Math 1180

Math 1800 - Precalculus Mathmetatics

This course is designed to enhance analytical and graphical skills, and concepts necessary for Calculus. Topics covered include: algebraic, polynomial, rational, exponential, logarithmic, and trigonometric functions and equations, nonlinear inequalities, analytic trigonometry and some analytic geometry. Students will learn methods without and with the use of graphing calculators. Tutoring is available for all Math 1800 students. A graphing calculator is required. This course satisfies WMU Essential Studies Level 1: Foundations - Quantitative Literacy Category.

Prerequisites and Corequisites: Prerequisite: MATH 1110 (with a grade of “C” or better) or by placement into the course. Placement may be determined by ACT/SAT scores and/or by a Department of Mathematics placement mechanism.

Credits: 4 hours

 

• Students should be able to Identify different types of relations/functions (polynomial, rational, exponential, logarithmic, trigonometric and conic) and know their analytical and graphical characteristics.

• Students should be able to solve equations and inequalities involving polynomial, rational, exponential, logarithmic, and trigonometric functions using appropriate techniques based on the nature and structure of the relation.

• Students should be able to apply multiple techniques such as analytical, graphical and numerical to solve problems.

• Students should be able to use trigonometric functions to solve application problems.

• Students should be able to use basic identities to verify trigonometric identities or to simplify trigonometric expressions.

• Students should be able to interpret the meaning of the solution to an application problem in the context provided.

• Students should be able to analyze and translate an application problem into a mathematical model given by a formula or equation.

• Students should have improved their skills in algebra, in constructing a logical mathematical argument, and in reading and communicating mathematics both in symbolic formats and in English.

 

This is an in-person class that meets in-person from 1:00 to 1:50 p.m. in 3393 Rood Hall. Notes from lectures and videos of the class sessions will be posted after the class sessions on e-learning. The files containing the writing will be in the format for Xournal++, a free cross platform writing program.

MATH 1110 or by placement into the course. Placement may be determined by ACT/SAT scores and/or by a Department of Mathematics placement mechanism. If you are in a Haworth College of Business curriculum, consult your advisor to see if Math 1160 is a more appropriate course for your program.

You are responsible for all material in the text and all material presented in the class sessions. This includes any material not in the text presented in the class sessions and all material in the text that was not presented in the class sessions. A list of topics is available. This course will mostly follow the order of the material in the text. Some sections and parts of sections will be skipped. That information will be given in class.

It is expected that you will spend at least 3 to 4 hours working on Math 1180 outside the class for every credit hour in the class. Even though roll will not be taken, you are expected to attend the class sessions.

A list of expectations is available.

You are expected to follow all university conduct policies. This includes giving credit on any assignment you turn in for any help you receive and referencing any resources you use that are not from the text or the class sessions.

There are some other university policies. you should be aware of.

The last day to withdraw is March 17, 2025. A tentative schedule is available.

 

All cameras, cell phones, wireless devices, mp3/mp4 type media players, and similar devices are to be turned off and put away while you are in the classroom. If you ask, you may get an exception for note taking. This means taking a picture of the screen during class. Use of one of these devices during a quiz/exam is forbidden and will be considered cheating.

 

A TI graphing calculator is required for this class. As an instructor I will be using Maple for illustrations and computations during class. The TI calculators will be allowed during some quizzes and exams if they do not have wifi capabilities.

 

A portion of your grade will come from homework and quizzes. A list of problems to work will be on this web site. Although some of this homework may be collected, you are responsible for all of the problems on the list. If you have any questions about problems, please ask them in the class sessions, via e-mail, in office hours, or by making an appointment.

All written homework will be submitted as a PDF file through a dropbox in e-learning. Submit all written assignments as a single PDF file containing the solutions to all of the assigned problems. The problems must be legible and in order of section and the numerical order, e.g. section 2.1 problem 1, section 2.1 problem 5, section 2.2 problem 2,... All pages in your PDF must be the same size. If a signed statement is required for the assignment, it is to be the first page of your submission with a written, not typed, signature. Do not submit a zip file. Your name must be in the name of the file. Make certain that you have clicked the submit button for the dropbox in e-learning.

If you are using a cell phone to scan your documents it is strongly suggested that you use Adobe Scan or Microsoft Lens. These both give higher quality scans than I have seen from CamScan. If your assignment is hard to read or is not a single pdf file, it may be returned without being graded.

 

There will be on-line homework. Access to the on-line homework will be through elearning. For some of the problems Maple syntax is required/usable for the on-line homework. If you use notation from a TI calculator almost everything will work. In Maple notation you cannot use implicit multiplication and the natural exponential function of x is denoted by exp(x). Unless otherwise requested, give exact answers for all problems in Möbius. Last minute questions about formatting or what is going wrong may be left unanswered. Professors also need to sleep.

Please do not spend too much time on the on-line homework. The problems may require a lot of computation, but they are only the basics of what you should learn. Using a calculator for complex computations is allowed for the Möbius homework. On quizzes and exams you are required to show your work, so not working any problems by hand may cause you difficulties on exams.

After the assignments are due you should have access to your old assignments along with solutions using the Möbius gradebook link in the content section of elearning. If I forget to change the access to solutions for an assignment, please remind me.

 

There are many places on campus where tutoring is available. Do not hesitate to get help if you are lost. Among the places where tutoring for Math 1180 is available are the mathematics tutoring lab, the Bronco Study Zone, and STEM Talent Expansion Program.

When working with a tutor, please remember that you are restricted to the notation for this class. It is also necessary to learn the techniques in this class since some exam and/or quiz problems may restrict the techniques you can use to solve the problems. Any work you turn in must include the name and location of a tutor who helped you. This will not reduce your grade on a problem.

 

Three exams will be given during the semester. The dates are on the tentative schedule. Information about the format of the exams will come later.

 

A final exam will be given. The date is Tuesday, April 22, 2025 at 12:30 to 2:30 p.m. It will be comprehensive. Some people make plans to leave early and request an early final exam. Those requests will be turned down.

 

All exams will follow the following outline: 70% of the questions are things you must be able to do, 15-20% of the problems are things you should be able to do, and 10-15% of the questions are more difficult.

To pass this class with a "C" you must demonstrate that you can do all the required material. The grading scale is: A 90%+; BA 85+; B 80+; CB 75+; C 70+; DC 65+; D 60+; and E < 60%. This scale will not change.

The distribution of points for calculating grades is as follows. The final exam is worth 30%, each of the other exams is worth 15%, and the quizzes, homework, and other assignments are worth 25% of your grade. The on-line homework is worth 5% of your grade.