Beginning & Intermediate Algebra

The Tobey/Slater series builds essential skills one at a time by breaking the mathematics down into manageable pieces. This practical “building block” organization makes it easy for students to understand each topic and gain confidence as they move through each section. Students respond well to regular feedback, so the authors provide a “How am I Doing?” guide to give students constant reinforcement and to ensure that students understand each concept before moving on to the next. With Tobey/Slater, students have a tutor and study companion with them every step of the way.   This new edition features Quick Quizzes and Classroom Quizzes, as well as vignettes on how to use math to save money, making this text even more practical and accessible for students.

Table of Contents:
How Am I Doing? Guide to Math Success (inside front cover) To the Student Preface Acknowledgments Diagnostic Pretest   0. Prealgebra Review 0.1 Simplifying Fractions 0.2 Adding and Subtracting Fractions 0.3 Multiplying and Dividing Fractions             How Am I Doing? Sections 0.1—0.3 0.4 Using Decimals 0.5 Percents, Rounding, and Estimating             Putting Your Skills to Work: Use Math to Save Money             Chapter 0 Organizer             Chapter 0 Review Problems             How Am I Doing? Chapter 0 Test   1. Real Numbers and Variables 1.1 Adding Real Numbers 1.2 Subtracting Real Numbers 1.3 Multiplying and Dividing Real Numbers 1.4 Exponents 1.5 The Order of Operations             How Am I Doing? Sections 1.1—1.5 1.6 Using the Distributive Property to Simplify Algebraic Expressions 1.7 Combining Like Terms 1.8 Using Substitution to Evaluate Algebraic Expressions and Formulas 1.9 Grouping Symbols             Putting Your Skills to Work: Use Math to Save Money             Chapter 1 Organizer             Chapter 1 Review Problems             How Am I Doing? Chapter 1 Test   2. Equations, Inequalities, and Applications 2.1 The Addition Principle of Equality 2.2 The Multiplication Principle of Equality 2.3 Using the Addition and Multiplication Principles Together 2.4 Solving Equations with Fractions             How Am I Doing? Sections 2.1—2.4 2.5 Translating English Phrases into Algebraic Expressions 2.6 Using Equations to Solve Word Problems 2.7 Solving Word Problems Using Geometric Formulas 2.8 Solving Inequalities in One Variable             Putting Your Skills to Work: Use Math to Save Money             Chapter 2 Organizer             Chapter 2 Review Problems             How Am I Doing? Chapter 2 Test             Cumulative Test for Chapters 0—2   3. Graphing and Functions 3.1 The Rectangular Coordinate System 3.2 Graphing Linear Equations 3.3 The Slope of a Line             How Am I Doing? Sections 3.1—3.3 3.4 Writing the Equation of a Line 3.5 Graphing Linear Inequalities 3.6 Functions             Putting Your Skills to Work: Use Math to Save Money             Chapter 3 Organizer             Chapter 3 Review Problems             How Am I Doing? Chapter 3 Test             Cumulative Test for Chapters 0—3   4. Systems of Linear Equations and Inequalities 4.1 Systems of Linear Equations in Two Variables 4.2 Systems of Linear Equations in Three Variables             How Am I Doing? Sections 4.1—4.2 4.3 Applications of Systems of Linear Equations 4.4 Systems of Linear Inequalities             Putting Your Skills to Work: Use Math to Save Money             Chapter 4 Organizer             Chapter 4 Review Problems             How Am I Doing? Chapter 4 Test             Cumulative Test for Chapters 0—4   5. Exponents and Polynomials 5.1 The Rules of Exponents 5.2 Negative Exponents and Scientific Notation 5.3 Fundamental Polynomial Operations             How Am I Doing? Sections 5.1—5.3 5.4 Multiplying Polynomials 5.5 Multiplication: Special Cases 5.6 Dividing Polynomials             Putting Your Skills to Work: Use Math to Save Money             Chapter 5 Organizer             Chapter 5 Review Problems             How Am I Doing? Chapter 5 Test             Cumulative Test for Chapters 0—5   6. Factoring 6.1 Removing a Common Factor 6.2 Factoring by Grouping 6.3 Factoring Trinomials of the Form x2 + bx + c 6.4 Factoring Trinomials of the Form ax2 + bx + c             How Am I Doing? Sections 6.1—6.4 6.5 Special Cases of Factoring 6.6 A Brief Review of Factoring 6.7 Solving Quadratic Equations by Factoring             Putting Your Skills to Work: Use Math to Save Money             Chapter 6 Organizer             Chapter 6 Review Problems             How Am I Doing? Chapter 6 Test             Cumulative Test for Chapters 0—6     7. Rational Expressions and Equations 7.1 Simplifying Rational Expressions 7.2 Multiplying and Dividing Rational Expressions 7.3 Adding and Subtracting Rational Expressions             How Am I Doing? Sections 7.1—7.3 7.4 Simplifying Complex Rational Expressions 7.5 Solving Equations Involving Rational Expressions 7.6 Ratio, Proportion, and Other Applied Problems             Putting Your Skills to Work: Use Math to Save Money             Chapter 7 Organizer             Chapter 7 Review Problems             How Am I Doing? Chapter 7 Test             Cumulative Test for Chapters 0—7   8. Rational Exponents and Radicals 8.1 Rational Exponents 8.2 Radical Expressions and Functions 8.3 Simplifying, Adding, and Subtracting Radicals 8.4 Multiplying and Dividing Radicals             How Am I Doing? Sections 8.1—8.4 8.5 Radical Equations 8.6 Complex Numbers 8.7 Variation             Putting Your Skills to Work: Use Math to Save Money             Chapter 8 Organizer             Chapter 8 Review Problems             How Am I Doing? Chapter 8 Test             Cumulative Test for Chapters 0—8   9. Quadratic Equations and Inequalities 9.1 Quadratic Equations 9.2 The Quadratic Formula and Solutions to Quadratic Equations 9.3 Equations that can be Transformed into Quadratic Form             How Am I Doing? Sections 9.1—9.3 9.4 Formulas and Applications 9.5 Quadratic Functions 9.6 Compound Inequalities and Quadratic Inequalities 9.7 Absolute Value Equations and Inequalities             Putting Your Skills to Work: Use Math to Save Money             Chapter 9 Organizer             Chapter 9 Review Problems             How Am I Doing? Chapter 9 Test             Cumulative Test for Chapters 0—9   10. The Conic Sections 10.1 The Distance Formula and the Circle 10.2 The Parabola 10.3 The Ellipse             How Am I Doing? Sections 10.1—10.3 10.4 The Hyperbola 10.5 Nonlinear Systems of Equations             Putting Your Skills to Work: Use Math to Save Money             Chapter 10 Organizer             Chapter 10 Review Problems             How Am I Doing? Chapter 10 Test             Cumulative Test for Chapters 0—10   11. Additional Properties of Functions 11.1 Function Notation 11.2 General Graphing Procedures for Functions             How Am I Doing? Sections 11.1—11.2 11.3 Algebraic Operations on Functions 11.4 Inverse of a Function             Putting Your Skills to Work: Use Math to Save Money             Chapter 11 Organizer             Chapter 11 Review Problems             How Am I Doing? Chapter 11 Test             Cumulative Test for Chapters 0—11   12. Logarithmic and Exponential Functions 12.1 The Exponential Function 12.2 The Logarithmic Function 12.3 Properties of Logarithms             How Am I Doing? Sections 12.1—12.3 12.4 Common Logarithms, Natural Logarithms, and Change of Base Logarithms 12.5 Exponential and Logarithmic Equations             Putting Your Skills to Work: Use Math to Save Money             Chapter 12 Organizer             Chapter 12 Review Problems             How Am I Doing? Chapter 12 Test   Practice Final Examination Glossary Appendix A: Foundations for Intermediate Algebra             A.1 Exponents and the Order of Operations             A.2 Polynomial Operations             A.3 Factoring Appendix B: Mathematics Blueprint for Problem Solving Appendix C: Practice with Operations of Whole Numbers Appendix D: Tables Appendix E: Determinants and Cramer's Rule Appendix F: Solving Systems of Linear Equations Using Matrices Appendix G: Sets Solutions to Practice Problems Answers to Selected Exercises Applications Index Index Photo Credits

