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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