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Mathematics Describing the Real World: Precalculus and Trigonometry
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Taught By Professor Bruce H. Edwards, Ph.D., Dartmouth College,
New Releases University of Florida Course No. 1005

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What's the sure road to success in calculus? The answer is simple: Precalculus.
Professional

High School Traditionally studied after Algebra II, this mathematical field covers advanced Course Lecture Titles
algebra, trigonometry, exponents, logarithms, and much more. These interrelated 36 Lectures
topics are essential for solving calculus problems, and by themselves are 30 minutes / lecture
powerful methods for describing the real world, permeating all areas of science
Find a Course and every branch of mathematics. Little wonder, then, that precalculus is a core 1. An Introduction to Precalculus
course in high schools throughout the country and an important review subject in —Functions (info)
Keyword or Course #
college. 2. Polynomial Functions and
Zeros (info)
Unfortunately, many students struggle in precalculus because they fail to see the 3. Complex Numbers (info)
LEARN MORE ABOUT links between different topics—between one approach to finding an answer and a 4. Rational Functions (info)
The Great Courses startlingly different, often miraculously simpler, technique. As a result, they lose out 5. Inverse Functions (info)
What Are The Great Courses? on the enjoyment and fascination of mastering an amazingly useful tool box of 6. Solving Inequalities (info)
About Our Sales problem-solving strategies. 7. Exponential Functions (info)
Lifetime Guarantee 8. Logarithmic Functions (info)
And even if you're not planning to take calculus, understanding the fundamentals
Recommendations 9. Properties of Logarithms
of precalculus can give you a versatile set of skills that can be applied to a wide
(info)
range of fields—from computer science and engineering to business and health
10. Exponential and Logarithmic
care.
Equations (info)
"Whether they're Mathematics Describing the Real World: Precalculus and Trigonometry is your 11. Exponential and Logarithmic
commuting to work or unrivaled introduction to this crucial subject, taught by award-winning Professor Models (info)
Bruce Edwards of the University of Florida. Professor Edwards is coauthor of one 12. Introduction to Trigonometry
hammering out miles on
of the most widely used textbooks on precalculus and an expert in getting students and Angles (info)
the treadmill, people over the trouble spots of this challenging phase of their mathematics education. 13. Trigonometric Functions
have made these —Right Triangle Definition
"Calculus is difficult because of the precalculus skills needed for success," (info)
professors part of the
Professor Edwards points out, adding, "In my many years of teaching, I have found 14. Trigonometric Functions
fabric of their lives." that success in calculus is assured if students have a strong background in —Arbitrary Angle Definition
—CHRISTIAN SCIENCE MONITOR precalculus." (info)
15. Graphs of Sine and Cosine
More Testimonials A Math Milestone Made Clear
Functions (info)
16. Graphs of Other
In 36 intensively illustrated half-hour lectures, supplemented by a workbook with
Trigonometric Functions (info)
additional explanations and problems, Mathematics Describing the Real World
Newsletter Sign-Up 17. Inverse Trigonometric
takes you through all the major topics of a typical precalculus course taught in high
Be notified of special promotions Functions (info)
school or college. Those who will especially benefit from Professor Edwards's
and new releases (privacy policy) 18. Trigonometric Identities (info)
lucid and engaging approach include
Your email address 19. Trigonometric Equations (info)
high school and college students currently enrolled in precalculus who feel 20. Sum and Difference Formulas
overwhelmed and want coaching from an inspiring teacher who knows where (info)
students stumble; 21. Law of Sines (info)
parents of students, who may feel out of their depth with the advanced 22. Law of Cosines (info)
concepts taught in precalculus; 23. Introduction to Vectors (info)
those who have finished Algebra II and are eager to get a head start on the 24. Trigonometric Form of a
next milestone on the road to calculus; Complex Number (info)
beginning calculus students who want to review and hone their skills in 25. Systems of Linear Equations
crucial precalculus topics; and Matrices (info)
anyone motivated to learn precalculus on his or her own, whether as a 26. Operations with Matrices (info)
home-schooled pupil or as an adult preparing for a new career. 27. Inverses and Determinants of
Matrices (info)
 Matrices (info)
The Powerful Tools of Precalculus
28. Applications of Linear
Systems and Matrices (info)
With precalculus, you start to see all of mathematics as a unified whole—as a
29. Circles and Parabolas (info)
group of often radically different techniques for representing data, analyzing
30. Ellipses and Hyperbolas (info)
problems, and finding solutions. And you discover that these techniques are
31. Parametric Equations (info)
ultimately connected in a beautiful way. Perceiving these connections helps you
32. Polar Coordinates (info)
choose the best tool for a given problem:
33. Sequences and Series (info)
Algebraic functions: Including polynomial functions and rational functions, 34. Counting Principles (info)
these equations relate the input value of a variable to a single output value, 35. Elementary Probability (info)
corresponding to countless everyday situations in which one event depends on 36. GPS Devices and Looking
another. Forward to Calculus (info)
Trigonometry: Originally dealing with the measurement of triangles, this
subject has been vastly enriched by the concept of the trigonometric function,
which models many types of cyclical processes, such as waves, orbits, and
vibrations.
Exponential and logarithmic functions: Often involving the natural base, e, these
functions are built on terms with exponents and their inverse, logarithms, and
describe phenomena such as population growth and the magnitude of an
earthquake on the Richter scale.
Complex numbers: Seemingly logic-defying, complex numbers are based on the
square root of –1, designated by the symbol i . They are essential for solving many
technical problems and are the basis for the beautiful patterns in fractal geometry.
Vectors: Quantities like velocity have both magnitude and direction. Vectors allow
the direction component to be specified in a form that allows addition,
multiplication, and other operations that are crucial in fields such as physics.
Matrices: A matrix is a rectangular array of numbers with special rules that
permit two matrices to be added or multiplied. Practically any situation where data
are collected in columns and rows can be treated mathematically as a matrix.

