Dave's contact info

Hi all - they're going to turn off my clark.edu email address at some point soon, so here's some ways to get in touch with me if you need to:

503 / 686 - 5040 is my cell phone. I generally keep the ringer off, and check my voice mail a couple of times a week, but there it is.

dafpdx@gmail.com is another email address that I see almost every day. Identify yourself as a Clark student to help situate me...

I hope everyone's enjoying their summer, and good luck in your future math career!

-Dave

Key for Log practice

Here's a link to a funny Youtube video of cute cats.

Ha! No no, just kidding - here's the link to the key to the practice on logs. Good luck and see you Saturday!

https://docs.google.com/viewer?a=v&pid=explorer&chrome=true&srcid=0B8MSB3tEywM5Mzk3MTM0MDItMDZlMi00NmMxLWJjMTYtN2VkNTQxZjViY2Y5&hl=en_US

Quadratics and Parabola practice KEY

Hi all - here's the key to the practice on quadratics and parabolas:

https://docs.google.com/viewer?a=v&pid=explorer&chrome=true&srcid=0B8MSB3tEywM5OWIzNjkzNGEtNWJmNy00YzIwLTk5M2MtYTc1NzBkOWYzYmRk&hl=en_US

Log practice link

Hi all - here are some questions to practice for the final with about logs. It's kind of a lot of questions, I know.

I'll post the key to both this and the quadratics practice Tuesday afternoon - look for them to be posted before 5pm.

Good luck, and see you Saturday,

-Dave

https://docs.google.com/viewer?a=v&pid=explorer&chrome=true&srcid=0B8MSB3tEywM5ZTBjM2RmYmQtNDk0NS00NzkwLWE2YjctMDZjN2IwMTQ2YjMx&hl=en_US

Class for June 4th

Hi all - whew! It's been a long term, hasn't it? Keep the math energy up for one more week.

Today we talked about solving equations involving logs, and graphing parabolas using the intercepts and the vertex. In other words, we finished chapter 11 and looked at a tiny bit of section 10.4.

Keep in mind as you read section 10.4 that the book does a different kind of thing than we do on graphing parabolas. Look at objectinves 10.6 and 10.7 on using the vertex formula, and don't worry about anything involving completing the square, or transformations.

I've posted a link to the activity on graphing parabolas, and I'll post a link to an activity on logs tonight or tomorrow. Tuesday night I'll post links to the keys for both of these, too.

Next week I'll take homework questions and review anything you like from 9am - 10am. Bring your questions! At 10am I'll give the final exam, and then we'll be done, and can breathe clear and easy until our next math class.

For some homework problems:

10.4: 55-73 odd, and 85-93 odd

Chapter 11 test (pages 1079-1080): 1 - 45 all

Good luck, and see you next week!

-Dave

Practice questions on graphing parabolas

https://docs.google.com/viewer?a=v&pid=explorer&chrome=true&srcid=0B8MSB3tEywM5ZDhmYmI4ZWItZDA0MS00NzNhLWIwMDAtYjFiZTU5YTQ2MDg5&hl=en_US

Class Saturday, May 28th

Hi all - in the morning, we took the exam. How'd it go?

Then in the afternoon we discussed sections 11.5, 11.6 and the start of 11.7. Check out the homework for what I expect us to know and do.

The main secret is that logs undo exponential functions. So if I have b to the x equals y, that is the same equation as log-base-b of y equals x. It's confusing. The first problems, translate the log form into the exponential form and see how it looks that way - I might not know what log-base-5 of 125 is, but I know if I set up 5^x = 125 then x must be 3, and those are the same math object in different form.

Tomorrow (Monday) I'll post the first half of the practice for the final - on quadratics and graphing parabolas. We haven't discussed some of that yet, but we will next week (and this is the part tat I have the key already written for...) I'll post the rest of the final practice on logs, and the keys to both part, later in the week (certainly before class on June 4th).

Next week we'll finish up logs, talk about graphing parabolas, redo the exam we took today, and review for the final. It's bound to be a big exciting day!

Here's the homework for next week:

11.5: 1 - 5 all, 13 - 109 EOO

11.6: 1 - 5 all, 15 - 67 EOO

11.7: 17 - 37 odd

Key for second practice exam

Hi all:

https://docs.google.com/viewer?a=v&pid=explorer&chrome=true&srcid=0B8MSB3tEywM5MWE5OTIwYzQtZWJlNC00NDlkLTlmNmItM2Y3ZTAwOWViNjll&hl=en_US

It's not quite complete - I still need to add the graphs to the last question. I'll post an updated version tomorrow afternoon (all the material is there except for that one question - I can't get my laptop to do graphs anymore...)

Good luck, and see you Saturday!

-Dave

Practice exam for the second exam next week

Hi all - here's the link to the practice exam. I saved it as a pdf because of all the symbols and math stuff - let me know if you have any problems opening it and I can send you the word document. Woo hoo!

https://docs.google.com/viewer?a=v&pid=explorer&chrome=true&srcid=0B8MSB3tEywM5NmU1ZWRkZTgtZjRlYi00N2E1LThiYzMtZjhiYzI1ZWE3NjU2&hl=en_US

I will post the key Wednesday afternoon. Look for it Thursday morning. Remember - our exam next week starts at 9am and goes until noon, and then we talk about a couple more sections from chapter 11 in the afternoon.

