Welcome to
Math 49 - PreCalculus
Dr. Michael Brassington
22nd September 2008
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Agenda
 Introductions
 Green Sheet
 Syllabus & Schedule
 Ch 1: Linear Functions and Change
 Ch 2: Functions
 Ch 3: Exponential Functions
 Ch 4: Logarithmic Functions
 Ch 5: Transformations of Functions
 Ch 8: Compositions, Inverses & Combinations
 Ch 9: Polynomial & Rational Functions
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Introductions
 Name?
 Major?
 What you do for fun?
 What makes math fun?
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Online Math-49 Group
 CLASS WEB SITE:
 http://groups.yahoo.com/group/brassmath49/
 Click on “Join this Group”
 You will need to open a free Yahoo account if you don’t have
one already.
 Group Email Addresses
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Post message to group by sending email to:
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brassmath49@yahoogroups.com
 NOTE: Anything you post to this group will be received by
all other group subscribers. If you want to send a private
email to me directly, use my personal email address.
 brassingtonmichael@fhda.edu
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“Green Sheet”
 PRE-REQUISITE: Math 51
(or a satisfactory score on the placement exam.)
 LOCATION:
 INSTRUCTOR:
 OFFICE HOURS:
Room 3303
Dr. Michael Brassington.
9am – 10am Friday
408.835.0944
 OFFICE PHONE:
 (you may leave a voicemail message any time)
 EMAIL:
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brassingtonmichael@fhda.edu
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Text Books
 Required: Connally, et al. Functions Modeling
Change; 3 rd. Edition, Wiley.
 Required: Stanley and Knobel; Survival Guide;
contains lecture notes, and a set of practice exam
problems.
 Optional: Students Solutions Manual. The solutions
manual contains complete solutions to every
alternate odd-numbered problem. The text has
answers [not complete solutions] to most of the oddnumbered problems. A Student Study Guide is also
available in the library.
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Calculators
 You are required to have a TI 83 or TI84 graphing
calculator for this class.
 If you already have a graphing calculator of a
different kind, you are expected to know how to use
it.
 The Foothill College Math Dept. does not currently
allow students to use any calculators that are capable
of symbolic algebra/calculus during examinations;
one such example is the TI 89.
 All demonstrations in class will use the TI 83
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Class Attendance
 Attendance to my classes is recommended.
 All students are awarded 100 bonus points at the beginning of
the course and which contribute 10% towards your final grade.
 I will be keeping attendance records for each class and deduct
25 of these points for each absence and/or late arrival.
 Out of respect for everyone’s time, classes will begin promptly. If
you miss class, it is your responsibility to keep up with the
material and obtain handouts that you may have missed.
 I reserve the right to drop you if you have more than five
absences without notifying me ahead of time. However, DO
NOT assume that you will be dropped if you simply stop
attending.
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Homework
 It is strongly recommended that you do your
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homework each night.
Like any other mental or physical activity, you learn
math by doing it.
You should plan on spending at least two hours per
day on reading/homework during the week.
Depending on your level of preparation, you may
have to spend much more time than this to master
the material.
Collaboration with your classmates is strongly
encouraged in all homework.
Homework is neither collected nor graded.
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Quizzes
 We will have several open book quizzes on
prior homework, lectures and reading
material.
 The quizzes may prohibit the use of a
calculator.
 The lowest quiz scores will be excluded from
your course grade calculation.
 There are absolutely no make up quizzes
under any circumstances.
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Quiz Topics & Schedule
 The first quiz is a take home algebra review,
which is due at the start of the second class –
meeting - no exceptions.
 Quizzes 2 through 7 are in-class.
 Typically in each quiz, you will be asked to do
a number of problems taken from (or very
similar to) homework problems from the
sections that are grouped together.
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For example, in Quiz 2 you would normally be
asked to do three or four problems from
sections 1.1 and 1.2.