In addition, Professor Edwards devotes two lectures to conic sections, slicing a cone
mathematically into circles, parabolas, ellipses, and hyperbolas. You also learn when
it's useful to switch from Cartesian to polar coordinates; how infinite sequences and
series lead to the concept of the limit in calculus; and two approaches to counting
questions: permutations and combinations. You close with an introduction to
probability and a final lecture that features an actual calculus problem, which your
experience in precalculus makes ... elementary!

Real-World Mathematics

Believing that students learn mathematics most effectively when they see it in the
context of the world around them, Professor Edwards uses scores of interesting
problems that are fun, engaging, and often relevant to real life. Among the many
applications of precalculus that you'll encounter are these:

Public health: A student with a new strain of flu arrives at college. How long
before every susceptible person is infected? An exponential function called the
logistic growth model shows how quickly an epidemic spreads.
Surveying: Suppose you have to measure the diagonal width of a marsh without
getting wet. It's a simple matter of walking two sides of a triangle on dry land and
then using trigonometry to determine the length of the third side that spans the
marsh.
Astronomy: One of the most famous cases involving the sine and cosine
functions that model periodic phenomena occurred in 1967, when astronomer
Jocelyn Bell detected a radio signal from space at 1.3373-second intervals. It
proved to be the first pulsar ever observed.
Acoustics: The special properties of an ellipse explain why a person standing at
a given spot in the U.S. Capitol's Statuary Hall can hear a whisper from someone
standing 85 feet away.
Computer graphics: How do you make an object appear to rotate on a computer
screen? Matrix algebra allows you to move each pixel in an image by a specified
angle by multiplying two matrices together.
Probability: Have you ever forgotten your four-digit ATM PIN number? What is the
probability that you can guess it? A simple calculation shows that you would have
to punch numbers nonstop for many hours before being assured of success.

An Adventure in Mathematical Learning

A three-time Teacher of the Year in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences at the
University of Florida, Professor Edwards has a time-tested approach to making
difficult material accessible. In Mathematics Describing the Real World, he enlivens
his lectures with study tips and a feature he calls "You Be the Teacher," in which he
puts you in the professor's shoes by asking how you would design a particular test
problem or answer one of the frequently asked questions he gets in the classroom.
For example, are all exponential functions increasing? After you hear Professor
Edwards's explanation, you'll know that when someone uses the term "exponentially,"
you should ask, "Do you mean exponential growth or decay?"—for it can go in either
direction. He also gives valuable tips on using graphing calculators, pointing out their
amazing capabilities—and pitfalls.
About Your Professor

Dr. Bruce H. Edwards is Professor of Mathematics at the University of Florida. He

earned his B.S. in Mathematics from Stanford University and his Ph.D. in Mathematics
from Dartmouth College. Between his undergraduate and graduate years, he taught
mathematics (in Spanish) as a Peace Corps volunteer at a university near Bogotá,
Colombia.

The winner of many teaching awards at the University of Florida, Professor Edwards
has been honored three times as Teacher of the Year in the College of Liberal Arts
and Sciences. He has also been named Liberal Arts and Sciences Student Council
Teacher of the Year, and the University of Florida Honors Program Teacher of the Year.
In other honors, he was selected by the Office of Alumni Affairs to be the Distinguished
Alumni Professor for 1991–1993, and the Florida Section of the Mathematical
Association of America awarded him the Distinguished Service Award for his work in
mathematics education for the state of Florida.

Professor Edwards has coauthored a wide range of mathematics textbooks. These

include Precalculus: A Graphing Approach (currently in its 5th edition), as well as
leading texts in the areas of calculus, applied calculus, linear algebra, finite
mathematics, algebra, and trigonometry.

Available Exclusively on Video

Because of the highly visual nature of the subject matter, this course is available
exclusively on video.

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Average Custom er Rating: 5 out of 5

2 of 2 (100%) customers w ould recommend the course to a friend.
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Overall Rating
Course Content Splendid Date: July 19, 2011
Professor
Presentation "This course is excellent.
Course Value Everyone will benefit.

Malmesbury I rest my case."

(read all my reviews)
Location: Florida
2 of 3 people found this review helpful.

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Overall Rating
Course Content PreCalculus can be made clear
Professor and logical
Presentation Date: June 19, 2011
Course Value
"Let me begin by stating I am a retired
LBruno mathematics instructor who had a very
(read all my reviews) successful and rewarding career of 39
Location: Friedens, PA years and that I actually used the
PreCalculus and Calculus textbooks, which
I thought were the best available, written by
Dr. Edwards and his coauthors.

Professor Edwards’ presentation in this

excellent Teaching Company course is
logical and clear. His carefully chosen
examples are especially insightful and
illuminating. WARNING: This is not a
superficial survey course but instead uses
an in-depth approach, like his Calculus
course, that will leave you feeling
knowledgeable, satisfied, and confident
upon its completion. It successfully bridges
the gap between TTC’s “Algebra II” and
 “Understanding Calculus: Problems,
Solutions, and Tips.”

I hope TTC will have Dr. Edwards add

Calculus II and Calculus III classes to
complete its basic mathematics curriculum
series."

92 of 92 people found this review helpful.

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