Synopses & Reviews
This is a new edition of the precalculus text developed by the Consortium based at Harvard University and funded by a National Science Foundation Grant. The text is thought-provoking for well-prepared students while still accessible to students with weaker backgrounds. It provides numerical and graphical approaches as well as algebraic approaches to give students another way of mastering the material. This approach encourages students to persist, thereby lowering failure rates. A large number of real-world examples and problems enable students to create mathematical models that will help them understand the world in which they live.
The focus is on those topics that are essential to the study of calculus and these topics are treated in depth.
- Linear, exponential, power, and periodic functions are introduced before polynomial and rational functions to take advantage of their use to model physical phenomena.
- Building on the Consortium's Rule of Four: Each function is represented symbolically, numerically, graphically, and verbally where appropriate.
Synopsis
The third edition of this ground-breaking text continues the authors' goal - a targeted introduction to precalculus that carefully balances concepts with procedures. Overall, this text is designed to provide a solid foundation to precalculus that focuses on a small number of key topics thereby emphasizing depth of understanding rather than breath of coverage. Developed by the Calculus Consortium, FMC 3e is flexible enough to be thought-provoking for well-prepared students while still remaining accessible to students with weaker backgrounds. As multiple representations encourage students to reflect on the material, each function is presented symbolically, numerically, graphically and verbally (the Rule of Four). Additionally, a large number of real-world applications, examples and problems enable students to create mathematical models that will help them understand and interpret the world in which they live.
Table of Contents
Chapter 1: Linear Functions and Change
Chapter 2: Functions
Chapter 3: Exponential Functions
Chapter 4: Logarithmic Functions
Chapter 5: Transformations of Functions and Their Graphs
Chapter 6: Trigonometric Functions
Chapter 7: Trigonometry
Chapter 8: Compositions, Inverses, and Combinations of Functions
Chapter 9: Polynomial and Rational Functions
Chapter 10: Vectors
Chapter 11: Sequences and Series
Chapter 12: Parametric Equations and Conic Sections