Welcome to Precalculus MATH 147

Spring 2009
Math 147 Precalculus      

Class #14361  Section #008,  MTWT 4:40 - 5:45 PM,   Math/GeoScience Bldg Rm 106

 

I am your instructor, Tom Conklin.

 

My email twconklin@cableone.net

 

Office MG 214D

 

Office Hours
MW 1:30   4:30 PM

TT 8:30 - 10:30 AM

 

I look forward to an interesting journey this term.

Visit our class web site http://math.boisestate.edu/~tconklin/Math144.html

 

 

Things To Do

 

Use the link to the Companion Website to our Textbook (found at our class website) and explore the links on the left to see what may be available to you at this site. Notice that the links available change chapter by chapter.

 

Explore our class website:

 

Notice that our syllabus and a tentative schedule for the term are here. You need to read carefully the syllabus and ask any questions you may have.

 

The Psychology of Learning link leads to a page with various links to information concerning learning theories, learning styles, and other aspects of learning including math learning. This stuff might be very helpful to you.

 

The Chapter Notes link. The notes for everything covered will be here. You do not need to take notes in class. I do this in order for you to watch and listen in class rather than try to take notes in class.

 

The Supplemental Stuff to the Chapters link. The first section of this page contains links to other sites on the web that may be helpful  or informative. These may be very helpful to you. Subsequent sections contain supplemental interesting links concerning items in that chapter.

 

The Exams, Quizzes, and Problem Sets link. When we have an exam or a quiz or a problem set, these will be listed in this section of our web site. Later, the key (worked out problems) will be placed on the web.

 

The Calculator Stuff, Mathematica, and Calculator Help link. The section has links and comments about graphing calculators and explains what software like Mathematica or Maple is. There are many links here for help with your graphing calculator.

 

The Extras link. This page has some general resources that might be helpful. Additionally it will have items of interest about topics as we cover them.

 

Email me.  Send a simple email to me so that I can build a mailing list for our class. This needs to be sent from the email that you commonly use so that I can be reasonably sure you will get any emails that I send out to the class.

 

Explore your textbook

 

Note the link on our web page to the publisher companion website to the text. Explore the site to see if it might be helpful to you. Note that there are separate pages for each chapter.

Read the Calculators and Calculations section, pages xx   xxi

 

Note that inside the front and back covers are reference formulae.

 

Note that there are several  mathematical vignettes  in each chapter. These are generally very short biographic notes about particular mathematicians. I have on our web site on the Supplemental Stuff page links to a more though (but still short) biographical note on each mathematician.

 

Acquire and become proficient with your graphing calculator

 

A graphing calculator is required for this class. I will use a TI-83+ in class. My recommendation is for you to get a TI-83+, TI-84, or TI-84+. All three have the same keystrokes (so they are essentially the same from that viewpoint). The TI-84 and TI-84+ are a new version of the TI-83 but have more memory and are much faster.  You can find these at the BSU Bookstore, Office Max, Staples, etc.  The TI-83+ is probably cheaper than the TI-84 s but the TI-84 s only came out last year and are much faster and have much more memory.  If you already have another variety of graphing calculator, that is all right.  But, unfortunately I won t necessarily be of much help in the use of other varieties (such as TI-89 or non-TI calculators).  Also, I will be providing a few simple programs to help simplify our lives but these will only work on the TI-83, TI-83+, TI-84, or TI-84+.  You ll be on your own with other varieties.

 

Review the topics covered in Chapter One

 

These topics should all be familiar from prior math classes and you should be able to solve problems in these topics QUICKLY and ACCURATELY.   But one thing differs in the higher math you are headed toward from the math you ve had in your past.  DEFINITIONS ARE VERY IMPORTANT!  Do you know what a function is?  Can you write down a correct mathematical definition QUICKLY and ACCURATELY?  Can you sketch a diagram that illustrates what a function is?  These are skills that will be very beneficial for you to develop!

 

Math is not a spectator sport!!

 

Your success will be directly related to your ability to work algebra problems.  There is ONLY ONE way to became good at this. It is by working problems.  You have a standing assignment to work the odd numbered problems at the end of each section.  Some days you will need to work many more so you may need to work the even problems and maybe even find more problems (perhaps on the Internet or in another textbook).  Other days the concepts and techniques may seem to come naturally to you and working the odd problems will be plenty.  A formula for disaster is to not work any problems until you start to prepare for an exam.  You have been warned.  Develop the discipline to work problems each day and get help quickly if something is giving you trouble.  College Algebra can be an easy course if you let it.