P. Prerequisites: Fundamental Concepts of Algebra
P.1 Algebraic Expressions, Mathematical Models, and Real Numbers
P.2 Exponents and Scientific Notation
P.3 Radicals and Rational Exponents
P.4 Polynomials
Mid-Chapter Check Point
P.5 Factoring Polynomials
P.6 Rational Expressions
SUMMARY, REVIEW, AND TEST
REVIEW EXERCISES
CHAPTER P TEST
1. Equations and Inequalities
1.1 Graphs and Graphing Utilities
1.2 Linear Equations and Rational Equations
1.3 Models and Applications
1.4 Complex Numbers
1.5 Quadratic Equations
Mid-Chapter Check Point
1.6 Other Types of Equations
1.7 Linear Inequalities and Absolute Value Inequalities
SUMMARY, REVIEW, AND TEST
REVIEW EXERCISES
CHAPTER 1 TEST
2. Functions and Graphs
2.1 Basics of Functions and Their Graphs
2.2 More on Functions and Their Graphs
2.3 Linear Functions and Slope
2.4 More on Slope
Mid-Chapter Check Point
2.5 Transformations of Functions
2.6 Combinations of Functions; Composite Functions
2.7 Inverse Functions
2.8 Distance and Midpoint Formulas; Circles
SUMMARY, REVIEW, AND TEST
REVIEW EXERCISES
CHAPTER 2 TEST
CUMULATIVE REVIEW EXERCISES (CHAPTERS 1-2)
3. Polynomial and Rational Functions
3.1 Quadratic Functions
3.2 Polynomial Functions and Their Graphs
3.3 Dividing Polynomials; Remainder and Factor Theorems
3.4 Zeros of Polynomial Functions
Mid-Chapter Check Point
3.5 Rational Functions and Their Graphs
3.6 Polynomial and Rational Inequalities
3.7 Modeling Using Variation
SUMMARY, REVIEW, AND TEST
REVIEW EXERCISES
CHAPTER 3 TEST
CUMULATIVE REVIEW EXERCISES (CHAPTERS 1-3) 410
4. Exponential and Logarithmic Functions
4.1 Exponential Functions
4.2 Logarithmic Functions
4.3 Properties of Logarithms
Mid-Chapter Check Point
4.4 Exponential and Logarithmic Equations
4.5 Exponential Growth and Decay; Modeling Data
SUMMARY, REVIEW, AND TEST
REVIEW EXERCISES
CHAPTER 4 TEST
CUMULATIVE REVIEW EXERCISES (CHAPTERS 1-4)
5. Systems of Equations and Inequalities
5.1 Systems of Linear Equations in Two Variables
5.2 Systems of Linear Equations in Three Variables
5.3 Partial Fractions
5.4 Systems of Nonlinear Equations in Two Variables
Mid-Chapter Check Point
5.5 Systems of Inequalities
5.6 Linear Programming
SUMMARY, REVIEW, AND TEST
REVIEW EXERCISES
CHAPTER 5 TEST
CUMULATIVE REVIEW EXERCISES (CHAPTERS 1-5)
6. Matrices and Determinants
6.1 Matrix Solutions to Linear Systems
6.2 Inconsistent and Dependent Systems and Their Applications
6.3 Matrix Operations and Their Applications
Mid-Chapter Check Point
6.4 Multiplicative Inverses of Matrices and Matrix Equations
6.5 Determinants and Cramer's Rule
SUMMARY, REVIEW, AND TEST
REVIEW EXERCISES
CHAPTER 6 TEST
CUMULATIVE REVIEW EXERCISES (CHAPTERS 1-6)
7. Conic Sections
7.1 The Ellipse
7.2 The Hyperbola
Mid-Chapter Check Point
7.3 The Parabola
SUMMARY, REVIEW, AND TEST
REVIEW EXERCISES
CHAPTER 7 TEST
- Blitzer engages students with the mathematical world around them.
- Outstanding applications have been updated with real-world data. The goal is to put learning into context for the students and show the relevance of math. Applications include stretching one's life span, the emotional health of college freshmen, changing attitudes toward marriage, American Idol's viewership, math-themed comic strips, and more.
- Chapter Opening and Section-Opening Scenarios are based on an application and revisited in the course of the chapter or section in examples, exercises and discussions. The often humorous tone of these openers is intended to help fearful and reluctant students overcome their negative perceptions about math.
- The Learning Guide begins each chapter with an engaging application and is organized by objective, providing additional examples and exercises for students to work through for greater conceptual understanding and mastery of mathematical topics. The Learning Guide is available as PDFs and customizable Word files in MyMathLab. It can also be packaged with the textbook and MyMathLab® access code.
- Blitzer supports students in their quest for success.
