Topics in Contemporary Mathematics

Written for the Math for Liberal Arts course, Topics in Contemporary Mathematics helps students see math at work in the world by presenting problem solving in purposeful and meaningful contexts. Many of the problems in the text demonstrate how math relates to subjects--such as sociology, psychology, business, and technology--that generally interest students.

Ignacio Bello attended the University of South Florida (USF), where he earned a B.A. and M.A. in Mathematics. He began teaching at USF in 1967, and in 1971 he became a member of the faculty and Coordinator of the Math and Sciences Department ay Hillsborough Community College (HCC). Professor Bello instituted the USF/HCC remedial program, which started with 17 students taking Intermediate Algebra and grew to more than 800 students with courses covering Developmental English, Reading, and Mathematics. In addition to Topics in Contemporary Mathematics, Professor Bello has written many other books that span the mathematics curriculum, many of which have been translated to Spanish. Professor Bello is featured in three television programs on the award-winning Education Channel. He helped create and develop the USF Mathematics department website, which serves as support for the Finite Math, College Algebra, Intermediate Algebra, Introductory Algebra, and CLAST classes at USF. Professor Bello is a member of the Mathematical Association of America (MAA) and the American Mathematical Association of Two-Year Colleges (AMATYC). He has given many presentations regarding the teaching of mathematics at the local, state, and national levels.