they're kinda just a lovechild btwn a matrix and partial derivatives; if you think you'd be able to self-study multivariable derivatives and integrals and partial derivatives, you should be good; it'd def be doable but depending on how comfy you are with calc it might be a grind...you could also try and find the textbook for the class ~somehow~ and see if you can understand the gist and math behind the earlier chapters, and maybe that's a good diagnostic: https://www.amazon.com/Mathematics-Nonlinear-Programming-Undergraduate-Texts/dp/0387966145