Math V04 Start Page, Spring 2009

Introduction and Announcements

Welcome to the start page for Math V04 (College Algebra) at Ventura College. Michael Bowen (email) will be teaching this course during the spring 2009 semester.

Important note: This web page is not a substitute for attending class; regular attendance is an expectation of this course. Modifications to homework assignments, and other important news announced in class, may not appear on this page for several days. You are still responsible for all assignments and in-class announcements even if they do not appear here! If you wish to verify information on this page, please contact the instructor.

Textbook Information

The ISBN number is provided as a convenience if you wish to purchase this item online. The VC bookstore may stock a different ISBN number; either may be used for the course. If you buy from the bookstore, obtain the least expensive version you can find; do not pay extra for MyMathLab, WebAssign, or other software. If you obtain the book from another source, please be sure to obtain the correct edition, as noted below. Older editions are, of course, much less expensive, but the homework problems are different. This will place you at a disadvantage relative to your classmates on quizzes, which are taken directly out of the homework problems in the current edition.

This text is required:

• Author: R. Blitzer
• Title: College Algebra, Fourth Edition
• ISBN-10: 0-13-219141-5
• ISBN-13: 978-0-13-219141-8

Holidays

Classes at Ventura College will meet Monday through Friday each week of the semester, excepting only the dates listed below.

• Monday 19 Jan 2009 (King's Birthday)
• Friday 13 Feb through Monday 16 Feb 2009 (Presidents' Day)
• Friday 3 Apr through Friday 10 Apr 2009 (Spring break)

Homework Club (Office Hours) During Finals Week

• Monday 11 May 2009: 7:00 to 8:30 p.m. at Math Center (SCI-223)
• Tuesday 12 May 2009: 2:00 to 3:00 p.m. at Tutorial Center (first floor of LRC building)
• Wednesday 13 May 2009: 1:00 to 2:30 p.m. at Tutorial Center (first floor of LRC building)
• Thursday 14 May 2009: 11:15 a.m. to 12:15 p.m. at Math Center (SCI-223)
• Saturday 16 May 2009: 10:00 to 11:00 a.m. at Math Center (SCI-223)

Final Examination

Date/time:  Thursday 14 May 2009, 12:30 p.m.

Be sure that your big party to celebrate the end of finals occurs after the appropriate date. Requests for administration of early or late finals that require the instructor to reschedule his work or make a special trip to campus are subject to a deduction of points, regardless of the reason for the request.

Grading Status

Check whether final grades are posted yet for your course.

Current Assignments

• These are listed in reverse chronological order.
• Note: "EOO" (every other odd) means to do problems
  1, 5, 9, 13, 17, 21, 25, 29, 33, 37, 41, 45, 49, 53, 57, 61, etc.
• Note: Please do "E.C." (extra credit) problems on a separate sheet of paper from the regular assignment.

