Learning Outcomes and Course Goals

The goal of this course is to prepare you to use the basic tools of algebra to manipulate both known and unknown numerical quantities. By succeeding in this course, you should be prepared to study elementary calculus (as presented in MA 123) as well as being able to understand and work with mathematical models in your other course work.

Students who successfully complete this course will be able to:

1. Recognize reasonable answers based on number sense and the algebraic relations that must be satisfied by solutions.
2. Recognize and operate with covariational and functional relationships between quantities
3. Read and express those relationships as implicit equations, explicit (functional) equations, graphs, tables of values, and verbal descriptions
4. Manipulate implicit and explicit equations to solve for a chosen variable, or recast a functional relationship in terms of a chosen independent quantity.
5. Use algebraic techniques to solve applied and modelling problems in restricted settings appropriate for a general mathematics course
6. Analyze and evaluate sample arguments and solutions for correctness and reasonableness
7. Analyze limitations of models, especially in terms of piecewise functions and domain restrictions
8. Use appropriate technology to understand and solve problems

For a more comprehensive list of learning goals by unit, please see this document: MA 109 Learning Goals.

Textbook

The textbook College Algebra, by Jay Abramson and other contributors at OpenStax serves as an important reference work for the course. This textbook is available for free online.

Lecture Videos

Coordinate Plane

Function Notation

Function Notation - Toolkit Functions

Domain and Range

Composition of Functions

Transformations

Inverse Functions

Linear Functions

Systems of Equations

Linear Models

Rate of Change

Quadratic Functions

Polynomials

Rational Functions

Exponential Functions

Logarithmic Functions

Log Rules

Log and Exponential Equations

Exponential Models