Precalculus - Algebra - Summer 2006

COURSE: MATH 1710-010

TIME: 11:20-12:50 MTWRF

PLACE: Room 314 of Gilbreath Hall

INSTRUCTOR: Dr. Robert Gardner

OFFICE: Room 308F of Gilbreath Hall
OFFICE HOURS: By appointment

PHONE: 439-6979 (308F Gilbreath), Math Department Office 439-4349

E-MAIL: gardnerr@etsu.edu
WEBPAGE: www.etsu.edu/math/gardner/gardner.htm (see my webpage for a copy of this course syllabus and updates for the course).

ASSISTANT: Jason Lachniet
OFFICE: Math Lab
OFFICE HOURS: TBA

TEXT: College Algebra, 7th edition, by Michael Sullivan.

CLASS NOTES: We will use overheads for most of the lecture, except for problem solving and working examples. Copies of the overheads are on the web at:

http://www.etsu.edu/math/gardner/1710/notes.htm
Hard copies are also be on reserve in the library and available in the Math Lab.

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES: Instructor's Solution Manual provides answers to all exercises in the back of the text. A copy of this will be on reserve in the library.

CALCULATORS: You will not need a calculator for this course and I strongly encourage you not to use one!!! However, with this said, you may use a calculator if you want. You will be expected to give exact solutions to test questions, and not approximations (which is what the calculator will often give you). BEWARE! Math is a matter of precision and there is a single correct answer to most problems and all other answers are incorrect! If the correct answer is 1/2, then 0.5 is also the answer since 1/2=0.5. But if the correct answer is 1/3, then 0.3333333333 is incorrect since 1/3 is not equal to 0.3333333333. I recommend that you concentrate on the mathematics and leave the numerical, computational work for another course which doesn't require such precision (such as physics, chemistry, or accounting).

NOTE: Though the title of the course is "Precalculus - Algebra," we will cover material traditionally covered in a college algebra class (as the title of the text suggests). This material is normally covered in 9th grade (Algebra 1) and part of 11th grade (Algebra 2) high school courses. However, this should not lull you into a false sense of security! The material is tricky and requires the utmost attention to detail! DO NOT make up your own rules or write things which are incorrect. If you think you have found a shortcut that I have not discussed, then BEWARE! I will work problems in the easiest way possible and if you have discovered some quick, clever shortcut it is probably wrong! DO show all work and all steps to each problem. In this way, you may get partial credit for an answer which is ultimately wrong (assuming that your reasoning is basically sound).

GRADING: Your grade will be determined by the average on four tests (T1-T4). Your average is determined by

AVERAGE = (T1+T2+T3+T4)/4.
Grades will be assigned based on a 10 point scale with "plus" and "minus" grades being assigned as appropriate (based on grade points assigned by the university, on a plus/minus 3 point system). There are no options for extra credit and the only way to earn bonus points will be provided on the four tests. Any questions about how a test was graded should be addressed within one week of the return of the graded test. These policies are nonnegotiable.

MATH LAB: The Mathematics Laboratory is located in Rooms 308 and 309 of Warf-Pickle Hall. It is staffed by graduate students and upper level undergraduates. They are there to help you! Hours of operation are TBA. The phone number is 439-7611. The Math Hotline is 439-7887 (for short questions).

ONLINE RESOURCES: I have set up a Blackboard site for our class which will allow you to discuss things with each other (click on "Discussions" and a forum is present for each section we will cover). I will also post your grades on BlackBoard. To log in, go to:

https://blackboard.etsu.edu/index.html.

The Prentice Hall Math Tutor Center provides tutoring for students enrolled in developmental and precalculus mathematics using selected Prentice Hall titles. Registration is required; once registered, students can receive help via toll free phone, fax, and email. You will need the "online card" to register. More information is available at:

http://www.prenhall.com/divisions/esm/app/tutorcenter/

CourseCompass is similar to BlackBoard. You need a student access kit to enroll in a CourseCompass course. The student access kit is available bundled with a textbook or as a standalone item. From the main menu, "Chapter Contents" leads to online sample tests and "Multimedia Library" let's you watch videos and access an online version of the text. Our course ID will be announced in class. More information and the sign-on screen is available at:

http://www.coursecompass.com/ccindex.html

IMPORTANT DATES: Changes are in RED!

