Quick question about PreCalculus

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etalns

Diamond Member
Dec 20, 2001
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If I am taking a pre-calc course with the following material in it:

Introduction to functions
? Average rate of change
? Derivatives
? Sketching polynomials
? Sketching rational functions
? Min/max problems
? Derivative rules
? Inverse functions
? Logarithms, exponentials
? Logarithmic and exponential equations
? Introduction to trigonometry
? Trigonometric identities
? Introduction to sequences
? Geometric sequences

What knowledge will I need to have before going into the cours ein order to be able to succeed? Or is most of this stand alone and I don't really need to have any basis beyond basic arithmetic?

Thanks!
 
T

TitanDiddly

Guest
Dec 8, 2003
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You need Algebra. I just took it last semester and passed with a 60.02 because I didn't have strong background in algebra, or math at all.
 
H

homestarmy

Diamond Member
Apr 16, 2004
3,528
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artwilbur.com
How can you even consider not taking that if you don't have a strong grasp on algebra?

How can anyone not have a strong grasp on algebra. It's algebra.
 
Rubycon

Rubycon

Madame President
Aug 10, 2005
17,768
485
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Just bring lots of FOIL for those factories. ;)

EDIT: You may want some English classes too for understanding sarcasm. ;)
 
Gibson486

Gibson486

Lifer
Aug 9, 2000
18,378
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Algebra...


Calculator???? I did not need a calculator until Differential Equation:p I barely passed that class....;)
 
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etalns

Diamond Member
Dec 20, 2001
6,513
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Originally posted by: DrPizza
example:
How are you going to solve (sin(x))^4 + 3(sin(x))^2 - 4 = 0 if you can't solve x^4 + 3x^2 - 4 = 0?
Click to expand...

Is it possible, if I kept my high school math books around, to reference back as I needed to know particular facts? Or isit all combined in such a way that I can't ujust go back and re-learn the thing I need to know?
 
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notfred

Lifer
Feb 12, 2001
38,241
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Originally posted by: Qosis
Originally posted by: DrPizza
example:
How are you going to solve (sin(x))^4 + 3(sin(x))^2 - 4 = 0 if you can't solve x^4 + 3x^2 - 4 = 0?
Click to expand...

Is it possible, if I kept my high school math books around, to reference back as I needed to know particular facts? Or isit all combined in such a way that I can't ujust go back and re-learn the thing I need to know?
Click to expand...

Pretty much every math topic builds on other topics. You can't do calculus without algebra, you can't do algebra without fractions, you can't do fractions without division, etc.

If you go back and look up one single topic, it's not gonig to help unless you already know all the sub-topics that you need to understand that.

If you can't solve quadratic equations or simplify polynomials, or any of a variety of other algebra topics, you're not going to pass a pre-calc class.
 
dullard

dullard

Elite Member
May 21, 2001
26,047
4,691
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Calculus classes tend to be 5% calculus followed by 95% algebra to clean up the answer. I bet all of my teachers/professors answered 9 questions about the algebra for every 1 question about the calculus. Calculus is easy, very very easy. It is the algebra afterwards that trips the students up.

CliffNotes: make certain you can do simple algebra.
 
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etalns

Diamond Member
Dec 20, 2001
6,513
1
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Originally posted by: dullard
Calculus classes tend to be 5% calculus followed by 95% algebra to clean up the answer. I bet all of my teachers/professors answered 9 questions about the algebra for every 1 question about the calculus. Calculus is easy, very very easy. It is the algebra afterwards that trips the students up.

CliffNotes: make certain you can do simple algebra.
Click to expand...

Is there any chance you can define what simple algebra would include?
 
V

vegetation

Diamond Member
Feb 21, 2001
4,270
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Is it possible, if I kept my high school math books around, to reference back as I needed to know particular facts? Or isit all combined in such a way that I can't ujust go back and re-learn the thing I need to know?
Click to expand...

This is not recommended. A college level precalc class moves pretty fast so that even if you know what you're doing you're going to have issues. Not knowing anything of what you're doing is a setup for failure.
 
K

kongs

Senior member
May 5, 2005
317
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algebra and truly ti-83 plus is all you will ever need. Most teachers/professors are used to this model.
 
E

etalns

Diamond Member
Dec 20, 2001
6,513
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Here is an example of an old exam, if it helps in any way to say what I would need to know prior to doign the course :p
 
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