College Algebra, 11th edition

Book Preface

To the Instructor

It is with great delight that we present the eleventh edition of College Algebra. This edition maintains the same philosophy of the highly successful previous editions but is enhanced to meet the current expectations of today’s students and instructors. Our goal is to increase students’ problem-solving skills while at the same time preparing them for success in trigonometry, calculus, statistics, or other disciplines of study. The textbook has been revised for greater clarity of design and instruction.

Our goal is to write a textbook that

• presents solid mathematics written in a way that is easy to understand for students with a broad range of abilities and backgrounds;
• emphasizes the important concept of a function;
• uses real-life applications to motivate learning and problem solving;
• improves critical-thinking abilities in all students;
• develops algebra skills needed for future success in mathematics courses.

We believe that we have accomplished this goal through a successful blending of content and pedagogy. We present a thorough coverage of classic college algebra topics, incorporated into a contemporary framework of tested teaching strategies.

Features are written to appeal to both students and instructors. In keeping with the spirit of the NCTM and AMATYC standards, this book emphasizes conceptual understanding, problem solving, and the appropriate use of technology.