timeline, from my own home, was amazing! The content was thorough and the visualization exercises were very helpful for comprehension and understanding. This was an exceptionally, affordable, thorough, and convenient course that I found a lot of value in and I’m thankful it was available to me!
Transferred Credits To: Air Force Institute of Technology
Rachel H.★★★★★
Posted: Jan 15, 2021
Courses Completed: Probability Theory
Dr. Curtis gave helpful and timely feedback, and made the teaching videos very engaging! The course model and associated software was easy to acclimate to.
Transferred Credits To: Cedarville University
Taylor C.★★★★★
Posted: May 27, 2025
Courses Completed: Multivariable Calculus
Im a visual learner and had a difficult time understanding multivariable calculus my first go around, and found this course offered by Roger Williams University, which uses real-time 3d graphing of the equations. I would see my work be manipulating the models, which gave a robust understanding of what each variable did. absolutely loved the course and class recordings.
Transferred Credits To: Califorina Baptist University
Emmy★★★★★
Posted: May 26, 2025
Courses Completed: Applied Calculus
Distance Calculus was the perfect answer to getting ahead in math over the summer of my junior year in HS. I was able to complete the entire course over the summer. The teacher was responsive and the course was understandable. Highly recommend.
Transferred Credits To: Syracuse University
Christopher K.★★★★★
Posted: May 19, 2025
Courses Completed: Precalculus, Calculus I
Well organized and well explained content. Professor did a great job. I learned a lot.

Dist Calc saved a ton of hassle and time having to take calc at a local community college, which realistically would have delayed my entrance to BU LEAP by at least a year.

Would strongly recommend it.
Transferred Credits To: Boston University
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