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MAT 103A College Algebra Part I Fall 2001 Instructor:
Bruce Armbrust, phone: 541-4660 ext. 314, email: armbrust@ltcc.edu Office
Hours: Room
A210, Mon., Wed., & Fri. 11:00 AM - 12:00 PM GMC
G4, Tues. & Thurs. 1:30-2:30 PM And
as always, by appointment. Class
Time and Location:
Tues. & Thurs. 10:00-11:50 AM, E106 Textbook:
College Algebra and Trigonometry with Graphing Technology,
David Stevens Calculator:
A graphing calculator is required for this class.
I will be demonstrating with the Texas
Instruments-85. I will do my best
to assist with other models, but I promise nothing. Course
Description:
MAT 103A is an in-depth study of functions.
We will study linear, quadratic, and other rational functions. We will analyze both their algebraic and geometric
properties. Special emphasis will
be placed on application problems and the use of calculators. Prerequisite:
A grade of C or better in Math 154 or appropriate skills demonstrated through
the Math assessment process. Co-Requisite:
Math 153 Course
Grade: Your
final letter grade will be based on the usual grading scale: A
90-100%, B 80-89%, C 70-79%, D 60-69%, F 0-59% The
following items will make up the course grade: Homework:
150 points Quizzes:
150 points Exam1
(October 4):
Exam2
(October 25):
450 points Exam3
(November 15): Final
Exam (December 4):
250 points Homework:
Homework will be due the class period after it is assigned.
Homework not turned in at this time will be considered late. You may turn
in homework up to one week after it is assigned for half credit.
If all homework is turned in, and no more than three are late, the lowest
regular exam score will be dropped. Quizzes:
Quizzes will be given every Thursday except for exam days and the first week (a
total of 6). These quizzes
will be designed to help prepare you for the exams, and quiz problems will be
taken directly from the homework assignments. Your lowest quiz score will be
dropped. Since one score will be
dropped, you may not make up a missed quiz. Exams: Students are to bring a pencil and blank scratch paper to
each exam. If you cannot make it to
an exam (final not included), you may take it up to 2 school days prior to the
scheduled date with proper arrangements. Otherwise,
the exam may be made up after the scheduled date with a penalty of 10% per day. Registration
Information: You
must register for this class at the Office of Admissions and Records.
You may drop the class with no penalty or mark on your record on or
before October 12. After October
12, you may drop the class and receive a grade of W until November 16.
After November 16, if you are still enrolled, you will receive a grade of
A, B, C, D, F or I. How to Succeed in a Math Class: I
am often asked how to successfully pass a math class, and here is my advice:
I)
Come to every class session. Be
prepared, and plan on participating. II)
Do your homework. Remember that
what I assign is what I consider a bare minimum.
If you need more practice, do it. Don’t
make me be a homework enforcer. III)
Read the book. You paid good money
for it, so you might as well use it. IV)
Make use of available tutors and my office hours. You will find tutors who know the subject matter in this
course at the GMC. V)
Do math every day. Math is just
like everything else: if you don’t practice, you become rusty. Learning Disabled Students: It
is important that students who are identified as being learning disabled speak
to me about their special needs. I
am more than willing to grant you reasonable accommodations.
Academic Dishonesty: Academic
dishonesty of any form will not be tolerated.
Students caught cheating on exams or quizzes will receive a score of zero
on the assignment for the first offense and a course grade of F for the second
offense. Students my work together
on homework assignments (and, in fact, are encouraged to) as long as all
students understand the material covered.
Course
Schedule: The
following is a tentative schedule. When
things change (you notice I said when, not if…), I will let you know. September18,20
2.1, 2.2
Introductions, Graphing, Using the Graphing Calculator 25,27
2.3, 2.4
Functions and their Graphs October2,4
2.5, Exam I Transformations of Graphs 9,11
2.6, 2.7
Function Operations, Applications of Functions 16,18
3.1-3.3
Linear and Quadratic Functions 23,25
3.4, Exam II Quadratics 30
3.5
Using Graphs to Solve Equations November1
4.1
Polynomial Functions 6,8
4.2, 4.3
Polynomial Division, Roots of Polynomials 13,15
4.4, Exam III Solving Polynomial Equations 20
4.5
Rational Functions 27,29
4.6, Review
Solving Rational Equations December4
Final Exam Note: The time of the final
exam is 11:00 AM - 12:50 PM.
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