Due Date	§	Title	Problems	E.C.
14 May 2009	Final Examination (Chapters 5–8) Optional study problems suggested at right Bring your Chapter 5/6/7/8 homework to the final to turn in (up to 20 points credit) Exam starts at 12:30 p.m.		(For students with minimal study time) Page 532 (Chapter 5 Test): 4; 5 Page 601 (Chapter 6 Test): 3–8 ALL; Page 645 (Chapter 7 Test): 1–9 ALL (for #9, note that each person is standing at a focus of the ellipse); Page 724 (Chapter 8 Test): 17; 18
			(For students with additional study time) The above plus Page 530 (Ch. 5 Review Exercises): 25–35 ALL; Page 599 (Ch. 6 Review Exercises): 15–27 ODD; 38–45 ALL; Page 643 (Ch. 7 Review Exercises): 1–37 ODD; Page 722 (Ch. 8 Review Exercises): 61–69 ALL; and Even-numbered problems from the ranges of the Chapter 5, 6, 7, 8 homework assignments
12 May 2009	7.3	The Parabola	1–41 EOO	—
	8.5	The Binomial Theorem	1–47 ODD	—
5 May 2009	6.4	Multiplicative Inverses of Matrices and Matrix Equations	Problems previously assigned plus 37; 39; 41	—
	6.5	Determinants and Cramer's Rule	(Extra credit only; see next column)	24; 26; 38; 40
	7.1	The Ellipse	1–35 ODD; 37–49 EOO	—
	7.2	The Hyperbola	1–31 ODD; 33–41 EOO	—
28 Apr 2009	6.3	Matrix Operations and Their Applications	9–15 ODD; 27–35 ODD	—
	6.4	Multiplicative Inverses of Matrices and Matrix Equations	1–27 ODD	—
16 Apr 2009	Chapter 3 Test Optional study problems suggested at right		(For students with minimal study time) Page 396 (Chapter 3 Test): 1; 2; 3; 6; 7; 8; 9; 11; 12; 13; 15; 24; 25
			(For students with additional study time) The above plus Page 393: 1–7 ALL; 11–14 ALL; 17–37 ALL; 41–47 ALL; 71–73 ALL; and Even-numbered problems from the ranges of the Chapter 3 homework assignments
14 Apr 2009	3.6	Polynomials and Rational Inequalities	1–37 EOO	—
	3.7	Modeling Using Variation	(No assignment)	—
	5.4	Systems of Nonlinear Equations in Two Variables	1–41 ODD	58
31 Mar 2009	3.2	Polynomial Functions and Their Graphs	1–39 ODD; 41–61 EOO	—
	3.3	Dividing Polynomials; Remainder and Factor Theorems	1–13 EOO; 17–45 ODD	—
	3.4	Zeros of Polynomial Functions	9–23 ODD; 39–51 ODD	—
	3.5	Rational Functions and Their Graphs	(No assignment)	—
19 Mar 2009	Chapter 2 Test Optional study problems suggested at right		(For students with minimal study time) Page 294 (Chapter 2 Test): 1–34 ALL
			(For students with additional study time) The above plus Page 291: 1–27 ALL; 29–44 ALL; 45ab; 46–103 ALL; and Even-numbered problems from the ranges of the Chapter 2 homework assignments
17 Mar 2009	2.7	Inverse Functions	1–49 EOO	69
	2.8	Distance and Midpoint Formulas; Circles	1–57 EOO	—
	3.1	Quadratic Functions	1–43 ODD	—
10 Mar 2009	2.6	Combinations of Functions; Composite Functions	1–77 EOO	—
3 Mar 2009	2.5	Transformations of Functions	1–117 EOO	—
24 Feb 2009	2.4	More on Slope	1–17 ODD; 33; 34	—
	2.5	Transformations of Functions	Try a few of the homework problems from the future assignments below that you recognize as vertical or horizontal shifts	—
17 Feb 2009	2.2	More on Functions and Their Graphs	1–21 EOO; 23–69 ODD	—
	2.3	Linear Functions and Slope	Optional → 1–57 EOO; 59–71 ODD Although the homework is optional, you are responsible for knowing this material for the Chapter 2 exam; it is a review of y = mx + b and y − y1 = m(x − x1), except they now use f(x) instead of y	—
10 Feb 2009	2.1	Basics of Functions and Their Graphs	1–91 ODD	—
5 Feb 2009	Chapter 1 Test Optional study problems suggested at right		(For students with minimal study time) Page 183: 1–23 ALL; 28–34 ALL; 40–44 ALL
			(For students with additional study time) The above plus Page 181: 15–35 ODD; 39–81 ODD; 87–101 ODD; 111–121 ODD; and Even-numbered problems from the ranges of the Chapter 1 homework assignments
3 Feb 2009	1.6	Other Types of Equations	1–77 EOO	—
	1.7	Linear Inequalities and Absolute Value Inequalities	Optional → 1–25 ODD Required → 29–93 EOO	—
27 Jan 2009	—	Syllabus Worksheet (obtain a copy)
	1.4	Complex Numbers	1–43 ODD	—
	1.5	Quadratic Equations	Optional → 1–81 ODD; Required → 83–107 ODD	—
20 Jan 2009	1.2	Linear Equations and Rational Equations	1–49 EOO; 69–79 ODD	—
	1.3	Models and Applications	37–57 EOO; 61–79 ODD	—
19 Jan 2009	No class (holiday)

Future Assignments

• These are tentative; the instructor may make changes to this list from time to time.
• Students must not rely on printed versions of this list; instead, they should check the live online version periodically for possible updates.
• Students who work ahead and complete one or more assignments in advance are taking a risk that the assignment(s) may change before the due date, in which case the advice in the preceding sentence is particularly applicable.
• Students are responsible for completing the assignments as finalized in the Current Assignments section above, and should not expect to earn extra credit for completing tentatively assigned exercises that are later modified or removed from this list.
• (Due dates have been designated for all remaining assignments; please see above)

§ Title Problems E.C. P.1 Algebraic Expressions and Real Numbers 1–37 ODD, 51–101 ODD — P.2 Exponents and Scientific Notation 23–63 ODD — P.3 Radicals and Rational Exponents 1–105 EOO — P.4 Polynomials 1–81 EOO — P.5 Factoring Polynomials 1–101 EOO — P.6 Rational Expressions 1–61 EOO 68 1.1 Graphs and Graphing Utilities 13–27 ODD; 41–45 ODD — 4.1 TBD TBD — 4.2 TBD TBD — 4.3 TBD TBD — 4.4 TBD TBD — 4.5 TBD TBD — 8.1 TBD TBD — 8.2 TBD TBD — 8.3 TBD TBD — -->

Course Handouts and Study Aids

The documents listed below are available for viewing or download. The list below provides links to download free software to read the file formats of the various documents.

