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MAT 103A
College Algebra (Part I)
Fall 2012
Instructor:
Bruce Armbrust, phone: 541-4660x314, email:
bruce.armbrust@hotmail.com
Office Hours:
Room A210, Mon., Fri.
11:00 AM – 12:00 PM
Tues, Thurs.
9:30 – 10:30 AM
MSC A201, Wed.
12:00 – 1:00 PM
And as always, by appointment.
Class Time and Location:
Tues. & Thurs.11:00 AM – 12:50 PM, E106
Textbook:
Precalculus,
Michael Sullivan and Michael Sullivan III, 6th Edition
Required Software:
It is required to have a software license to use the software MyMathLab
in this class. You must have a valid e-mail address to use the on-line
curriculum.
Students have two choices. The first
choice is to purchase the textbook from the bookstore. The
textbook comes with the software license. Note:
If you purchase a used textbook, it may not have a valid course access
code. Be VERY careful when
acquiring the text. The
second choice is to purchase the license alone either from the bookstore
or online at
pearsonmylabandmastering.com.
The license gives you access to the textbook online. This is a more
economical choice, but is only recommended to students who have online access
and feel comfortable reading a computer screen instead of a traditional book.
To access our class page,
go to
pearsonmylabandmastering.com
and register using your student access code and the course ID for this class:
armbrust08968
For assistance with MyMathLab:
You may get help by calling 1-800-677-6337 during the following hours: Mon – Fri
5:00 AM – 5:00 PM & Sunday 2:00 PM – 9:00 PM. Online assistance is available 24
hours every day at: 247pearsoned.custhelp.com
Course Description:
MAT 103A provides an in-depth coverage of functions: polynomial and rational
functions, their graphs and finding solutions and zeros of polynomial functions.
Special emphasis will be placed on application problems and the use of
calculators.
Prerequisite:
Mat 154A or Mat 154AA with a grade of “C” or better or equivalent or appropriate
skills demonstrated through the math assessment process.
Corequisite:
Mat 153 or equivalent or appropriate skills demonstrated through the math
assessment process. Prior
completion of Mat 153 with a grade of “C” or better also satisfies this
corequisite.
Calculators:
A graphing calculator is required for this class.
I will be demonstrating with the Texas Instruments-89.
I will do my best to assist with other models, but I promise nothing.
Student Learning Outcomes: 1.
Produce and interpret graphs of functions and relations.
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:
10%
Quizzes:
15%
Exam1 (October 9)
Exam2 (October 30):
45%
Exam3 (November 20)
Final Exam (December 4):
30%
You may check your grades at any point in the quarter by accessing the grade
book in MyMathLab.
Homework:
Homework is to be completed online with MyMathLab.
Each section covered will have a homework assignment.
The homework assignments will be due at midnight the day before the next
exam. However, it is NOT
RECOMMENDED that you wait until that time to work on the homework.
The homework assignments are your chance to practice the material covered
in class. It is YOUR responsibility
to make sure you are getting the information from each section.
At the beginning of class, I will go over homework questions from the
previous day’s material. Other
questions will be addressed outside of class or in office hours.
The class will be given daily reminders regarding homework, so there will
be no excuse for forgetting about them.
If all homework assignments are completed with a score of 50% or better,
your lowest regular exam score will be dropped.
Quizzes:
Each week you will be required to take a quiz on MyMathLab.
The quizzes are designed to help you prepare for exams, and will be made
up of problems that are very similar to the problems from your homework
assignments. The quizzes may be
taken as often as you would like before the due date/time.
Your lowest quiz score will be dropped.
Because of this, there will be no make-up quizzes.
Exams:
All exams will be given in two sections: one portion will allow
calculators while the other will not.
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. The final
must be taken by December 4th.
Registration Information:
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 2. After November 2,
if 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
MSC.
V) Do math every day. Math is just
like everything else: if you don’t practice, you become rusty.
Learning Disabled Students:
Students with disabilities who may need accommodations for this class are
encouraged to notify me and contact the Disability Resource Center (DRC) early
in the quarter so that reasonable accommodations may be implemented as soon as
possible. Students may contact the DRC by visiting the Center (located in
room A205) or by phoning 541-4660, ext. 249 (voice) or 542-1870 (TTY for deaf
students). All information will remain confidential.
Technology in the Classroom:
All cell phones, headphones, MP3 players, iPods, etc, must be turned off and put
away prior to the start of each class.
No electronic devices (other than calculators) may be used during exams.
Academic Dishonesty:
Academic dishonesty of any form will not be tolerated.
Students caught cheating on exams will receive a score of zero on the
assignment and all dropping of lowest exam or quiz score will be forfeit.
Students may 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.
If things change (and I have money that says they will), I will let you
know.
September
18
1.1, 1.2
Cartesian Coordinate System, Intercepts, Symmetry
20
1.3, 1.4
Solving Equations using Calculator, Lines
25
1.5, 2.1
Circles, Functions
27
2.1, 2.2
More on Functions and their Graphs
October
2
2.3, 2.4
Properties of Functions, Piecewise-defined Functions 4
2.5
Transformations of Functions 9
Exam I 11
2.6
Modeling Using Functions 16
3.1
Linear Functions and Models
18
3.2
Building Linear Models from Data
23
3.3
Quadratic Functions
25
3.4
Building Quadratic Models from Data
30
Exam II
November
1
3.5
Inequalities Involving Quadratic Functions
6
4.1
Polynomial Functions and Models
8
4.2
Real Zeros of Polynomials
13
4.3
Complex Zeros of Polynomials
15
4.4
Properties of Rational Functions
20
Exam III
22
NO SCHOOL
Thanksgiving
27
4.5
Graphs of Rational Functions
29
4.6
Polynomial and Rational Inequalities
December
4
Final Exam
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