-Dave

Post for Saturday, May 21st

Hi all,

Today we covered sections 9.5 and 9.6, touched on section 10.1, and then sections 11.3 and 11.4.

Next week is the second exam, over sections 9.1-9.6, 10.1 and 10.2, and 11.1 - 11.4. In the afternoon we'll cover sections 11.5 and 11.6. That's May 28th.

The week after that we'll talk about graphing parabolas (the picture formed by quadratic equations) and solving exponential and log equations. That's June 4th.

The following Saturday is our last - we review for an hour (from 9am - 10am) and then start the final exam at 10. The final will cover mostly graphing parabolas and solving log and exponential equations; we use most of the material from the rest of the term to do those things.

I'll post the practice exam tomorrow - look for it in the evening, or Monday morning. I'll post the key to it Wednesday evening (you'll see it Thursday morning). I'll also have a practice exam and key for the final.

Look at the chapter 9 test on pages 889-890: 2 - 29 and 31 - 41 to start looking at the chapter 9 material. Do the section tests, or the homework from each section for more practice.

We'll need to be able to use the quadratic formula (the first question on next week's exam asks us what the quadratic formula is). Review sections 10.1 and 10.2 (don't worry about completing the square, though).

We'll also look at the first four sections of chapter 11 - combinations and compositions of functions, inverse functions, exponential functions and the number e as the base of exponential functions. Look at the chapter 11 test on pages 1079-1080, problems 1 - 20 to start (and again do more practice where you need to).

Good luck on the exam!

-Dave

Post for Saturday, May 14th

Hi everyone - sorry this is going up so late, and thank you to the two people who phoned me about this today! I THOUGHT I wrote and posted a log for the most recent class, but I don't see it up (or a saved draft).

So! In class we covered sections 9.3 and 9.4 on radical things (square and other roots), and then section 11.2 on inverse functions. In the afternoon we redid the first exam for partial credit - we'll get it back the next class (the 21st) with a score. The second project is also due this coming class period - have you started it?

Next week we'll cover the rest of chapter 9, some more sections of chapter 10, and sections 11.3 and 11.4 on exponential functions. Whatever we discuss will be the high-water mark for the exam in two weeks (May 28th); that afternoon we'll cover log functions. Log functions are Very Important and kinda tricky, so you really oughta plan for both the exam in the morning and the discussion in the afternoon.

The week after that (June 4th) we'll cover the rest of the material from chapters 10 and 11, and redo the exam. The week after THAT (June 11th) is our final - 9am, in our regular classroom. It's been quite a wild ride, yes?

Also on this next Saturday (the 21st) we'll do course evaluations - your chance to give me (and the textbook, and the course in general) a grade.

Homework for May 21st:

Finish project 2

Section 9.3: 13 - 113 EOO

Section 9.4: 11 - 51 EOO

Section 11.2: 15 - 33 odd; 35 - 67 EOO.

See you Saturday!

-Dave

Second Project

Froemke – Math 95 – Spring 2011 – Project 2 – Project is due May 21

1. If f(x) = 1/(x + 1) and g(x)= x² . Give the following compositions:

a. f(g(x))

b. g(f(x))

c. f(f(x))

d. g(g(g(x)))

2. Use the table to find the following:

t	f(t)	g(t)	p(t)
0	0	-2	-10
1	2	5	-5
2	4	10	0
3	6	13	2
4	8	16	4
10	-20	22	22
12	-10	15	25
15	-3	8	28

1. f(2)
2. f(15) – g(15)
3. (f-g+p)(3)
4. (g*p)(1)
5. (f/p)(2)
6. g(f(2))
7. (f o g)(2)
8. f(p(0))
9. p(f(1))

3) The DaveCo monthly revenue on car-painting robots is 5 million dollars per robot. The cost is (x² + 6) million dollars, where x is the number of robots produced in a month. Remember: Profit is Revenue minus Cost.

a) What’s the DaveCo monthly profit on robots?

b) What’s the best number of robots to produce?

4) The number N of bacteria in a refrigerated food is given by

N(T)=20T² - 80T+500; 2 < T < 14

where T is the temperature of the food (in degrees Celsius). When the food is removed from refrigeration, the temperature is given by

T(t)=4t+2; 0 < t < 3

where t is the time (in hours).

a) Find the composition of N(T(t)) and interpret its meaning in context of the problem.

b) Find the number of bacteria in the food when t=2 hours.

c) Find the time when the bacterial count reaches 2000.

5) One of the two functions below has an inverse:

f(x) = (x-1) / 2

g(x) = x² – 5x + 6

a) Which one does not? Justify your answer.

b) Find the inverse of the one that does.

c) Verify that you’ve found the correct inverse by composing functions.

Post for Saturday, May

Hey all - how'd the exam go?

In the afternoon we covered sections 10.2 (the Quadratic Formula) and 11.1 (Operations using functions, and Composition of Functions.) It was awesome.

