Welcome to Math 49 - PreCalculus

1
Welcome to Math 49 - PreCalculus

• Dr. Michael Brassington
• 22nd September 2008

2
Agenda

• Introductions
• Green Sheet
• Syllabus Schedule
• Ch 1 Linear Functions and Change
• Ch 2 Functions
• Ch 3 Exponential Functions
• Ch 4 Logarithmic Functions
• Ch 5 Transformations of Functions
• Ch 8 Compositions, Inverses Combinations
• Ch 9 Polynomial Rational Functions

3
Introductions

• Name?
• Major?
• What you do for fun?
• What makes math fun?

4
Online Math-49 Group

• CLASS WEB SITE
• http//groups.yahoo.com/group/brassmath49/
• Click on Join this Group
• You will need to open a free Yahoo account if you
  dont have one already.
• Group Email Addresses
• Post message to group by sending email to
• brassmath49_at_yahoogroups.com
• NOTE Anything you post to this group will be
  received by all other group subscribers. If you
  want to send a private email to me directly, use
  my personal email address.
• brassingtonmichael_at_fhda.edu

5
Green Sheet

• PRE-REQUISITE Math 51(or a satisfactory score
  on the placement exam.)
• LOCATION Room 3303
• INSTRUCTOR Dr. Michael Brassington.
• OFFICE HOURS 9am 10am Friday
• OFFICE PHONE [phone]
• (you may leave a voicemail message any time)
• EMAIL brassingtonmichael_at_fhda.edu

6
Text Books

• Required Connally, et al. Functions Modeling
  Change 3 rd. Edition, Wiley.
• Required Stanley and Knobel Survival Guide
  contains lecture notes, and a set of practice
  exam problems.
• Optional Students Solutions Manual. The
  solutions manual contains complete solutions to
  every alternate odd-numbered problem. The text
  has answers not complete solutions to most of
  the odd-numbered problems. A Student Study Guide
  is also available in the library.

7
Calculators

• You are required to have a TI 83 or TI84 graphing
  calculator for this class.
• If you already have a graphing calculator of a
  different kind, you are expected to know how to
  use it.
• The Foothill College Math Dept. does not
  currently allow students to use any calculators
  that are capable of symbolic algebra/calculus
  during examinations one such example is the TI
  89.
• All demonstrations in class will use the TI 83

8
Class Attendance

• Attendance to my classes is recommended.
• All students are awarded 100 bonus points at the
  beginning of the course and which contribute 10
  towards your final grade.
• I will be keeping attendance records for each
  class and deduct 25 of these points for each
  absence and/or late arrival.
• Out of respect for everyones time, classes will
  begin promptly. If you miss class, it is your
  responsibility to keep up with the material and
  obtain handouts that you may have missed.
• I reserve the right to drop you if you have more
  than five absences without notifying me ahead of
  time. However, DO NOT assume that you will be
  dropped if you simply stop attending.

9
Homework

• It is strongly recommended that you do your
  homework each night.
• Like any other mental or physical activity, you
  learn math by doing it.
• You should plan on spending at least two hours
  per day on reading/homework during the week.
• Depending on your level of preparation, you may
  have to spend much more time than this to master
  the material.
• Collaboration with your classmates is strongly
  encouraged in all homework.
• Homework is neither collected nor graded.

10
Quizzes

• We will have several open book quizzes on prior
  homework, lectures and reading material.
• The quizzes may prohibit the use of a calculator.
  
• The lowest quiz scores will be excluded from your
  course grade calculation.
• There are absolutely no make up quizzes under any
  circumstances.

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Quiz Topics Schedule

• The first quiz is a take home algebra review,
  which is due at the start of the second class
  meeting - no exceptions.
• Quizzes 2 through 7 are in-class.
• Typically in each quiz, you will be asked to do a
  number of problems taken from (or very similar
  to) homework problems from the sections that are
  grouped together.
• For example, in Quiz 2 you would normally be
  asked to do three or four problems from sections
  1.1 and 1.2.

