Calculus on Manifolds: A Modern Approach to Classical Theorems of Advanced Calculus (1965, ISBN ) by Michael Spivak is a brief (146 pp.) monograph on the theory of vector-valued functions of several real variables (f : Rn→Rm) and differentiable manifolds in Euclidean space. In addition to extending the concepts of differentiation (including the inverse and implicit function theorems) and Riemann integration (including Fubini's theorem) to functions of several variables, the book treats the classical theorems of vector calculus, including those of Cauchy–Green, Ostrogradsky–Gauss (divergence theorem), and Kelvin–Stokes, in the language of differential forms on differentiable manifolds embedded in Euclidean space, and as corollaries of the generalized Stokes' theorem on manifolds-with-boundary. The book culminates with the statement and proof of this vast and abstract modern generalization of several classical results:
Calculus on Manifolds aims to present the topics of multivariable and vector calculus in the manner in which they are seen by a modern working mathematician, yet simply and selectively enough to be understood by undergraduate students whose previous coursework in mathematics comprises only one-variable calculus and introductory linear algebra. While Spivak's elementary treatment of modern mathematical tools is broadly successful, and this approach has made Calculus on Manifolds a standard introduction to the rigorous theory of multivariable calculus, the text is also well known for its laconic style, lack of motivating examples, and frequent omission of non-obvious steps and arguments. For example, in order to state and prove the generalized Stokes' theorem on chains, a profusion of unfamiliar concepts and constructions (e.g., tensor products, differential forms, tangent spaces, pullbacks, exterior derivatives, cube and chains) are introduced in quick succession within the span of 25 pages. Moreover, careful readers have noted a number of nontrivial oversights throughout the text, including missing hypotheses in theorems, inaccurately stated theorems, and proofs that fail to handle all cases.