Next week we'll cover sections 9.3 and 9.4, 10.1 (those are all related, about simplifying roots and solving square root equations) and then section 11.2 (inverse functions). In the afternoon we'll redo this week's exam for partial credit on missed problems.

I'll post the second project soon - it's due week after next (May 21st).

Homework for Saturday:

Section 10.2: 1 - 11, 13-27 odd, 37-41 odd, 45, 49, 57, 59, 65, 69-87 odd

Section 11.2: 9-12, 13-77 odd

Link to the Key to the first practice exam

Hi all - here's the link:

https://docs.google.com/document/d/14GPj3PN5-4R0HBa7W3ly4Gh3lyBfPokzHDd1v-jpJks/edit?hl=en

Again, please let me know if you have any errors. Everything looks good from my end, on a few different computers and Operating Systems that I checked it on, but weird things can happen.

Also - I apologize for the three non-factorable quadratics hidden in here - one in the story problem about the river, and two in big fraction equations. On the actual exam, we'll be able to factor any quadratic - next exam we'll have another tool to use. I changed the two rational problems to what I WANTED, not the typos that gave non-factorable quadratics; if you got the equation I did and stopped for the problem where I visited Susan on the river - well, that's okay.

Remember - we get to use a page of notes and a calculator. We'll come in Saturday morning, talk about any last-minute questions we might have, and then take the exam for the rest of the morning half. Then in the afternoon we'll work through the start of chapters 10 and 11. Whee!

-Dave

Practice Exam the First

Hi everyone - here's the link to the practice exam that I uploaded to Google docs.

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1YHGHsKkNKOUv8Tt4_mtDlFV_1XWKUvgilxNHPQCm8IM/edit?hl=en

Please let me know if you have trouble seeing or accessing it. I'll post a key to it - also to google docs - sometime Wednesday evening (or Thursday early early morning). The key will be more than just answers, but a huge thing with most of the questions worked out. Good luck!

-Dave

Post for Saturday, April 30th

Hi Everyone - my apologies for being out today, and thanks to David and George for being able to cover class today with extremely short notice.

We did section s 7.7, 8.9, 9.1 and 9.2 in class today. This material will be on next week's exam. Fire up!

We'll get a calculator and a page of notes for the exam. My suggestion is to use generating the page of notes as a study method - write everything down you think might be an important reminder, and then distill and rewrite until you get one page of useful information.

I'll post a practice exam here to the blog tonight - you'll see it Sunday morning, I imagine. I'll post a link to the key sometime Wednesday (look for it Thursday morning at the latest) - I expect to publish it to Google docs and provide a link to where it lives, because right now the key's over 10 pages). Good luck!

When we come in next week we'll start with a few minutes for questions, and then the rest of the morning for the exam. In the afternoon we'll cover the first section from chapter 10, and the first section from chapter 11 - for the rest of the term we'll do a couple of sections from chapters 9, 10, and 11 so we don't load up too much on any one subject in a day. That way we can ask questions before moving towards the next bit of stuff in each chapter. You'll see - it'll be fine.

In two weeks we'll do a few more sections from the chapters in the morning, and then reserve some time to redo/fix the exams in the afternoon for partial credit.

Here is some homework:

7.7: 1 - 41 EOO (or every odd for more practice with these - they're tricky!)

8.9: 1 - 41 EOO

9.1: 1 - 101 EOO

9.2: 15 - 125 all that end in 5 (add to this all that end in 9 for more practice)

And look for the practice exam late late tonight. See you next week!

-Dave

Post for Class Saturday, April 23rd

Hi all,

We almost finished chapter 7 today. Next week we'll do the last section from here, section 8.9, and start chapter 9. Wherever we get to next week, that's the material on the exam in two weeks.

Fractions can be tricky, so keep your mind focused. There's a few things to remember:

-If we have both the top and the bottom fully factored (only multiplying outside of parentheses) then we can cancel factors from the top and the bottom.

-We can multiply both the top and the bottom of a fraction by the same thing - that's like multiplying the entire fraction by 1.

-If we have an equation, we can multiply both sides by the same thing. We usually do this after we have a common denominator, to make all the bottom parts of the fractions vanish.

-If I have a fraction inside a fraction, I can flip the bottom one (or the right one, depending on how I write the division) and multiply instead.

And then all our regular fraction rules still apply - adding or subtracting requires the bottom pieces to be the same, and then we add the top pieces together, for instance.

Here's a homework suggestion for next week. I'm trying something new here.

First, try the Chapter 7 Test on page 640: problems 1-30. If you rock out on those, that might be all you need to do.

If you got a few wrong, or you want more practice, move to the Chapter 7 Section reviews for sections 7.1 - 7.6 on pages 632-637. Do problems 1 - 62 here and see how they go.

If you want still more practice, pick-and-choose your way through the sections that gave you the most trouble from the first six sections of chapter 7.

You might also look at the Chapters 1 through 7 cumulative review on pages 642-644, problems 1 - 64. That would be a nice overview of all the material so far - not just the recent stuff on fractions.

Good luck! I'll have the projects back to you next week - see you Saturday!

-Dave

Saturday, April 16

Whew! These Saturdays are exhausting, aren't they? We'll make it through.

