Elementary Functions and Analytic Geometry

Book excerpt: Elementary Functions and Analytic Geometry is an introduction to college mathematics, with emphasis on elementary functions and analytic geometry. It aims to provide a working knowledge of basic functions (polynomial, rational, exponential, logarithmic, and trigonometric); graphing techniques and the numerical aspects and applications of functions; two- and three-dimensional vector methods; and complex numbers, mathematical induction, and the binomial theorem. Comprised of 13 chapters, this book begins with a discussion on functions and graphs, paying particular attention to quantities measured in the real number system. The next chapter deals with linear and quadratic functions as well as some of their applications. Tips on graphing are offered. Subsequent chapters focus on polynomial functions, along with graphs of factored polynomials; rational functions; exponential and logarithm functions; and trigonometric functions. Identities and inverse functions, vectors, and trigonometry are also explored, together with complex numbers and solid analytic geometry. The book concludes by considering mathematical induction, binomial coefficients, and the binomial theorem. This monograph will be a useful resource for undergraduate students of mathematics and algebra.