Schedule
The first day of class (April 2 Wednesday),
I'll discuss the administrative aspects of the course
and give a brief introduction to the general idea of algebra.
If you miss this day, then you shouldn't suffer too much for it,
but you'll want to get the administrative information from me.
The next day (April 4 Friday), the class will begin in earnest.
The material for the first week or so
is to review arithmetic that you should already understand;
this is mostly Sections 1.2–1.4 and 1.6 of the textbook
(although some of it is hidden away in Sections 5.4 and 5.6).
Next, I'll discuss arithmetic identities,
which is mostly in Section 1.5
(although some of it is in Sections 5.2 and 5.4);
I'll apply these to the rules of arithmetic
in Sections 1.3&1.4, 1.6, and 5.4.
Then I'll build on these to introduce algebraic expressions;
these are covered in Section 1.7 of the textbook,
and most of Chapter 5 is also about that (but I'll skip Section 5.5 for now).
I'll also discuss
some material from Section 2.4 involving evaluation of expressions
and some material from Sections 2.5 and 3.1&3.2
that relates to linear expressions.
After that, we'll learn to solve and apply linear equations,
which is most of what Chapter 2 (except for Sections 2.4 and 2.8)
is about.
We'll also cover linear inequalities (Sections 2.8 and 8.6)
and some absolute-value equations and inequalities (Section 8.7).
Next, I'll talk about equations in more than one variable,
which is covered in Section 2.4 and most of Chapter 3
(except for Sections 3.7&3.8);
we'll approach most of this through graphing,
and we'll also graph linear inequalities in two variables (Section 3.8).
Note that Section 3.7 is not on the syllabus.
Finally, we'll discuss systems of linear equations,
which is the topic of Chapter 4
(except for Section 4.6, which we won't cover).
If there's time, we'll also do Section 5.5,
which can serve as a sort of preparation
for Intermediate Algebra (MATH-1100).
In total, we'll cover Chapters 1–5 from the textbook
(except skipping Sections 3.7 and 4.6),
as well as the last two sections of Chapter 8.
It's a lot of material for 10 weeks, so the class has to move pretty fast;
please talk to me early if you need help!
Here is a more detailed list of topics and sections from the textbook.
The size of this list will not match our time in the course;
where I follow the book's order more closely, the list is more condensed.
- Introduction:
Section 1.1 (April 2): Success in mathematics.
- Arithmetic:
- Section 1.2 (April 4):
The number systems and the real number line;
- Sections 1.3&1.4 (April 7):
Adding and subtracting integers, fractions, and decimals (concepts);
- Section 1.3&1.4 (April 7):
Multiplying and dividing integers, fractions, and decimals (concepts);
- Sections 1.6 and 5.4 (April 9):
Exponents (evaluating exponential expressions);
- Section 5.6 (April 9): Scientific notation (converting notations);
- Section 1.5 (April 11): Properties of real numbers;
- Sections 1.3&1.4 (April 11):
Adding, subtracting, multiplying, and dividing integers and fractions
(rules);
- Sections 5.2 and 5.4 (April 11):
The product, power, and quotient rules (arithmetic expressions only);
- Section 1.4 (April 11):
Adding, subtracting, multiplying, and dividing decimals (rules);
- Section 5.6 (April 11): Scientific notation (to multiply and divide);
- Section 1.6 (April 14): The order of operations.
- Algebraic expressions:
- Section 1.7 (April 14): Algebraic expressions (evaluating);
- Section 5.1 (April 14): Polynomials (evaluating);
- Section 2.4 (April 14): Evaluating formulas;
- Sections 2.1 and 3.2 (April 16): Linear equations (identifying only);
- Section 5.1 (April 16): Polynomials (degrees and terms);
- Section 1.7 (April 16): Simplifying algebraic expressions;
- Section 5.1 (April 16): Adding and subtracting polynomials;
- Sections 5.2 and 5.4 (April 18): Multiplying and dividing monomials;
- Section 5.3 (April 21): Multiplying polynomials;
- Section 2.5 (April 23):
Problem solving (translating phrases to expressions);
- Section 3.1 (April 25):
The rectangular coordinate system and tables of values;
- Section 3.2 (April 25):
Graphing equations in two variables
(formulas only, by plotting points).
- Equations and inequalities:
- Sections 2.1 and 3.1 (April 28):
Linear equations (determining solutions);
- Sections 2.1–2.3 (May 5&7):
Solving linear equations (no word problems);
- Sections 2.8 and 3.8 (May 9):
Linear inequalities (determining solutions);
- Section 2.8 (May 12):
Solving linear inequalities in one variable (no word problems);
- Section 8.6 (May 12): Compound inequalities (compact only);
- Sections 2.1–2.3 (May 14):
Solving linear equations (word problems);
- Sections 2.5–2.7 (May 14&16): Problem solving;
- Section 2.8 (May 16):
Solving linear inequalities in one variable (word problems);
- Section 8.6 (skipped): Compound inequalities;
- Section 8.7 (skipped):
Absolute value equations and inequalities.
- Equations in two variables:
- Section 2.4 (May 21): Solving formulas for a variable;
- Section 3.1 (May 21): Equations in two variables;
- Section 3.2 (May 21&28): Graphing equations in two variables;
- Sections 3.3–3.6 (May 28&30): Slope and lines;
- Section 3.8 (June 2): Linear inequalities in two variables.
- Systems of equations:
- Sections 4.1–4.3 (June 2&4):
Solving systems of linear equations (no word problems);
- Sections 4.1–4.3 (June 6):
Solving systems of linear equations (word problems);
- Sections 4.4&4.5 (June 6):
Solving problems using systems of linear equations.
- Multiplying and dividing polynomials (skipped):
- Section 5.3: Multiplying polynomials (special forms);
- Section 5.5: Dividing polynomials.
On May 6 Tuesday, I will turn in midterm grades to the college;
this is why the midterm exam
is one full class day earlier, on May 2 Friday.
The college should have those grades available for you on May 7 Wednesday.
Similarly, your final grades should be available on June 13 Friday.
Go back to the course homepage.
This web page was written between 2003 and 2008 by Toby Bartels.
Toby reserves no legal rights to it.
The permanent URI of this web page
is
http://tobybartels.name/MATH-0950/2008SP/schedule/.
