College Mathamatics Solving Problems in Finite Mathematics and Calculus

Audience In preparing to write the two components that comprise this text, we talked with many colleagues who teach finite mathematics and a brief or applied calculus course to find out if they experienced the same difficulties in teaching these subjects that we have encountered. What we learned is that while there is very little similarity in the topics covered or in how much time is spent on each area, there is remarkable uniformity in the needs of students who enroll in these diverse courses. Professors at Community Colleges, Universities, and Liberal Arts Colleges all told us that their students are generally unmotivated, unsure of their algebra skills, uncomfortable with translating English into mathematics, and unschooled in how to set up problems for solution. Armed with this knowledge, we preparedCollege Mathematics: Solving Problems in Finite Mathematics and Calculusto address these fundamental needs. As with other college mathematics textbooks, our text is designed for a two-term course for students majoring in economics, business, social or behavioral sciences. The book is organized into two parts. The first ten chapters cover the topics most frequently taught in a finite mathematics course. The second part of the book consists of eight chapters of applied calculus. We have organized the topics for maximum flexibility within each part so that the text may be adapted to any college or university's curriculum. However, that is where the similarity ends. We have crafted this book around six key principles designed to address student's needs: Present the mathematics in language that students can read and understand Teach good problem solving techniques and provide ample practice Use real data applications to keep it interesting Provide timely reinforcement of algebra and other essential skills Let Instructor's decide whether to incorporate technology Present Probability and Statistics with clarity and precisionArmstrong, Bill is the author of 'College Mathamatics Solving Problems in Finite Mathematics and Calculus' with ISBN 9780130891310 and ISBN 0130891312.