College Algebra
Welcome to College Algebra
Mathematics 102 is an algebra course designed to help bridge the gap between
Intermediate
Algebra and precalculus/elementary functions courses. Principal topics include
an introduction
to functions, linear and quadratic functions, exponential & logarithmic
functions, linear
systems, matrix reduction, & determinants , conic sections, and triangle
trigonometry. The
course will probably make more sense if you can read or at least browse through
the relevant
sections of the book before each class. Generally we’ll cover a section of the
book in one or
two class meetings.
I’ll spend most of the class time explaining the concepts and presenting
examples showing
how the concepts are applied. I welcome questions at any time. There will be
portions of
class time where you get a chance to solve some problems.
Keeping up with the new concepts through homework exercises is essential to
success in the
course. I will not usually collect homework exercises from the book, but we will
spend class
time discussing the exercises. I may collect some additional homework exercises,
and there
will be short quizzes from time to time. There will be four tests and a final
exam. There
will be an opportunity to make-up one test by the way I score the final exam. I
look at each
section of the comprehensive final (a test one part , a test two part , etc. )
and look to see
on which section you have improved the most. If you have, for example, improved
the most
on the test two part of the final exam, then the score on the test two portion
of the final
replaces your original test two score. Of course, if the final exam scores are
all lower , your
original test scores are left unchanged.
what you’ll need
book: “College Algebra” by Kaufmann & Schwitters, Thomson Brooks/Cole,
6th ed, 2005.
For trigonometry, we’ll use
“Teach Yourself Trigonometry” by P. Abbott & Hugh Neill ( 2003).
Denise Brannan’s on-line trigonometry notes are another good resource, available
at
prerequisite: completion of Intermediate Algebra (Mathematics 098) with
2.0 or better or
placement.
please turn off the sound on all cellphones, pagers, etc. during class
grades
Each of the four tests & final exam will be worth 100 points. Collected homework
assignments
and quizzes generally will be weighted between 5 and 30 points depending on
length.
The course grade is based on a percentage which may be calculated at any time.
Add together
all your points. Then divide by the sum of the possible points. Multiply by 100
for
the course percentage. Course grades are then determined by the following scale:
* A course percentage of at least 93%,
and a score of at least 90% on each test
earns a 4.0.
Other grades are linearly interpolated . For example, a score of 85% corresponds
to a grade
of 3.4.
test dates
| test 1 | Wednesday, October 8 |
| test 2 | Tuesday, October 28 |
| test 3 | Wednesday, November 12 |
| test 4 | Thursday, December 4 |
| final exam | Monday, December 8 10:30–12:30 |
course outline
naturally the schedule is approximate
Linear Equations, Systems, & Inequalities
| Mon Sep 22 Tue Sep 23 |
line graphs and equations |
2.2 | 7, 13, 19, 27 |