Today we finished chapter 6, and started chapter 7 by covering section 7.1. Next week we'll finish chapter 7, and section 8.9. The week after that we'll start chapter 9 and review for the exam, and then keep on keeping on.

The first project is due next week. I handed out copies in class, and it's posted on this blog. We haven't talked enough about the last two questions, really, but give them a shot.

Homework for next week:

Section 6.3: covered, but I haven't assigned any homework specifically. Go back and look at some of these problems if 6.6 and 6.7 give you troubles.

6.4 covered but unassigned. See above.

6.5 SKIPPED

6.6: 15 - 75 odd

6.7: 15 - 107 EOO (Every Other Odd)

6.8: 15 - 43 EOO

7.1: 5 - 101 EOO

Good luck, and see you next week,

-Dave

First writing project

Math 95 – Froemke – Spring 2011 – Project 1 – Due Saturday, April 23^rd

1) Find and copy down a definition of ‘function’. Cite your source! Then explain that definition in your own words. Make sure you explain all of the important parts.

2) Describe what domain and range mean (in terms of functions) in your own words. A specific example might help.

3) The long side of a right triangle is two feet shorter than the hypotenuse, and the short side of the right triangle is four feet shorter than the hypotenuse. Find the lengths of the sides of this triangle. Show your work!

4) Consider the function g(t) = (3t – 2) / (3t² + 10t – 8). Find the value(s) of t which make g(t) undefined.

5) Simplify the following as much as possible. Show all your steps!

4 / (t+2) + 7 / (t+2)²

Guide to written work

Math 95 – Froemke – Spring 2011 – Guidelines for submissions

WRITING PROJECTS:

In each question I am looking for three things:

1) When you make a claim, do you justify the claim correctly?

2) Does your mathematics work, and does it work to answer the question?

3) Do you answer the question being asked?

Not every question will need all three of those – a question asking you to find a definition for ‘congruence’ and then explain that definition, for instance, might not need you to provide any mathematics that would ‘work’.

I grade the projects by starting everyone with a score of ten points, and then subtract for the following:

• A missing question, or one that fails in one or more of the three ways above, gets minus two.

• A question that speaks to the above three ways, but is missing some details (or contains minor inaccuracies) receives a minus one, and some indication of where you need to give more details or provide more work. Some questions might get more than one point taken off in this way.

• Occasionally, I’ll take off one-half point for a very small inaccuracy.

Written projects can then be fixed and resubmitted for an increased score, up to a perfect score of 10 points. Multiple resubmissions are fine. The deadline for submissions is the day of the final exam. Resubmissions must include the original project (so I can see what needs fixing) and your new work, clearly indicated as to which fixes are which. You don’t necessarily need to rewrite each problem on which you miss points – just give your fixes.

I reserve the right to reject any project that I find illegible or too confusing to read. For some of us, using a word processor is the only way to make our writing legible.

Writing Example

Question: Solve 2x – 3 = 7 and explain each step in detail

· First, I add three to both sides, to get rid of the -3 on the left (the side with the variable):

o 2x – 3 + 3 = 7 + 3

· Then I simplify each side:

o 2x = 10

· Then I divide both sides by 2:

o 2x/2 = 10/2

· Then I simplify each side:

o X = 5

· And there it is: 2x – 3 = 7 solved for x.

· Then I check, by plugging in x = 5 to the original equation:

o 2(5) – 3

o =10 – 3

o =7

· Which is what I have on the right side, so x = 5 is a solution to 2x – 3 = 7.

(NOTE: you do not have to do it in exactly this way, of course, but this is about the level of detail I’m looking for.)

Saturday, April 9, 2011

Hi Everyone! Welcome to Spring 2011 Math 95. It'll be a wild ride!

The post previous to this one is the syllabus, slightly different from what I handed out in class today (Please note the typo in the syllabus leaving chapter 7 out of coverage - we WILL cover this material this term. My apologies for that. We will cover chapter 7 this term - it's on fractions!). Before that are the posts I made for Math 90 last term, and math 30 the term before, if you want to see what we did on Saturdays previously.

The next posts will include a guide to the written project work, and then the first project.

Today we talked about the syllabus and the mechanics of the class, and then took an incept quiz based on questions from my Math30 and Math90 finals. Then we raced through chapter 5 - and that was our morning. In the afternoon we covered sections 6.1 and 6.2.

Next week I'll have hard copies of the first project to hand out in class - it's due in two weeks. We'll cover the rest of chapter 6, and get started on chapter 7.

Homework for next week:

Chapter 5 test (pages 464-465): 1 - 42 all

Section 6.1 (pages 478-480): 13 - 123 all that end in 3 (13, 23, 33, ... 113, 123)

Section 6.2 (pages 491-493): 1 - 13 odd, and 15 - 99 EOO (Every Other Odd, or 15, 19, 23, ..., 95, 99)

I'm excited about this term!