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Tentative Quiz Topics & Schedule
 TENTATIVE QUIZ/MIDTERM/FINAL EXAM
INFORMATION
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Quiz 1: Algebra Review (Due second class meeting)
Quiz 2: Sections 1.1, 1.2, 1.3, 1.4
Quiz 3: Sections 1.5, 2.1, 2.2, 2.3
Quiz 4: Sections 2.5, 2.6, 3.1, 3.2
Quiz 5: Sections 3.4, 3.5, 4.1, 4.2
Quiz 6: Sections 4.3, 4.4, 5.1, 5.2
Quiz 7: Sections 5.3, 5.4, 5.5, 8.1
Midterm Exam I (10/22): Chapters 1, 2 & 3
Midterm Exam II (11/5): Chapters 1, 2, 3, 4 & 5
FINAL COMPREHENSIVE EXAM (12/12)
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EXAMS
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MIDTERM EXAMS
 We will have two midterm exams.
 Only your highest midterm score will be used in the calculation of your
course grade.
 Dates: Wednesday 10/22 & Wednesday 11/5
– No Make-ups
 You may bring into each midterm exam, ONE card no larger than 6"x4" with
hand–written notes.
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FINAL EXAM (MANDITORY)
 There will be a comprehensive final exam.
 Date (Set by School): Wednesday 12/12, 8-10am.
 You may bring into the Final Exam, ONE 11" x 8.5" (or A4) sheet of paper
with hand-written notes.
 You must score at least 50% on this exam in order to pass the class.
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Grades
 Points are assigned as follows:
 ~7 Quizzes
200 pts
 First Midterm Exam
250 pts
 Second Midterm Exam
250 pts
 Final Exam **
300 pts
 Class Attendance
100 pts
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Total Points – maximum 1100 pts*
 ** To pass the course with a grade of C or greater,
each student must attain at least 50% on the final
exam, independent of their total aggregate points.**
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Grades
 IF YOU GET AN ‘A’ GRADE ON THE FINAL EXAM, YOU WILL
RECEIVE AN ‘A’ IN THE COURSE. - THIS APPLIES ONLY TO
‘A’ GRADES.
 THE GRADE OF A STUDENT WHO DOES NOT ATTAIN AN
‘A’ ON THE FINAL EXAM WILL BE DETERMINED BY THE
AGGREGATE GRADE SHOWN IN THE FOLLOWING TABLE.
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If you attain
Course Grade will be at least
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90 % and over
A
80 % to 89.9 %
B
70 % to 79.9 %
C
60 % to 69.9 %
D
0 % to 59 %
F
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Course Grades (Example)
 Sample Grade Calculation
 Student attained scores as follows
 Quizzes:
160/200 pts;
 Midterm One:
180/250 pts;
 Midterm Two:
170/250 pts;
 Final Exam:
270/300 pts;
 Attendance:
50/100 pts;
 Aggregate Points = (160+2x180+270+50)/1000
= 84.0% => Grade "B"
 Final Exam Percent: 270/300 = 90% = Grade "A"
 Student receives the better of "B" or "A". Therefore,
Course Grade = ‘A’.
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Getting Help
 Ask your peers
 Post a question to the group -
brassmath49@yahoogroups.com
 Use the Math Center
 Use the Tutorial Center
 Ask me – michael.brassington@gmail.com
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Dropping Class
 You may drop the course by Friday of the FOURTH
week with no grade.
 You may drop the course by Friday of the EIGHTH
week with a ‘W’ grade.
 In every case, a student is responsible for dropping
him/herself.
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You should not assume that you are automatically
dropped from the class for non-attendance.
Students on the final grade roster, who have not
dropped and who do not show up for the final exam will
receive an F in the course.
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Academic Integrity
 Cheating is absolutely prohibited!
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Looking at someone else's exam
helping another student during an exam
talking to anyone except me during an exam
or using an external source of information for which you
were not explicitly given permission
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will result in an instructor drop or an F grade for the course.
 Cheating incidents will also be reported to the Dean of Students.
 The use of any calculator other than those that are specified by
your instructor [whether intentional or not] is another example of
academic dishonesty and grounds for a ‘F’ in the course.
 If you do not understand what the word "cheating" means,
please see the school information sheet on academic honesty.
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And Finally ….
 Make sure that your read the “Green Sheet”
fully – it is a contract.
 Make sure that you understand its contents
fully, especially the parts that pertain to
testing and the computation of your grade.
 So long as you remain enrolled in the course,
you are implicitly agreeing to abide by these
terms.
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