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Exploring the Essential Features of “James Sellers – Algebra II”
Algebra II
Make sense of Algebra II with this clear course that walks you through hundreds of problems, showing every step in their solutions and highlighting common missteps.
LESSON (36)
01:An Introduction to Algebra II
Professor Sellers explains the topics covered in the course, the importance of algebra, and how you can get the most out of these lessons. You then launch into the fundamentals of algebra by reviewing the order of operations and trying your hand at several problems.
02:Solving Linear Equations
Explore linear equations, starting with one-step equations and then advancing to those requiring two or more steps to solve. Next, apply the distributive property to simplify certain problems, and then learn about the three categories of linear equations.
03:Solving Equations Involving Absolute Values
Taking your knowledge of linear equations a step further, look at examples involving absolute values, which can be thought of as a distance on a number line, always expressed as a positive value. Use your critical-thinking skills to recognize absolute value problems that have limited or no solutions.
04:Linear Equations and Functions
Moving into the visual realm, learn how linear equations are represented as straight lines on graphs using either the slope-intercept or point-slope forms of the function. Next, investigate parallel and perpendicular lines and how to identify them by the value of their slopes.
05:Graphing Essentials
Reversing the procedure from the previous lesson, start with an equation and draw the line that corresponds to it. Then test your knowledge by matching four linear equations to their graphs. Finally, learn how to rewrite an equation to move its graph up, down, left, or right-or flip it entirely.
06:Functions-Introduction, Examples, Terminology
Functions are crucially important not only for algebra, but for precalculus, calculus, and higher mathematics. Learn the definition of a function, the notation, and associated concepts such as domain and range. Then try out the vertical line test for determining whether a given curve is a graph of a function.
07:Systems of 2 Linear Equations, Part 1
Practice solving systems of two linear equations by graphing the corresponding lines and looking for the intersection point. Discover that there are three possible outcomes: no solution, infinitely many solutions, and exactly one solution.
08:Systems of 2 Linear Equations, Part 2
Explore two other techniques for solving systems of two linear equations. First, the method of substitution solves one of the equations and substitutes the result into the other. Second, the method of elimination adds or subtracts the equations to see if a variable can be eliminated.
09:Systems of 3 Linear Equations
As the number of variables increases, it becomes unwieldy to solve systems of linear equations by graphing. Learn that these problems are not as hard as they look and that systems of three linear equations often yield to the strategy of successively eliminating variables.
10:Solving Systems of Linear Inequalities
Make the leap into systems of linear inequalities, where the solution is a set of values on one side or another of a graphed line. An inequality is an assertion such as “less than” or “greater than,” which encompasses a range of values.
11:An Introduction to Quadratic Functions
Begin your investigation of quadratic functions by visualizing what these functions look like when graphed. They always form a U-shaped curve called a parabola, whose location on the coordinate plane can be predicted based on the individual terms of the equation.
12:Quadratic Equations-Factoring
One of the most important skills related to quadratics is factoring. Review the basics of factoring, and learn to recognize a very useful special case known as the difference of two squares. Close by working on a word problem that translates into a quadratic equation.
13:Quadratic Equations-Square Roots
The square root approach to solving quadratic equations works not just for perfect squares, such as 3 × 3 = 9, but also for values that don’t seem to involve squares at all. Probe the idea behind this technique, and also venture into the strange world of complex numbers.
14:Completing the Square
Turn a quadratic equation into an easily solvable form that includes a perfect square-a technique called completing the square. An important benefit of this approach is that the rewritten form gives the coordinates for the vertex of the parabola represented by the equation.
15:Using the Quadratic Formula
When other approaches fail, one tool can solve every quadratic equation: the quadratic formula. Practice this formula on a wide range of problems, learning how a special expression called the discriminant immediately tells how many real-number solutions the equation has….
16:Solving Quadratic Inequalities
Extending the exercises on inequalities from lecture 10, step into the realm of quadratic inequalities, where the boundary graph is not a straight line but a parabola. Use your skills analyzing quadratic expressions to sketch graphs quickly and solve systems of quadratic inequalities.
17:Conic Sections-Parabolas and Hyperbolas
Delve into the algebra of conic sections, which are the cross-sectional shapes produced by slicing a cone at different angles. In this lesson, study parabolas and hyperbolas, which differ in how many variable terms are squared in each. Also learn how to sketch a hyperbola from its equation.
18:Conic Sections-Circles and Ellipses
Investigate the algebraic properties of the other two conic sections: ellipses and circles. Ellipses resemble stretched circles and are defined by their major and minor axes, whose ratio determines the ellipse’s eccentricity. Circles are ellipses whose eccentricity = 1, with the major and minor axes equal.
19:An Introduction to Polynomials
Pause to examine the nature of polynomials-a class of algebraic expressions that you’ve been working with since the beginning of the course. Professor Sellers introduces several useful concepts, such as the standard form of polynomials and their degree, domain, range, and leading coefficients.
20:Graphing Polynomial Functions
Deepen your insight into polynomial functions by graphing them to see how they differ from non-polynomials. Then learn how the general shape of the graph can be predicted from the highest exponent of the polynomial, known as its degree. Finally, explore how other terms in the function also affect the graph.
21:Combining Polynomials
Switch from graphs to the algebraic side of polynomial functions, learning how to combine them in many different ways, including addition, subtraction, multiplication, and even long division, which is easier than it seems. Discover which of these operations produce new polynomials and which do not.