-Dave

Syllabus for Math 95, Spring 2011

MTH 95 – Intermediate Algebra - Spring 2010 – Item 7363 Section M – 5 Credits

Saturdays, 9am-11:50am, and 1:00pm-2:50 pm, BHL 108

David C Froemke Office: BHL 110

Office Hours: Saturday, 3pm-4pm or by appointment

Email: dfroemke@clark.edu PH 503 / 686 – 5040

Also : http://davemath.blogspot.com/ to check daily log and homework assignments

Course Description

A continuation of MATH 090. Factoring, rational expressions, radical

expressions, rational exponents, quadratic equations, exponential and

logarithmic functions. Designed for the student who is prepared to take

algebra at an accelerated pace. Prerequisite: A grade of "C" or better in

MATH 090 or recommending score on placement test. We will cover Chapters 5, 6, 7, section 8.9, and chapters 9, 10, 11 this term.

Text

Elementary & Intermediate Algebra, 3^rd ed., by Tussy and Gustafson, 2006.

Grading

10% Daily Quizzes

20% Written Projects (10% each)

40% Two Exams (20% each)

30% Final Exam

No extra credit of any sort is available. I follow the standard percentage break-down for letter grades (94% and up is an A, 90-93.9% an A-, 86-89.9% a B+, 83-85.9% a B, 80-82.9% a B-, and so on).

Daily Quizzes

Most days will have a quiz or two of some sort – either I’ll collect one of the in-class activities, or give a quiz from the homework due that day. The lowest three quiz scores will be dropped; no make-ups are given.

Exams

I’ll distribute a study guide the week before the three exams. Make-ups will only be given in the case of dire emergencies and with proper documentation. Exams are given during regular class periods, and will take place during the first half of class. Exams will be graded and returned the next class period; missed questions can be redone for partial credit.

Schedule

• Saturday, April 23rd: first project due
• Saturday, May 7^th: first exam
• Saturday, May 21^st: second project due
• Saturday, May 28^th: second exam
• Saturday, June 11^th: comprehensive final exam

Projects

We’ll have two written projects this term. I’ll hand out the project assignments the week before they’re due, and post both them and a writing sample to show the kind of work I’m looking for. The projects will be returned the week after they’re collected, and you can re-write it to improve your grade.

Final Exam

The final exam is Saturday, June 11, at 9am in our regular classroom. The final is comprehensive. No make-up is available for the final.

Homework and Class Flow

We’ll have a homework assignment every day. The class will start with discussing the homework in small groups, comparing your answers with your neighbors. The rest of our time together (unless we have an exam) will be spent between lecture, discussion, and group-work activities. Keeping up on the homework is necessary for success in this class! Since we only meet once a week, we’ll cover an extensive amount of material in one class session – make sure to pace yourself with the homework over the week between class sessions.

Academic Dishonesty

Don’t cheat! I follow the college guidelines for academic dishonesty.

Resources and Suggestions

It’s a good idea to plan for 10 to 15 hours of work doing homework and studying every week. That’s 2-3 hours a day! The course moves quickly, and later sections build off of previous material; keeping up on your studying is necessary for success. Besides my lectures and the book, my office hours and the Math Help Center (http://web.clark.edu/math/helpsess.htm, in BH 107) are invaluable resources.

If you have a disability and need an accommodation, please make arrangements to meet with me outside of class. Disability Support Services can be reached at (360) 992-2314, or on the web at http://www.clark.edu/student_services/disability_support.php

You are responsible for the material in the book, and anything covered in class; this includes any in-class announcements that might be made (such as any changes to the schedule). Attendance is not taken, but is expected, and regular attendance is crucial for your success with this material.

A final note

This class moves QUICKLY, and covers a lot of material. Keeping up on things, and doing some math almost every day, is crucial to your success. If you’re feeling overwhelmed or frantic, or lost in the material, please don’t hesitate to contact me – by email or during office hours are the best. My job is to make this class a comfortable and appropriate place for you to learn the mathematics, so let me know how I can best help you with the material!

Post for Saturday, March 5th - last post of the term

Hello everyone - the term is grinding to a close. Whew! It's been a wild ride. Next week is the final, and after that Spring Break. Me, I'm doing some housecleaning and catching up on a busy naps schedule...

The final is comprehensive, and covers everything we've done over the course of the term. That's chapters 1 - 5, section 8.8, and sections 12.1 - 12.3. Expect to see some expressions to simplify, some equations to solve, some functions to interpret and use, and some story problems to solve. We'll also graph lines, systems of lines, and linear inequalities, and solve systems of equations (with both 2 and 3 variables). It sounds scary when I use the technical language, but take your time and we'll get there.

You can use a calculator and a page of notes for the exam, just like the first two exams - but we will NOT get a redo, so make sure you check your work and take time to be careful.

In addition to the material we've covered on the first two exams, we'll have some material on systems of three equations with three variables. Here are some problems to look at:

(12.1 is a review of chapter 4)

12.2: 11, 13, 25, 27, 31, 35, 37, 41, 45


12.3: 7 - 23 odd

Good luck, and see you Saturday!

-Dave

Post for Saturday, Feb 26th

Hi everyone,

We had the second exam today. How'd it go? We'll spend some time next week for redoing it and reviewing for the final.

Speaking of the final, it's in two weeks - on March 12th. It's comprehensive, so be ready! We will NOT get redos on the final.

