Synopses & Reviews
In this breakthrough text, authors Holtfrerich and Haughn speak as teachers, offering passionate yet patient emphasis on concepts, but not at the expense of teaching algebraic skills. The authors build on and connect topics by discussing the concepts with students in a unique yet logical way. Speaking to students as if they were having a discussion with them, the authors use common, everyday applications that make sense to the average student to demonstrate concepts. The authors' approach about where and when topics should be covered is unique, as is the capstone chapter on Modeling/Data Analysis.
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"àthe author has written the text in easy to understand detail. It is not only student friendly, but mathematically correct."
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"I am definitely excited about this bookàThanks for the opportunity to review. Please keep me attuned to how this project is going. I'm really excited about the potential here."
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"I really like the conversational style of the text. many places the explanations are done the way I do them in class."
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"I am often concerned about the formality of math texts that are used by a wide segment of the student population such as college algebra. When I find it difficult to follow the language of a text on a topic I am quite familiar with, I worry about a student even standing a chance of understanding it. These authors have found a middle ground between informal and formal language."
Synopsis
Get a better grade with ESSENTIALS OF COLLEGE ALGEBRA with accompanying CD-ROM! Through the use of common, everyday explanations that make sense to the average student, this mathematics text provides you with the tools you need to understand difficult concepts. Discussion of topics, Self-Check/Discovery Questions, Answers, examples, exercises, and activities give you the opportunity to practice and enhance your understanding of concepts. Take advantage of the book specific website that contains additional practice materials.
About the Author
Michael Holtfrerich received his BS and MS from Northern Arizona University. He has taught at Glendale Community College in Glendale Arizona, a member of the Maricopa Community College District, for the past 16 years. Besides teaching mathematics he is currently the chair of the Mathematics/Computer Science Department which employs 35 full time and 61 part time instructors. He has spoken at a variety of math conferences and is a member of the American Mathematics Association of Two-Year Colleges and the Mathematics Association of America. He has received several awards among those, the Paul Pair Endowed Chair award for integrating technology into education. Jack Haughn received degrees in Education and Mathematics from Kansas State University. He taught and was Mathematics Department Chair at Brophy College Preparatory for fifteen years. During that time he also taught calculus in the evenings at Glendale Community College. In 1990 he accepted a full-time teaching position at Glendale Community College. Jack is a member of AMATYC, MAA, and NCTM.
Table of Contents
0. THE PRELIMINARIES. Part I Algebra Review: Exponents, Roots, and Scientific Notation. Polynomial Operations. Factoring Polynomials. Rational Expressions. Solving Linear and Absolute Value Equations. Part II The Graphing Calculator: Graphing Calculator Basics. Graphing With Your Calculator. Finding Roots and Graphing Piecewise Functions. Chapter 0 Review. Chapter 0 Review Homework. Chapter 0 Exam. 1. FUNCTIONS. Relations and Functions — An Informal Introduction. Relations and Functions. Maximums and Minimums. Combining Functions. The Application of Function Operations. Inverse Functions. Chapter 1 Review. Chapter 1 Review Homework. Chapter 1 Exam. 2. ALGEBRA SKILLS. Complex Numbers. Solving Quadratic Equations. Solving Square Roots and Fractional Exponent Equations. Quadratic-Like and Fractional Equations. Inequalities. Chapter 2 Review. Chapter 2 Review Homework. Chapter 2 Exam. Cumulative Review Chapters 1-2. 3. POLYNOMIAL FUNCTIONS. Introduction to Polynomials. Polynomial Characteristics. Translating Functions. Synthetic Division and Factors. Zeros, Roots, and x-Intercepts. Rational Functions. Chapter 3 Review. Chapter 3 Review Homework. Chapter 3 Exam. 4. EXPONENTIAL AND LOGARITHMIC FUNCTIONS. Exponential Functions. Characteristics of Exponential Functions. Logarithm Functions. Solving Exponential and Logarithmic Equations. Applications of Compound Interest. Applications of Annuities and Amortization. Applications of Growth and Decay. Applications of Logarithms. Chapter 4 Review. Chapter 4 Review Homework. Chapter 4 Exam. Cumulative Review Chapters 1-4. 5. DATA ANALYSIS. Linear Models. Systems of Two-Variable Equations. Modeling with the Graphing Calculator. Additional Models. Chapter 5 Review. Chapter 5 Review Homework. Chapter 5 Exam. 6. MATRICES. Matrix Operations. Matrix Identities and Inverses. Systems of Equations. Gaussian Elimination. Matrices in Real Life. Chapter 6 Review. Chapter 6 Review Homework. Chapter. 6 Exam. Cumulative Review Chapters 1-6. Answers to Odd-Numbered Practice Set Problems. Appendix 1: Linear Inequalities and Systems. Appendix 2: Linear Programming. Appendix 3: Variation.