22:Solving Special Polynomial Equations
Learn how to solve polynomial equations where the degree is greater than two by turning them into expressions you already know how to handle. Your “toolbox” includes techniques called the difference of two squares, the difference of two cubes, and the sum of two cubes.
23:Rational Roots of Polynomial Equations
Going beyond the approaches you’ve learned so far, discover how to solve polynomial equations by applying two powerful tools for finding rational roots: the rational roots theorem and the factor theorem. Both will prove very useful in succeeding lessons.
24:The Fundamental Theorem of Algebra
Explore two additional tools for identifying the roots of polynomial equations: Descartes’ rule of signs, which narrows down the number of possible positive and negative real roots; and the fundamental theorem of algebra, which gives the total of all roots for a given polynomial.
25:Roots and Radical Expressions
Shift gears away from polynomials to focus on expressions involving roots, including square roots, cube roots, and roots of higher degrees-all known as radical expressions. Practice multiplying, dividing, adding, and subtracting a wide variety of radical expressions.
26:Solving Equations Involving Radicals
Drawing on your experience with roots and radicals from the previous lesson, try your hand at solving equations with these expressions. Begin by learning how to manipulate rational, or fractional, exponents. Then practice with simple equations, while being on the lookout for extraneous, or “imposter,” solutions.
27:Graphing Power, Radical, and Root Functions
Using graph paper, experiment with curves formed by simple radical functions. First, determine the domain of the function, which tells you the general location of the graph on the coordinate plane. Then, investigate how different terms in the function alter the graph in predictable ways.
28:An Introduction to Rational Functions
Shift your focus to graphs of rational functions-functions that are the ratio of two polynomials. These graphs are more complicated than those from the previous lesson, but their general characteristics can be quickly determined by calculating the domain, the x- and y-intercepts, and the vertical and horizontal asymptotes….
29:The Algebra of Rational Functions
Combine rational functions using addition, subtraction, multiplication, division, and composition. The trick is to start each problem by putting the expressions in factored form, which makes the calculations go more smoothly. Leaving the answer in factored form also allows other operations, such as graphing, to be easily performed.
30:Partial Fractions
Now that you know how to add rational expressions, try the opposite procedure of splitting a more complicated rational expression into its component parts. Called partial fraction decomposition, this approach is a topic in introductory calculus and is used for solving a wide range of more advanced math problems.
31:An Introduction to Exponential Functions
Exponential functions are important in real-world applications involving growth and decay rates, such as compound interest and depreciation. Experiment with simple exponential functions, exploring such concepts as the base, growth factor, and decay factor, and how different values for these terms affect the graph of the function.
32:An Introduction to Logarithmic Functions
Plot a logarithmic function on the coordinate plane to see how it is the mirror image of a corresponding exponential function. Just like a mirror image, logarithms can be disorienting at first; but by studying their properties you will discover how they make certain calculations much simpler.
33:Uses of Exponential and Logarithmic Functions
Delve deeper into exponential and logarithmic functions with the goal of solving a typical financial investment problem using the “Pert” formula. To prepare, study the change of base formula for logarithms and the special function of the base called e….
34:The Binomial Theorem
Pascal’s triangle is a famous triangular array of numbers that corresponds to the coefficients of binomials of different powers. In a lesson connecting a branch of mathematics called combinatorics with algebra, investigate the formula for each value in Pascal’s triangle, the factorial function, and the binomial theorem.
35:Permutations and Combinations
Continue your study of the link between combinatorics and algebra by using the factorial function to solve problems in permutations and combinations. For example, what are all the permutations of the letters a, b, c? And how many combinations of four books are possible when you have six to choose from?…
36:Elementary Probability
After a short introduction to probability, celebrate your completion of the course with a deck of cards. Can you use the principles of probability, permutations, and combinations to calculate the probability of being dealt different hands? As with the rest of algebra, once you know the rules, it’s simplicity itself!
DETAILS
Overview
Make sense of Algebra II in the company of master educator and award-winning Professor James A. Sellers. Algebra II gives you all the tools you need to thrive in a core skill of mathematics. In 36 engaging half-hour lectures, Professor Sellers walks you through hundreds of problems, showing every step in their solution and highlighting the most common missteps made by students. Designed for learners of all ages, this course will prove that algebra can be an exciting intellectual adventure and not nearly as difficult as many students fear.
About
James A. Sellers
If you are shaky on basic math facts, algebra will be harder for you than it needs to be. Spend every day reviewing flashcards of math facts, and you will be surprised at how much better at math you are!
ALMA MATER
The Pennsylvania State University
INSTITUTION
University of Minnesota Duluth
Dr. James A. Sellers is Professor of Mathematics at the University of Minnesota Duluth. He earned his B.S. in Mathematics from The University of Texas at San Antonio and his Ph.D. in Mathematics from Penn State. Professor Sellers has received the Teresa Cohen Mathematics Service Award from the Penn State Department of Mathematics and the Mathematical Association of America Allegheny Mountain Section Mentoring Award. More than 60 of Professor Sellers’s research articles on partitions and related topics have been published in a wide variety of peer-reviewed journals. In 2008, he was a visiting scholar at the Isaac Newton Institute at the University of Cambridge. Professor Sellers has enjoyed many interactions at the high school and middle school levels. He has served as an instructor of middle-school students in the TexPREP program in San Antonio, Texas. He has also worked with Saxon Publishers on revisions to a number of its high-school textbooks. As a home educator and father of five, he has spoken to various home education organizations about mathematics curricula and teaching issues.
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