Synopses & Reviews
Easy to understand, filled with relevant applications, and focused on helping students develop problem-solving skills, INTERMEDIATE ALGEBRA is unparalleled in its ability to engage students in mathematics and prepare them for higher-level courses. Gustafson and Frisk's accessible style combines with drill problems, detailed examples, and careful explanations to help students overcome any mathematics anxiety. Their proven five-step problem-solving strategy helps break each problem down into manageable segments: analyze the problem, form an equation, solve the equation, state the conclusion, and check the result. Examples and problems use real-life data to make the text more relevant to students and to show how mathematics is used in a wide variety of vocations. Plus, the text features plentiful real-world application problems that help build the strong mathematical foundation necessary for students to feel confident in applying their newly acquired skills in further mathematics courses, at home or on the job.
Review
"I like exercises in a sequence of increasing difficulty. I particularly like exercises 105-112 as an application of the Pythagorean Theorem. Students never seem to understand the great importance of this theorem."
Review
"The exercise sets have a good range and quantity of problems."
Synopsis
Get the grade you want in algebra with Gustafson and Frisk's INTERMEDIATE ALGEBRA! Written with you in mind, the authors provide clear, no-nonsense explanations that will help you learn difficult concepts with ease. Prepare for exams with numerous resources located online and throughout the text such as online tutoring, Chapter Summaries, Self-Checks, Getting Ready exercises, and Vocabulary and Concept problems. Use this text, and you'll learn solid mathematical skills that will help you both in future mathematical courses and in real life!
Synopsis
Get the grade you want in algebra with Gustafson and Frisk's INTERMEDIATE ALGEBRA! Written with you in mind, the authors provide clear, no-nonsense explanations that will help you learn difficult concepts with ease. Prepare for exams with numerous resources located online and throughout the text such as online tutoring, Chapter Summaries, Self-Checks, Getting Ready exercises, and Vocabulary and Concept problems. Use this text, and you'll learn solid mathematical skills that will help you both in future mathematical courses and in real life!
About the Author
R. David Gustafson is Professor Emeritus of Mathematics at Rock Valley College in Illinois and has also taught extensively at Rockford College and Beloit College. He is coauthor of several best-selling mathematics textbooks, including Gustafson/Frisk/Hughes, College Algebra, Gustafson/Karr/Massey's Beginning Algebra, Intermediate Algebra, Beginning and Intermediate Algebra: A Combined Approach, and the Tussy/Gustafson and Tussy/Gustafson/Koenig developmental mathematics series. His numerous professional honors include Rock Valley Teacher of the Year and Rockford's Outstanding Educator of the Year. He has been very active in AMATYC as a Midwest Vice-president and has been President of IMACC, AMATYC's Illinois affiliate. He earned a Master of Arts from Rockford College in Illinois, as well as a Master of Science from Northern Illinois University.Peter D. Frisk, Professor Emeritus of Mathematics at Rock Valley College, earned both a Bachelor of Arts and a Master of Arts in mathematics from University of Illinois. He is the coauthor of several best-selling math texts including BEGINNING ALGEBRA, INTERMEDIATE ALGEBRA, BEGINNING AND INTERMEDIATE ALGEBRA: A COMBINED APPROACH, ALGEBRA FOR COLLEGE STUDENTS, and COLLEGE ALGEBRA. He has been the recipient of the Rock Valley Teacher of the Year award.
Table of Contents
1. A REVIEW OF BASIC ALGEBRA. The Real Number System. Arithmetic and Properties of Real Numbers. Exponents. Scientific Notation. Solving Equations. Using Equations to Solve Problems. More Applications of Equations. Projects. Chapter Summary. Chapter 1 Test. 2. GRAPHS, EQUATIONS OF LINES AND FUNCTIONS. Graphing Linear Equations. Slope of a Non-Vertical Line. Writing Equations of Lines. Introduction to Functions. Graphs of Other Functions. Projects. Chapter Summary. Chapter 2 Test. Cumulative Review Exercises. 3. SYSTEMS OF EQUATIONS. Solution by Graphing. Solution by Elimination. Solutions of Three Equations in Three Variables. Solution by Matrices. Solution by Determinants. Projects. Chapter Summary. Chapter 3 Test. 4. INEQUALITIES. Linear Inequalities. Equations and Inequalities with Absolute Values. Linear Inequalities in Two Variables. Systems of Inequalities. Linear Programming. Projects. Chapter Summary. Chapter 4 test. Cumulative Review Exercises. 5. POLYNOMIALS AND POLYNOMIAL FUNCTIONS. Polynomials and Polynomial Functions. Adding and Subtracting Polynomials. Multiplying Polynomials. The Greatest Common Factor and Factoring by Grouping. The Difference of Two Squares; the Sum and Difference of Two Cubes. Factoring Trinomials. Summary of Factoring Techniques. Solving Equations by Factoring. Projects. Chapter Summary. Chapter 5 Test. 6. RATIONAL EXPRESSIONS. Rational Functions and Simplifying Rational Expressions. Multiplying and Dividing Rational Expressions. Adding and Subtracting Rational Expressions. Complex Fractions. Equations Containing Rational Expressions. Dividing Polynomials. Synthetic Division. Proportions and Variation. Projects. Chapter Summary. Chapter 6 Test. Cumulative Review Exercises. 7. RADICALS AND RATIONAL EXPONENTS. Radical Expressions. Applications of Radicals. Rational Exponents. Simplifying and Combining Radical Expressions. Multiplying and Dividing Radical Expressions. Radical Equations. Complex Numbers. Projects. Chapter Summary. Chapter 7 Test. 8. QUADRATIC FUNCTIONS, INEQUALITIES, AND ALGEBRA OF FUNCTIONS. Solving Quadratic Equations by Completing the Square. Solving Quadratic Equations by the Quadratic Formula. The Discriminate and Equations That Can be Written in Quadratic Form. Graphs of Quadratic Functions. Quadratic and Other Nonlinear Inequalities. Algebra and Composition of Functions. Inverses of Functions. Projects. Chapter Summary. Chapter 8 Test. Cumulative Review Exercises. 9. EXPONENTIAL AND LOGARITHMIC FUNCTIONS. Exponential Functions. Base-e Exponential Functions. Logarithmic Functions. Base-e Logarithms. Exponential and Logarithmic Equations. Projects. Chapter Summary. Chapter 9 Test. 10. MORE GRAPHING AND CONIC SECTIONS. The Circle and the Parabola. The Ellipse. The Hyperbola. Solving Simultaneous Second-Degree Equations. Piecewise-Defined Functions and the Greatest Integer Function. Problems and Projects. Chapter Summary. Chapter 10 Test. Cumulative Review Exercises. 11. MISCELLANEOUS TOPICS. The Binomial Theorem. The nth Term of a Binomial Expansion. Arithmetic Sequences. Geometric Sequences. Infinite Geometric Sequences. Permutations and Combinations. Probability. Problems and Projects. Chapter Summary. Chapter 11 Test. Cumulative Review Exercises. APPENDICES. Symmetries of Graphs. Sample Final Examination. Tables. Answers to Selected Answers.