| 2.3 | 3, 9, 13, 21, 31, 43, 49, 51, 55, 57, 61, 63, 79, 83 |
||
| Wed Sep 24 Thu Sep 25 |
linear equations & applications |
1.1 | 15, 21, 27, 39, 53, 57 |
| 1.2 | 5, 9, 19, 29, 33, 37, 43, 53, 59, 69 | ||
| absolute value equations & inequalities |
1.7 | 3, 9, 15, 17, 25, 35, 37, 41, 45, 49, 51, 53, 73 |
|
| Fri Sep 26 | systems of two linear equations in two variables |
6.1 | 3, 9, 11, 19, 23, 25, 33, 35, 43, 47, 59, 63, 65 |
| Mon Sep 29 Tue Sep 30 |
systems of three linear equations in three variables |
6.2 | 3, 9, 17, 25, 29 |
| Tue Sep 30 | Wed Oct 1 matrix row reduction |
6.3 | 3, 7, 13, 19, 23, 27, 35, 37 |
| Thu Oct 2 Fri Oct 3 |
determinants | 6.4 | 5, 11, 15, 19, 23, 29 |
| Fri Oct 3 Mon Oct 6 |
Cramer’ s Rule | 6.5 | 3, 9, 15, 19, 23 |
| Tue Oct 7 | review | ||
| Wed Oct 8 | test one |
Conic Sections
| Thu Oct 9 Fri Oct 10 |
complex numbers | 0.8 | 15, 17, 19, 25, 31, 37, 49, 57, 59 |
| quadratic equations | 1.3 | 9, 13, 19, 23, 31, 33, 43, 45, 59 | |
| Fri Oct 10 Mon Oct 13 |
distance formula | 2.1 | 3, 19, 23, 25, 39 |
| circles | 2.5 | 1, 7, 11, 19, 25, 27, 37, 43 | |
| Tue Oct 14 | ellipses | 8.2 | 1, 5, 9, 15, 19, 25 |
| Wed Oct 15 Thu Oct 16 |
parabolas | 8.1 | 7, 11, 17, 21, 33, 35, 43, 45 |
| Thu Oct 16 Fri Oct 17 |
hyperbolas | 8.3 | 1, 3, 7, 11, 15, 19, 39–47 odd |
| Mon Oct 20 | non-linear systems | 8.4 | 1, 7, 17, 19, 27, 29 |
Introduction to Functionsa
| Tue Oct 21 Wed Oct 22 |
functions | 3.1 | 3, 7, 11, 15, 31, 33, 39, 41, 47, 57, 67, 77, 79, 83 |
| Thu Oct 23 | quadratic functions | 3.3 | 5, 7, 11, 15, 23, 27, 29 |
| Fri Oct 24 | quadratic function applications |
3.4 | 3, 7, 15, 19, 27, 31, 37, 41, 43, 45, 49, 51 |
| Mon Oct 27 | review | ||
| Tue Oct 28 | test two |
course outline, continued
Exponential & Logarithmic Functions
| Wed Oct 29 Thu Oct 30 |
exponents & exponential functions |
0.2 |
41, 49, 55, 79, 95, 103 |
| 0.7 | 5, 15, 23, 33, 39, 51, 57a | ||
| 5.1 | 3, 7, 9, 13, 17, 23, 25 | ||
| Fri Oct 31 Mon Nov 3 |
exponential function applications |
5.2 | 1 a, e, 3, 7, 9, 25, 29 |
| Tue Nov 4 Wed Nov 5 |
logarithms | 5.3 | 1, 3, 7, 11, 13–45 every other odd, 47, 51, 55, 57, 59, 69, 71, 75, 77, 79, 83, 87, 89, 95, 99 |
| Thu Nov 6 Fri Nov 7 |
solution of exponential & logarithmic equations |
5.4 | 13, 17, 33, 37 |
| 5.5 | 5, 13, 17, 21, 23, 29, 31, 39 | ||
| Mon Nov 10 | review | ||
| Wed Nov 12 | test three |
Trigonometry
exercises in “teach yourself trigonometry” book
| Thu Nov 13 Fri Nov 14 |
geometry review | handouts | |
| Mon Nov 17 Tue Nov 18 |
the tangent | 2 | pp. 9–10 1–11 odd p. 17 1–9 odd p. 13 1–9 odd |
| Wed Nov 19 Thu Nov 20 Fri Nov 21 |
sine & cosine | 3 | pp. 24–25 1–19 odd pp. 29–30 1–23 odd pp. 33–34 1–9 odd exact values worksheet |
| Mon Nov 24 Tue Nov 25 |
trigonometric identities | handout & worksheet | |
| Wed Nov 26 | obtuse angles | 5 | p 50 1, 2, 9, 15, 16 p 52 1, 5, 6 |
| Mon Dec 1 | law of sines | 7 | p. 69 1–9 odd |
| Tue Dec 2 | law of cosines | 7 | pp. 72–73 1–29 every other odd pp. 80–82 1, 3, 7, 11, 17 |
| Wed Dec 3 | review | ||
| Thu Dec 4 | test four | ||
| Fri Dec 5 | review | ||
| Mon Dec 8 | final exam 10:30 – 12:30 |
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