About the Author :
John Tobey received his BA in mathematics from Wheaton College in Wheaton, Illinois in 1965, his MA in mathematics education from Harvard University in 1966, and his PhD in mathematics education from Boston University in 1980. He has taught in the mathematics department at the United States Military Academy at West Point and has served as the mathematics Department Chairman at North Shore Community College in Danvers, Massachusetts for five years. John has served as the president of the New England Mathematics Association of Two Year Colleges. He has received the NISOD award for outstanding teaching from the University of Texas at Austin. John is the author of seven mathematics books published by Pearson Education. John has spoken to many mathematics departments and at many professional meetings throughout the country on the topic of developmental mathematics education and distance learning in mathematics. He lives in Massachusetts.   Jeffrey Slater has been a professor at North Shore Community College for thirty-eight years and received the Teacher of the Year in 2002. Jeff travels around the country speaking on student retention and is also a consultant to the Federal Government. He lives in Marblehead, Mass. with his wife Shelley and his yellow lab Gracie.   Jamie Blair has directed the Mathematics Learning Center at Orange Coast College for the past seventeen years. She designed, developed, and implemented the Center, and as a result of this effort has provided technical expertise related to the particulars of the Math Center to numerous other two-year colleges and at many conferences. In 2007 Jamie was appointed to the Team of Basic Skills Specialist by the California State Academic Senate. She is also currently participating on Title 3 committees on her campus. She specializes in teaching students who have never been successful in mathematics. She is an expert in the area of basic skills in relation to the learning needs of students. She lives in California.