Pre-Calculus for Dummies »

Krystle Rose Forseth graduated from the University of California, Santa Cruz, where she majored in mathematics with an emphasis in education. She has been tutoring math for eight years and teaching for three. Currently, she is the head of the math department at Fusion Learning Center and Fusion Academy, where she teaches mathematics and oversees the math instructors. Teaching students math has made Krystle a more compassionate individual, and her enthusiasm for the subject makes learning fun.

Christopher Burger graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree in mathematics from Coker College in Hartsville, South Carolina, with minors in art and theatre. He has taught math for more than 10 years and tutored math subjects ranging from basic math to calculus for 20 years. Currently, he is the director of independent studies for Fusion Learning Center and Fusion Academy in Solana Beach, California, where he not only teaches students one-on-one, but also writes curriculum, oversees a staff of 35 teachers, and maintains high levels of academic rigor within the school. Christopher takes teaching and connecting with his students very seriously, and he believes he makes a difference not only in their math education, but in their lives.

Michelle Rose Gilman is proud to be known as Noah’s mom (Hi, Noah!). A graduate from the University of South Florida, Michelle found her niche early, and at 19, she was working with emotionally disturbed and learning-disabled students in hospital settings. At 21, she made the trek to California, where she found her passion for helping teenagers become more successful in school and life. What started as a small tutoring business inthe garage of her California home quickly expanded and grew to the point where traffic control was necessary on her residential street.
Today, Michelle is the founder and CEO of Fusion Learning Center and Fusion Academy, a private school and tutoring/test prep facility in Solana Beach, California, serving more than 2,000 students each year. She is the author of The ACT For Dummies and other books on self-esteem, writing, and motivational topics. Michelle has overseen dozens of programs over the last 20 years, focusing on helping kids become healthy adults. She currently specializes in motivating the unmotivated adolescent, comforting their shellshocked parents, and assisting her staff of 35 teachers.

Getting ready for calculus but still feel a bit confused? Have no fear. Pre-Calculus For Dummies is an unintimidating, hands-on guide that walks you through all the essential topics, from absolute value and quadratic equations to logarithms and exponential functions to trig identities and matrix operations.

With the help of this clear, easy-to-use resource, you’ll soon get a handle on all of the concepts — not just the number crunching — and understand how to perform all pre-calc tasks, from graphing to tackling proofs. You’ll also get a new appreciation for how these concepts are used in the real world, and find out that getting a decent grade in precalc isn’t as impossible as you thought. Discover how to:

• Apply the major theorems and formulas
• Understand quadratic, square-root, absolute value, cubic, and cube-root functions
• Graph trig functions like a pro
• Flip-flop with inverse functions
• Find trig values on the unit circle
• Work with trig identities and advanced identities
• Tackle analytic geometry
• Solve oblique triangles with the laws of sines and cosines
• Use polar coordinates to express points on a plane
• Identify function limits and continuity
• Place vectors on a coordinate plane.
• Rotate and shift conic section forms
• Solve systems with mingling and matrices

If “the fun and easy way to learn pre-calc” seems like an oxymoron to you, order Pre-Calculus For Dummies today, and get ready to be surprised!

Introduction.

Part I: Set It Up, Solve It, Graph It.

Chapter 1: Pre-Pre-Calculus.

Chapter 2: Dealing with Real Numbers.

Chapter 3: The Foundation of Pre-Calc: Functions.

Chapter 4: Finding and Using Roots to Graph Polynomial Functions.

Chapter 5: Powering Up with Exponential and Logarithmic Functions.

Part II: The Essentials of Trigonometry.

Chapter 6: Angling In on the Unit Circle.

Chapter 7: Graphing and Transforming Trig Functions.

Chapter 8: Using Trig Identities: The Basics.

Chapter 9: Pre-Calc, Here I Come! Advanced Identities Lead the Way.

Chapter 10: Solving Oblique Triangles with the Laws of Sines and Cosines.

Part III: Analytic Geometry and System Solving.

Chapter 11: A New Plane of Thinking: Complex Numbers and Polar Coordinates.

Chapter 12: Cutting It Up with Conics.

Chapter 13: Solving Systems and Mingling with Matrices.

Chapter 14: Sequences, Series, and Expanding Binomials.

Chapter 15: Looking Forward to Calculus.

Part IV: The Part of Tens.

Chapter 16: Ten Habits That Help You Attack Calculus.

Chapter 17: Ten Habits to Break before Calculus.

Index.