We also talked about functions - section 8.8 from the book. Next week we'll work through sections 12.1, 12.2, and 12.3 in the morning, and then redo the exams and review for the final in the afternoon. The week after that we'll take the final and that's it for this term.

Homework for next week:

Section 8.8: 1 - 55 odd, 65-79 odd, 121, 123

See you then!

-Dave

Post for February 19th

Hi everyone!

We finished chapter 5 today. Then we did part two of the activity about patterns of blocks, talked about slope, and did some exam review.

Next week is the second exam, so fire up for that! It'll cover chapters 3, 4, and 5. We've already done most of the stuff on chapter 3, but since it'll come up again in chapter 4 (graphing lines and solving linear equations) it's good to review.

The project is also due next week. Whee!

Here's the schedule for the rest of the term:

Next week (Feb 26th): exam in the morning, section 8.8 (more on functions) in the afternoon.

March 5th: sections 12.1-12.3 in the morning, redo exam and review in the afternoon.

March 12th: comprehensive final exam. That's the only thing scheduled for this day!



Here are some ideas for topics to review for next week's exam:

Graphing lines
Slopes and intercepts
Solving linear equations
Story problems with linear equations
Functions and function notation
Graphing systems of lines to find their intersection point (unless they're parallel or the same line)
Solving linear systems of equations
Story problems with systems of equations
Solving systems of linear inequalities by graphing
Exponents and exponent rules
Scientific notation
Polynomials and polynomial operations

Whew! It seems like a lot when I write it all out like that. Don't worry about dividing a polynomial by a polynomial - we'll only be dividing by one term (by a monomial).

And here are the page numbers for the exam review sections. My suggestion is to start with the cumulative review and then see where you need more practice.

Chapter 3 test: pages 302-304
Chapter 4 test: pages 372-373
Chapter 5 test: pages 464-465

Chapters 1-5 cumulative review: pages 466-467

I haven't given specific problems - practice as many as you need to. For some of us, that's just the cumulative review, and for some of us that's all 144 problems from the three chapter tests and the cumulative review - and maybe even more. But if you know how to do all the problems above you're ready for the exam.

Good luck and have fun,

-Dave

Post for February 12th

Hi all,

Today we covered section 4.5 on graphing linear inequalities, and the first three sections of chapter 5 (exponents and scientific notation). Next week we'll finish chapter 5 in the morning, and cover section 8.8 (more on functions) plus some time for review in the afternoon. I hope to get someone in to proctor course evaluations, too - I'll post later in the week when I know more.

I'd suggest working on the project this week - we can do all of it except the last question right now (we'll talk about the last stuff next week). But the deadline's February 26th, as posted on what I handed out in class.

I am also revising the blog post below to reflect what I handed out in class: the two changes I made below are that it's due Saturday Feb 26th (instead of Sunday the 27th); and we do not have to graph the line in question 4 (but you can if that helps you find the equation of the line, or just for fun).

Homework for next week:

Section 4.5: 5-14 all, 15-43 EOO, 52

Section 5.1: 7-43 EOO, 49-125 EOO

Section 5.2: 11-123 EOO, 125

Section 5.3: 13-73 all that end in 3, 81-95 odd

See you next week,

-Dave

Class for Saturday, Feb 5th

Hi everyone - today we worked through most of chapter 4 in the morning, and then corrected the exams in the afternoon. What a day!

Next week we'll finish chapter 4 by graping inequalities, and then start chapter 5. Here's a rough timeline for the rest of the term:

Feb 12th: finish chapter 4 and start chapter 5

Feb 19th: finish chapter 5 and review for the exam

Feb 26th: 2nd exam on section 3.8 (functions), chapter 4 (linear systems of two equations), and chapter 5 (exponents and polynomials), and section 8.8 (more on functions)

March 5th: sections 12.1, 12.2 and 12.3 (linear systems of three equations) and exam 2 redo/review

March 12th: comprehenisve final exam.

We've got a lot left to do this term - fire up!

Here's the homework for Saturday, Feb 12th

Section 4.2: 3-11 odd, 13-73 all that end in 3, and all that end in 9

Section 4.3: 3-11 odd, 13-73 all that end in 3 ,and 75-87 odd

Section 4.4: 17 - 51 odd

Good luck, and see you next week!

-Dave

Class from Saturday, January 29

Hi all - we started today with the first exam. How'd you do?

In the afternoon we covered section 3.8 (functions) and 4.1 (systems of linear equations).

Next week in the morning we'll get quite far through chapter 4 - I hope to finish it out. We'll see!

In the afternoon we'll get the exams back, and get a chance to redo missed problems for partial credit. It'll be a wild ride.

Homework for next week:

Section 3.8: 1 - 67 odd

Section 4.1: 13 - 53 EOO


-Dave

Writing Project and Guide to Written Work

Math 90 – Froemke – Winter 2010 – Writing project – due Feb 27(EDIT! The project is due Saturday February 26)



1) Copy the General Strategy for Problem Solving (on page 103, and other places). Then explain each step using a sentence or two in your own words. Then, using your strategy, solve the following problem:

A piece of wood 25 inches long is cut so that one piece is 5 inches longer than the other. How long is each piece of wood?

Clearly identify what you do each step of the way, and how you apply the Strategy to this problem.