• PDF (Adobe® Acrobat Reader™) is the best format to use if you want to print on paper (for example, to replace a lost copy).
• HTML files are not, for the most part, printer-friendly; this is the best format for on-screen reading, and if you can read these words, you already have the software!
• DOC files are in the native Microsoft® Word format; if you do not have Word, use this Word Viewer from the Microsoft web site (this software can display Word files, but cannot modify them).
• PPT files are PowerPoint® presentations; if you do not have PowerPoint, use this PowerPoint Viewer, again from the Microsoft web site.

Course Handouts

• Course Information:  (HTML)  |  (PDF)
• Course Requirements and Grading, Side 1:  (HTML)  |  (PDF)
• Course Requirements and Grading, Side 2:  (HTML)  |  (PDF)
• Tips for Success:  (HTML)  |  (PDF)
• Standards of Student Conduct and Classroom Rules  (HTML)  |  (PDF)
• Syllabus Worksheet:  (DOC)  |  (PDF)
• Instructor's Schedule (PDF; not really a handout; this is a copy of the printed schedule that appears on the instructor's office door)

Study Aids

• Multiplication Tables:  (DOC)  |  (PDF)
• Divisibility Rules:  (DOC)  |  (PDF)
• Sieve of Eratosthenes (PDF) with directions (finds prime numbers) (HTML)
• Powers of Ten Tutorial (off-site; requires Java™ Runtime Environment [free download] to be installed and enabled on your computer):  (HTML)
• Translating English Phrases Into Algebraic Expressions:  (DOC)  |  (PDF)
• Multilingual Vocabulary for Mathematics (possibly helpful for students whose first language is not English):  (HTML)
• Basic Algebra Review:  (DOC)  |  (PDF)
• Basic Geometry Review:  (PPT)  |  (PDF)
• Rectangular Graph Paper (PDF):  5 squares to the inch  |  2.5 squares to the inch
• Transformations of Functions (may require downloading and installation of free software to view all portions; see the page itself for details):  (HTML)

Will You Succeed or Fail in Mathematics?

This checklist is adapted from a handout prepared by math and philosophy instructor Steve Thomassin. It will allow you to compare your approach to a mathematics course to the approaches taken by successful … and unsuccessful … students.

Attribute Type	Predictor of Success	Predictor of Failure
Attitude	Focus on things that are under your control.	Blame things that are out of your control (the text, the instructor, or "the system") for your difficulties.
	Be optimistic. Believe that you can do it.	Be pessimistic. Convince yourself that you will fail.
	Be positive. Find ways to make math interesting and fun.	Be negative. Find ways to make math dull and painful.
	Be open. See the uses, power, patterns, and magic of mathematics.	Be closed. Blind yourself to math's uses and its practical and esthetic value.
	Be practical. Make yourself aware of the doors that passing each math class opens to you.	Be impractical. Ignore the doors that open when you pass a math class.
Class Work	Attend every class. Aim for perfect attendance, even if you already know it all.	Be absent often. Dig a hole so deep that you cannot climb out except by dropping the course.
	Be focused. Concentrate on the math topic at hand.	Be mentally elsewhere. Daydream. Talk. Distract and annoy neighboring students.
	Take good notes. Solve problems along with the instructor.	Avoid participating in the discussion. Just watch the instructor.
	Be inquisitive. Ask questions so that the instructor knows what you would like to learn more about.	Be uninterested. Make the instructor guess what it is that you might be confused about.
Homework	Be regular. Always do at least some homework before the next class, and finish by the due date.	Be sporadic. Do homework only when it easily fits your schedule.
	Invest time. Spend double to triple the amount of in-class time.	Invest little time. Spend less time doing homework than you spend in class.
	Review notes; read text; do all assigned problems (maybe even more), and check the answers.	Ignore notes and text explanations; try a few problems, and don't bother checking to see if they are right.
Getting Help	When needed, take advantage of all opportunities: study groups, tutors, instructor office hours.	Even when lost, never seek assistance.