- Voice balloons offer the support and guidance of an instructor’s voice. These specific annotations clarify procedures and concepts, mimicking what an instructor would say in class when translating the math into plain English.
- Consistent Stepped-Out Examples are included throughout the text. No steps are omitted and each step is clearly explained. Each example concludes with problems for students to try, ensuring that they understand the concept before continuing.
- New Great Question! takes the content from each Study Tip from the previous edition and presents it in the context of a student question. Answers to the questions offer suggestions for problem solving, point out common errors to avoid, and provide informal hints and suggestions.
- Technology boxes show how graphing utilities verify and visualize algebraic results. Even for those not using graphing utilities, these displays will help students understand different approaches to problem solving.
- Discovery boxes, found throughout the text, encourage students to further explore algebraic concepts. These explorations are optional and their omission does not interfere with the continuity of the topic at hand.
- Chapter Summaries organize chapter material into easy-to-use two-column review charts. These summarize the definitions and concepts for every section of the chapter and refer students to illustrative examples.
- Blitzer provides extensive and varied exercise sets that check for retention and prepare students for future math courses.
- New Concept and Vocabulary Checks are 470 short answer exercises, mainly fill-in-the-blank and true/false items, that assess students’ understanding of the definitions and concepts presented in each section. The Concept and Vocabulary Checks appear as separate features preceding the Exercise Sets and are a great check on reading comprehension.
- “Make Sense?” classroom discussion exercises contain four critical thinking exercises that foster participation in the learning process. These questions ask students to determine whether statements are sensible, and to explain why or why not, allowing instructors to quickly gauge students’ understanding of concepts.
- Preview Exercises at the end of each exercise set prepare students for material in the section ahead. Some problems review important material from the past and others are designed to get students thinking about concepts that they will soon encounter.
- Mid-Chapter Checkpoints contain a set of review
Blitzer’s content evolves to enhance the learning experience for today’s students.
- Applications and Real-World Data have been incorporated into this revision throughout the chapter and section openers, examples, and exercise sets. Applications include stretching one's life span, the emotional health of college freshmen, changing attitudes toward marriage, American Idol's viewership, math-themed comic strips, and more.
- Concept and Vocabulary Checks are 470 new short answer exercises, mainly fill-in-the-blank and true/false items, that assess students’ understanding of the definitions and concepts presented in each section. The Concept and Vocabulary Checks appear as separate features preceding the Exercise Sets and are a great check on reading comprehension.
- Great Question! takes the content from each Study Tip from the previous edition and presents it in the context of a student question. Answers to the questions offer suggestions for problem solving, point out common errors to avoid, and provide informal hints and suggestions.
- Chapter Opening and Section-Opening Scenarios are based on an application and revisiting in the course of the chapter or section in examples, exercises and discussions. The often humorous tone of these openers is intended to help fearful and reluctant students overcome their negative perceptions about math.
- Blitzer Bonuses contain a variety of new but optional enrichment essays.
The MyMathLab® online course engages students and keeps them thinking. (Access code required)
- Ready to Go Courses make it easier for instructors to get started with MyMathLab. Each course includes author-chosen, pre-assigned homework, integrated review questions, and quizzes to make creating a course even simpler.
- MathTalk Videos arefun, application-based videos featuring Andrew Vickers showing students how the math they are learning in Blitzer applies to the real world. Filmed on location in New York City and Boston, these instructional videos have a sense of humor while demonstrating how everyday life is full of math applications and give the students context on why they should care. They will also have an accompanying Instructor Guide and video assessment questions assignable in MyMathLab.
- Integrated Review are skill review quizzes that test on prerequisite knowledge and are integrated throughout the Ready to Go MyMathLab course as well as available in the standard MyMathLab course. From these quizzes, each student receives a personalized, just-in-time review assignment, allowing them to refresh forgotten concepts.
- Interactive Figures are now available, enabling users to manipulate figures to bring hard-to-convey math concepts to life. These are also assignable in MyMathLab.
- Section-Lecture Videos provide lectures for each section of the text to help students review important concepts and procedures 24/7.
- Chapter Test Prep Videos allow students to work through step-by-step solutions to all the Chapter Test exercises from the textbook. These are available in MyMathLab and on YouTube.
- The Learning Guide begins each chapter with an engaging application and is organized by objective, providing additional examples and exercises for students to work through for greater conceptual understanding and mastery of mathematical topics. The Learning Guide is available as PDFs and customizable Word files in MyMathLab. It can also be packaged with the textbook and MyMathLab access code.
Content Updates
- Section P.1 (Algebraic Expressions, Mathematical Models, and Real Numbers) contains a new essay, now called a Blitzer Bonus, on using algebra to measure blood-alcohol concentration