2) Solve the following, and explain each step in yourin detail.
a. 5x – 8 = 12 – 3x b. 2x + 8/5 = (2x)/3



3) Find a formal definition for slope and copy it down – make sure to cite your source! Then explain that definition in your own words.



4) Explain how to find the equation of the line through the points (1, 3) and (3, 4), and find that equation. (EDIT! You do not have to graph this line.) Use complete sentences and show algebra.



5) Expand the expression 3t(t – 2)^2 explaining each step in detail.


Writing Example
Question: Solve 2x – 3 = 7 and explain each step in detail
• First, I add three to both sides, to get rid of the -3 on the left (the side with the variable):
o 2x – 3 + 3 = 7 + 3
• Then I simplify each side:
o 2x = 10
• Then I divide both sides by 2:
o 2x/2 = 10/2
• Then I simplify each side:
o X = 5
• And there it is: 2x – 3 = 7 solved for x.
• Then I check, by plugging in x = 5 to the original equation:
o 2(5) – 3
o =10 – 3
o =7
• Which is what I have on the right side, so x = 5 is a solution to 2x – 3 = 7.

(NOTE: you do not have to do in in exactly this way, of course, but this is about the level of detail I’m looking for.)

Guidelines for submissions

WRITING PROJECTS:
In each question I am looking for three things:
1) When you make a claim, do you justify the claim correctly?
2) Does your mathematics work, and does it work to answer the question?
3) Do you answer the question being asked?
Not every question will need all three of those – a question asking you to find a definition for ‘congruence’ and then explain that definition, for instance, might not need you to provide any mathematics that would ‘work’.

I grade the projects by starting everyone with a score of ten points, and then subtract for the following:
• A missing question, or one that fails in one or more of the three ways above, gets minus two.
• A question that speaks to the above three ways, but is missing some details (or contains minor inaccuracies) receives a minus one, and some indication of where you need to give more details or provide more work. Some questions might get more than one point taken off in this way.
• Occasionally, I’ll take off one-half point for a very small inaccuracy.


Written projects can then be fixed and resubmitted for an increased score, up to a perfect score of 10 points. Multiple resubmissions are fine. The deadline for submissions is the day of the final exam. Resubmissions must include the original project (so I can see what needs fixing) and your new work, clearly indicated as to which fixes are which. You don’t necessarily need to rewrite each problem on which you miss points – just give your fixes.

I reserve the right to reject any project that I find illegible or too confusing to read. For some of us, using a word processor is the only way to make our writing legible.

Additional information for the test Saturday, Jan 29

Hi all - the cumulative review from chapters 1-3 is a little light on story problems, and stuff about lines. I would call your attention to the chapter 2 test (pages 194-195) and the chapter 3 test (pages 302-303, omitting questions 32-34 for now).

I could come up with some other review questions, but those are as good as any I could write, I think. The test will most likely be on the hard ones - the story problems, and the difficult algebra equations, and graphing lines (so no problems like "Is 4 a solution to x + 3 = 8: instead I would ask that you solve the equation and check your work. No problems like "graph these four points...". but instead graph the line 2y = 4x - 6 and identify the horizontal intercept, the vertical intercept, and the slope of the line. Plus story problems - there will be at least one where I want to see the variable declared, some sort of equation and a solution, the answer interpreted and checked, all in lurid detail, and then a few where I leave the procedure up to you as long as you use algebra and a variable.

Good luck!

-Dave

Post for January 22nd, 2011

Hi all - sorry I was sick today, but thanks to Jay for filling in.

Here's the homework from today's sections:

2.6 19--59 (EOO)
3.4 21-101 (1s and 5s... 21, 25, 31, 35, etc)
3.5 11-95 (1s and 5s)
3.6 15-71 (1s and 5s)
3.7 21-65 (1s and 5s)

We have an exam next week, which will cover all of chapters 1, 2, and 3 except for section 3.8 on functions. Look at the cumulative review on chapters 1-3 (pages 305-306) to see what the exam will be like (except for the last two questions). I will also post a few more questions to review Sunday night (tomorrow, Jan 23), and then the answers Thursday night.

Next week we'll come in, do a little review and question-answering, and then take the exam in the first half. The second half of class we'll cover section 3.8 on functions, and then start chapter 4.

You can use a calculator and a page of notes for Saturday's exam. Good luck, and see you then!

-Dave

Post for January 15 2011

Hi all,

We got through almost all of chapter 2, and two more sections of chapter 3 today. Next week we'll do section 2.6 (the hard story problems), and sections 3.4, 3.5, 3.6 and 3.7. We might get to section 3.8, too. I hope to reserve an hour or so at the end to do review; I'll assign a bunch of review problems from the book, and may bring in a study guide, too. The exam is in two weeks, so start thinking about things (like your page of notes) early to avoid the rush.

Next week I will bring copies of the project assignment, and post it here. It's not due for several weeks though, so focus on the exam for now.

Homework for next time:

Section 2.3: 13 - 53 EOO (EOO stands for Ever Other Odd - so this is 13, 17, 21, 25, ...)

