The fun and easy way to learn pre-calculus
Getting ready for calculus but still feel a bit confused? Haveno fear. Pre-Calculus For Dummies is an un-intimidating, hands-on guide that walks you through all the essential topics, from absolute value and quadratic equations to logarithms andexponential functions to trig identities and matrix operations.
With this guide’s help you’ll quickly and painlessly get ahandle on all of the concepts — not just the number crunching– and understand how to perform all pre-calc tasks, fromgraphing to tackling proofs. You’ll also get a new appreciation forhow these concepts are used in the real world, and find out thatgetting a decent grade in pre-calc isn’t as impossible as youthought.
* Updated with fresh example equations and detailedexplanations
* Tracks to a typical pre-calculus class
* Serves as an excellent supplement to classroom learning
If ‘the fun and easy way to learn pre-calc’ seems like acontradiction, get ready for a wealth of surprises in Pre-Calculus For Dummies!
Daftar Isi
Introduction 1
Part I: Set It Up, Solve It, Graph It 7
Chapter 1: Pre-Pre-Calculus 9
Chapter 2: Playing with Real Numbers 21
Chapter 3: The Building Blocks of Pre-Calc: Functions 33
Chapter 4: Digging Out and Using Roots to Graph Polynomial Functions 67
Chapter 5: Exponential and Logarithmic Functions 97
Part II: The Essentials of Trigonometry 117
Chapter 6: Circling in on Angles 119
Chapter 7: Simplifying the Graphing and Transformation of Trig Functions 149
Chapter 8: Identifying with Trig Identities: The Basics 181
Chapter 9: Advanced Identities: Your Keys to Pre-Calc Success201
Chapter 10: Taking Charge of Oblique Triangles with the Laws of Sines and Cosines 223
Part III: Analytic Geometry and System Solving 243
Chapter 11: Plane Thinking: Complex Numbers and Polar Coordinates 245
Chapter 12: Slicing Cones or Measuring the Path of a Comet– with Confidence 261
Chapter 13: Streamlining Systems, Managing Variables 291
Chapter 14: Sequences, Series, and Expanding Binomials for the Real World 325
Chapter 15: Scouting the Road Ahead to Calculus 349
Part IV: The Part of Tens 363
Chapter 16: Ten Habits to Develop as You Prepare for Calculus365
Chapter 17: Ten Habits to Quit Before Calculus 373
Index 379
Tentang Penulis
Yang Kuang, Ph D, is a professor of mathematics at Arizona State University. He currently serves on the calculus committee where he and other members discuss what and how to teach calculus to students majoring in math and physical sciences. Elleyne Kase is a professional writer.