TENTATIVE OUTLINE: We will try to adhere to the following schedule. "EOO" means Every Other Odd (that is, 1, 5, 9, 13, etc.). Changes are in RED!

DATE
AGENDA
HOMEWORK
MON6/5
Introduction, R.5 = Factoring Polynomials
R.5 = 1-129 (EOO)
TUE 6/6
R.6 = Polynomial Division
R.7 = Rational Expression
R.6 = 1-41 (odd)
R.7 = 1-89 (EOO)
WED 6/7
R.8 = nth Roots; Rational Expressions
1.1 = Linear Equations
R.8 = 1-101 (EOO)
1.1 = 1-97 (EOO)
WED 6/7
R.8 = nth Roots; Rational Expressions
R.8 = 1-101 (EOO)
THR 6/8
1.2 = Quadratic Equations, Review
1.2 = 1--113 (EOO)
THR 6/8
1.1 = Linear Equations
1.1 = 1-97 (EOO)
FRI 6/9
1.4 = Radical, Quadratic, and Factorable Equations
1.5 = Solving Inequalities
1.4 = 1-85 (EOO)
1.5 = 1-117 (EOO)
FRI 6/9
1.2 = Quadratic Equations, Review
1.2 = 1-113 (EOO)
MON 6/12
Test 1 (R.5-R.8, 1.1)
-
TUE 6/13
1.5 (cont.), 1.6 = Absolute Values
1.6 = 1-85 (EOO)
TUE 6/13
1.4 = Radical, Quadratic, and Factorable Equations
1.4 = 1-85 (EOO)
WED 6/14
2.1 = Rectangular Coordinates
2.2 = Graphs of Equations
2.1 = 1-65 (odd)
2.2 = 1-57 (odd)
THR 6/15
2.2 (cont.), 2.3 = Circles
2.2 = 1-49 (odd)
FRI 6/16
2.4 = Lines
2.4 = 1-89 (EOO)
MON 6/19
2.5 = Parallel and Perpendicular Lines
3.1 = Functions
2.5 = 1-49 (odd)
3.1 = 1-97 (EOO)
TUE 6/20
3.1 (cont.), Review
-
WED 6/21
Test 2 (1.4-1.6, 2.1-2.5)
-
THR 6/22
3.2 = Graph of a Function
3.3 = Properties of Functions
3.2 = 1-29 (odd)
3.3 = 1-65 (EOO)
FRI 6/23
3.3 (cont.), 3.4 = Library of Functions
3.4 = 1-53 (odd)
MON 6/26
3.5 = Graphing Techniques
4.1 Quadratic Functions and Models
3.5 = 1-81 (EOO)
4.1 = 1-105 (EOO)
TUE 6/27
4.1 (cont.), Review
-
WED 6/28
4.2 = Polynomial Functions
4.3 = Rational Functions I
4.2 = 1-81 (EOO)
4.3 = 1-57 (odd)
THR 6/29
Test 3 (3.1-3.5, 4.1)
-
FRI 6/30
4.3 (cont.), 4.4 = Rational Functions II
4.4 = 1-53 (odd)
MON 7/3
4.4 (cont.), 4.5 = Polynomial and Rational Inequalities
4.5 = 1-61 (odd)
TUE 7/4
INDEPENDENCE DAY HOLIDAY
WED 7/5
4.5 (cont.), 4.6 = Real Zeroes of a Polynomial
4.6 = 1-117 (EOO)
THR 7/6
4.7 = Fundamental Theorem of Calculus, Review
-
FRI 7/7
Test 4 (4.2-4.7)
-

Return to Bob Gardner's home page