Basic College Mathematics Through Applications

The Akst/Bragg series’ success is built around clear and concise writing, a side-by-side “teach by example” approach, and integrated applications throughout that help students achieve a conceptual understanding. The user-friendly design offers a distinctive side-by-side format that pairs examples and their solutions with corresponding practice exercises. Students understand from the very beginning that doing math is an essential part of learning it. Motivational, real-world applications demonstrate how integral mathematical understanding is to a variety of disciplines, careers, and everyday situations.

Geoffrey Akst and Sadie Bragg have worked together for many years as professors of mathematics at Borough of Manhattan Community College/City University of New York. They met as graduate students at Teachers College, Columbia University, where they were both working on degrees in the teaching of college mathematics. The emphasis on applications in their texts reflects a concern they share for helping students understand why the topics to be studied are useful. Dr. Akst for years has begun his classes with the payoff question:¿ Why is this material worth learning? A native New Yorker, he enjoys surfing the Web, listening to good music, and traveling to exciting places. Dr. Bragg, who began her career in math education as a high school geometry teacher, credits her teachers with inspiring her love for mathematics and an appreciation of its utility. A transplanted Virginian, she spends her time with her family and her beautiful grandchildren.