Elementary & Intermediate Algebra

Intended for a 2-semester sequence of Elementary and Intermediate Algebra where students get a solid foundation in algebra, including exposure to functions, which prepares them for success in College Algebra or their next math course.

Operations on Real Numbers and Algebraic Expressions; Equations and Inequalities in One Variable; Introduction to Graphing and Equations of Lines; Systems of Linear Equations and Inequalities; Exponents and Polynomials; Factoring Polynomials; Rational Expressions and Equations; Graphs, Relations, and Functions; Radicals and Rational Exponents; Quadratic Equations and Functions; Exponential and Logarithmic Functions; Conics; Sequences, Series, and The Binomial Theorem; Review of Fractions, Decimals, and Percents; Division of Polynomials; Synthetic Division; The Library of Functions; Geometry; More on Systems of Equations

Michael Sullivan, III, Joliet Junior College
With training in mathematics, statistics, and economics, Michael Sullivan, III has a varied teaching background that includes 15 years of instruction in both high school and college-level mathematics.  He is currently a full-time professor of mathematics at Joliet Junior College.  Michael has numerous textbooks in publication, including an Introductory Statistics series, and a Precalculus series, which he writes with his father, Michael Sullivan.  Michael believes that his experiences writing texts for college-level math and statistics courses give him a unique perspective as to where students are headed once they leave the developmental mathematics tract.  This experience is reflected in the philosophy and presentation of his developmental text series.  When not in the classroom or writing, Michael enjoys spending time with his three children, Michael, Kevin, and Marissa, and playing golf.  Now that his two sons are getting older, he has the opportunity to do both at the same time!

Kathy Struve, Columbus State Community College
Kathy Struve has been a classroom teacher for nearly 25 years, first at the high school level, and, for the past 13 years, at Columbus State Community College.  Kathy emphasizes classroom diversity: diversity of age, learning styles, and previous learning success.  She is aware of the challenges of teaching mathematics at a large, urban community college, where students have varied mathematics backgrounds, and may enter college with a high level of mathematics anxiety.  Kathy served as Lead Instructor of the Developmental Algebra sequence at Columbus State where she developed curriculum and provided leadership to adjunct faculty in implementing graphing calculator technology in the classroom.  She has authored classroom activities at the Elementary Algebra, Intermediate Algebra, and College Algebra levels and conducted workshops at local, state, and national conferences on both integrating graphing calculator applications into the curriculum and developing varied forms of assessment.  This textbook incorporates her 25 years of experience in addressing the individual needs of students.