2.4: 15, 19, 23, 27, 37, 47, 65, 79

2.5: 5 - 47 odd

2.7 21 - 101 all that end in 1, 105

3.2: 17 - 77 all that end in 7, 77, 81

3.3: 11, 13, 15, 19-79 EOO

Good luck, and see you next week!

-Dave

Class for January 8th, 2011

Hi Everyone! Welcome to Math 90.

Below I've posted the syllabus for your future reference.

Today we talked about the syllabus and the mechanics of the class, and then did a worksheet which reviewed material I expect us to have a good grasp of coming into class. Then in the afternoon we covered sections 2.1, 2.2 and 3.1.

Next week I expect we'll finish chapter 2 and discuss 3.2 and 3.3, if all goes well. We might not get to all of ch2, or a little farther in ch3.

Homework for Jan 15th:

Chapter 1 test (pg 105-106): 1 - 43 odd

Section 2.1 (pg 117 - 118): 17 - 97 all that end in 7, 101 - 104

Section 2.2 (pg 127 - 128): 15 - 105 all that end in 5

Section 3.2 (pg 204 - 207): 1 - 35 odd

See you in a week!

P.S. Here are some additional source of help for this class:

www.eTutoring.org (NOTE! I GAVE THE .com ADDRESS IN CLASS INCORRECTLY!)

www.purplemath.com

davemath.blogspot.com

dfroemke@clark.edu

Math 090 Winter 2011 Syllabus

MTH 90 – Elementary Algebra – Winter 2011 – Section L – 5 Credits
Saturdays, 9am-11:50am, and 1:00pm-2:50pm, BHL 135

David C Froemke Office: BHL 110
Office Hours: Saturday, 3pm-4pm or by appointment
Email: dfroemke@clark.edu PH 503 / 686 - 5040
Class Page: http://davemath.blogspot.com

Course Description
Numeric and algebraic expressions, linear equations and inequalities, the coordinate plane, functions, lines, systems of linear equations, integer exponents, polynomials. Designed for the student who is prepared to take algebra at an accelerated pace. Prerequisite: A grade of "C" or better in MATH 030 or recommending score on placement test. This is the first of two classes in the series (the next is Math 95).


Text
Elementary & Intermediate Algebra, 4th ed., by Tussy and Gustafson, 2006.


Grading

10% Daily Quizzes
10% Written Project
50% Two Exams (25% each)
30% Final Exam

No extra credit of any sort is available. I follow the standard percentage break-down for letter grades (94% and up is an A, 90-93.9% an A-, 86-89.9% a B+, 83-85.9% a B, 80-82.9% a B-, and so on).


Daily Quizzes
Most days will have two quizzes of some sort – either I’ll collect one of the in-class activities, or give a quiz from the homework due that day. The lowest three quiz scores will be dropped; no make-ups are given.


Exams
I’ll distribute a study guide the week before the three exams. Make-ups will only be given in the case of dire emergencies and with proper documentation. Exams are given during regular class periods, and will take place during the first half of class. Exams will be graded and returned the next class period; missed questions can be redone for partial credit. The schedule of exams is:

• Saturday, January 29
• Saturday, February 26



Project
We’ll have a written project due February 19th. I’ll hand out the project assignment the third week of class (January 22rd), and a writing sample to show the kind of work I’m looking for. The projects will be returned Feb 26th, and you can re-write it once to improve your grade.


Final Exam
The final exam is Saturday, March 12th, at 9am in our regular classroom. The final is comprehensive. No make-up is available for the final.


Homework and Class Flow
We’ll have a homework assignment every day. The class will start with discussing the homework in small groups, comparing your answers with your neighbors. The rest of our time together (unless we have an exam) will be spent between lecture, discussion, and group-work activities. Keeping up on the homework is necessary for success in this class! Since we only meet once a week, we’ll cover an extensive amount of material in one class session – make sure to pace yourself with the homework over the week between class sessions. Every day after class I will make a blog post to http://davemath.blogspot.com that will include the material covered, upcoming sections, and the homework assignments.


Academic Dishonesty
Don’t cheat! I follow the college guidelines for academic dishonesty.


Resources and Suggestions
It’s a good idea to plan for 10 to 15 hours of work doing homework and studying every week. That’s 2-3 hours a day! The course moves quickly, and later sections build off of previous material; keeping up on your studying is necessary for success. Besides my lectures and the book, my office hours and the Math Help Center (http://web.clark.edu/math/helpsess.htm, in BH 107) are invaluable resources.
If you have a disability and need an accommodation, please make arrangements to meet with me outside of class. Disability Support Services can be reached at (360) 992-2314, or on the web at http://www.clark.edu/student_services/disability_support.php
You are responsible for the material in the book, and anything covered in class; this includes any in-class announcements that might be made (such as any changes to the schedule). Attendance is not taken, but is expected, and regular attendance is crucial for your success with this material.


A final note
This class moves QUICKLY, and covers a lot of material. Keeping up on things, and doing some math almost every day, is crucial to your success. If you’re feeling overwhelmed or frantic, or lost in the material, please don’t hesitate to contact me – by email or during office hours are the best. My job is to make this class a comfortable and appropriate place for you to learn the mathematics, so let me know how I can best help you with the material!