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Tentative Quiz Topics Schedule

• TENTATIVE QUIZ/MIDTERM/FINAL EXAM INFORMATION
• Quiz 1 Algebra Review (Due second class meeting)
• Quiz 2 Sections 1.1, 1.2, 1.3, 1.4
• Quiz 3 Sections 1.5, 2.1, 2.2, 2.3
• Quiz 4 Sections 2.5, 2.6, 3.1, 3.2
• Quiz 5 Sections 3.4, 3.5, 4.1, 4.2
• Quiz 6 Sections 4.3, 4.4, 5.1, 5.2
• Quiz 7 Sections 5.3, 5.4, 5.5, 8.1
• Midterm Exam I (10/22) Chapters 1, 2 3
• Midterm Exam II (11/5) Chapters 1, 2, 3, 4 5
• FINAL COMPREHENSIVE EXAM (12/12)

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EXAMS

• MIDTERM EXAMS
• We will have two midterm exams.
• Only your highest midterm score will be used in
  the calculation of your course grade.
• Dates Wednesday 10/22 Wednesday 11/5 No
  Make-ups
• You may bring into each midterm exam, ONE card no
  larger than 6"x4" with handwritten notes.
• FINAL EXAM (MANDITORY)
• There will be a comprehensive final exam.
• Date (Set by School) Wednesday 12/12, 8-10am.
• You may bring into the Final Exam, ONE 11" x 8.5"
  (or A4) sheet of paper with hand-written notes.
• You must score at least 50 on this exam in order
  to pass the class.

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Grades

• Points are assigned as follows
• 7 Quizzes 200 pts
• First Midterm Exam 250 pts
• Second Midterm Exam 250 pts
• Final Exam 300 pts
• Class Attendance 100 pts
• Total Points maximum 1100 pts
• To pass the course with a grade of C or
  greater, each student must attain at least 50 on
  the final exam, independent of their total
  aggregate points.

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Grades

• IF YOU GET AN A GRADE ON THE FINAL EXAM, YOU
  WILL RECEIVE AN A IN THE COURSE. - THIS APPLIES
  ONLY TO A GRADES.
• THE GRADE OF A STUDENT WHO DOES NOT ATTAIN AN A
  ON THE FINAL EXAM WILL BE DETERMINED BY THE
  AGGREGATE GRADE SHOWN IN THE FOLLOWING TABLE.
• If you attain Course Grade will be at least
  __________________________________________
• 90 and over A
• 80 to 89.9 B
• 70 to 79.9 C
• 60 to 69.9 D
• 0 to 59 F

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Course Grades (Example)

• Sample Grade Calculation
• Student attained scores as follows
• Quizzes 160/200 pts
• Midterm One 180/250 pts
• Midterm Two 170/250 pts
• Final Exam 270/300 pts
• Attendance 50/100 pts
• Aggregate Points (1602x18027050)/1000
  84.0 gt Grade "B"
• Final Exam Percent 270/300 90 Grade "A"
• Student receives the better of "B" or "A".
  Therefore, Course Grade A.

17
Getting Help

• Ask your peers
• Post a question to the group - brassmath49_at_yahoogr
  oups.com
• Use the Math Center
• Use the Tutorial Center
• Ask me michael.brassington_at_gmail.com

18
Dropping Class

• You may drop the course by Friday of the FOURTH
  week with no grade.
• You may drop the course by Friday of the EIGHTH
  week with a W grade.
• In every case, a student is responsible for
  dropping him/herself.
• You should not assume that you are automatically
  dropped from the class for non-attendance.
• Students on the final grade roster, who have not
  dropped and who do not show up for the final exam
  will receive an F in the course.

19
Academic Integrity

• Cheating is absolutely prohibited!
• Looking at someone else's exam
• helping another student during an exam
• talking to anyone except me during an exam
• or using an external source of information for
  which you were not explicitly given permission
• will result in an instructor drop or an F grade
  for the course.
• Cheating incidents will also be reported to the
  Dean of Students.
• The use of any calculator other than those that
  are specified by your instructor whether
  intentional or not is another example of
  academic dishonesty and grounds for a F in the
  course.
• If you do not understand what the word "cheating"
  means, please see the school information sheet on
  academic honesty.

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And Finally .

• Make sure that your read the Green Sheet fully
  it is a contract.
• Make sure that you understand its contents fully,
  especially the parts that pertain to testing and
  the computation of your grade.
• So long as you remain enrolled in the course, you
  are implicitly agreeing to abide by these terms.