Best elementary precalculus books according to redditors
We found 79 Reddit comments discussing the best elementary precalculus books. We ranked the 48 resulting products by number of redditors who mentioned them. Here are the top 20.
We found 79 Reddit comments discussing the best elementary precalculus books. We ranked the 48 resulting products by number of redditors who mentioned them. Here are the top 20.
Mathematician here, with a couple of observations:
First, yep, you're expected to teach yourself. Homework is the principal means of learning math.
Second, as far as what "a, b, c" are, try another book. Lots of my students have liked Precalculus Demystified.
What is up with that Calculus course? From Limits to Lagrange Multipliers & ODE's in a single semester? If your course is covering all that material then he is done for. That is pretty much Calc1-3 without vectors in a single semester.
I'd suggest spending the entire month finishing a good pre-calc book (ebook is easy to find). And praying.
As others have mentioned, you can use various online resources such as Khan Academy. I'm assuming you know basic arithmetic (multiplication, exponents, working with fractions, percentages, etc...), if not you'll have to start with that. After that, you may need to learn what is usually called "Pre-Calculus". These are the topics you need to master before you can start learning Calculus. Usually they include study of functions (polynomials, logarithmic, etc...), trigonometry, analytic geometry.
Here's a list of stuff you should investigate:
This is a collection of PDFs which are taken from some US Navy mathematics courses. The courses are:
>US Navy course - Mathematics, Basic Math and Algebra NAVEDTRA 14139
>US Navy course - Mathematics, Trigonometry NAVEDTRA 14140
>US Navy course - Mathematics, Pre-Calculus and Introduction to Probability NAVEDTRA 14141
>US Navy course - Mathematics, Introduction to Statistics, Number Systems and Boolean Algebra NAVEDTRA 14142
The Basic Math and Algebra course covers arithmetic and could be used instead of the Arithmetic Refresher, if you'd like.
You may also want to look into books on world problems, as that's where most people have difficulty with. World problems mirror our real-life problem solving process, where we have to translate some real problem into mathematical language in order to tackle it.
> The Art of Problem Solving mathematics curriculum is specifically designed for outstanding math students in grades 6-12, and presents a much broader and deeper exploration of challenging mathematics than a typical math curriculum. The Art of Problem Solving texts have been used by tens of thousands of high-performing students, including many winners of major national contests such as MATHCOUNTS and the AMC.
If you look at their bookstore, you will see that they have books for the various subjects your kid will encounter during school. They also have the Beast Academy which is an on-going project to release books for kids in grades 2-5.
Note that they say that the books are for gifted math students since the exercises are taken from math competitions. What's nice about these books though is that they offer the full solutions (not just a final answer, but the full explanation). Also, for every book they have a Diagnostic Test (pre-test) to check and see if you are capable of starting the book.
There are plenty of various Pre-Calculus books which contain all this material. I can't really recommend anything with certainty since I've never read any.
But here's a book you could try by a well-known mathematician who also seems to write really well (it also appears to have solutions to the problems):
http://www.amazon.com/Precalculus-Prelude-Calculus-Sheldon-Axler/dp/1118083768/
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Once you have some specific subject you're having difficulty with, you can always ask for help or look for a friendly book. The problem with math is that some authors/teachers teach subjects very dryly, so it makes it boring... the challenge for people who aren't naturally motivated for maths is to find teachers/books that excite the student -- and there are a few authors that can do it, so you just have to ask around.
By the way, you should also look for various popular math books that could make studying the subject all the more interesting.
Like others have said, I think you'll do better if you cut out the extra class and reading and focus on doing more problems. Ways to find extra problems;
https://www.amazon.com/Schaums-Outline-Precalculus-3rd-Problems/dp/0071795596
2)Precalculus | Khan Academy
https://www.khanacademy.org/math/precalculus
Learn precalculus for free. Full curriculum of exercises and videos.
3)IXL is a paid online service, but it isn't too expensive. No lessons, just lots of problems, and they give you a thorough explanation of what you should have done if you get a wrong answer. It's geared towards kids, so as an adult I had to sign myself up as both a student and a "parent".
https://www.ixl.com/math/precalculus
Also, Youtube videos can be helpful. I'm reviewing algebra/pre-algebra right now. I use both Khan and IXL. Khan has short instructional videos. They are very well-done, but sometimes I like to hear a different take on things. There are a ton of great math teachers on Youtube, and most of the videos are short - like 5-10 minutes. Look up precalc playlists. This would be a quicker, more efficient way to get some of the benefits of attending a 2nd class, like you are doing now, and also could be helpful if you don't think you understand a topic well enough from class and your textbook alone. You can also find the Khan Academy videos on YT, and they also run 5-10 minutes each. Here are some precalc playlists by teachers I like;
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL0o_zxa4K1BU5sTWZ2YxFhpXwsnMfMke7
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL3Ip1JQi4mmI9P7QBzU-x2JFNyqSF2Nfz
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL4FB17E5C77DCCE69
But, also I would encourage you to look at your overall goal. It might make more sense to just stay in political science or switch to a similar major, rather than rack up debt to add on two and a half extra years to your undergrad degree taking difficult math classes that probably won't increase your chances of law school admission.
I took a trigonometry class at a CC. It was two weeks of material stretched out to a full semester.
In six weeks you should be able to learn all the trigonometry you'll ever need, with plenty of time left over.
If you want to raise the bar a little higher, I suggest you get a hold of [Axler's Precalculus] (http://www.amazon.com/gp/offer-listing/0470416742/ref=dp_olp_used?ie=UTF8&condition=used). It's a very well-written book that teaches all the information you'll need to be successful in calculus, including trigonometry.
If you're bright at math it should be possible to master both these topics in six weeks, assuming that you can put adequate time in daily. These subjects, as they are taught in high school or early college courses, are very mechanical. You just need to drill, drill, drill the hell out of them until they are second nature.
I can't give anything but a rough answer from someone who is learning, that being said;
Geometry introduces many things that are used throughout algebra, precalc and
calc. Trig etc is initially entirely geometric and having an understanding of
the geometry is going to make understanding these things much easier. Geometry
also introduces the notions of variables and unknowns which are used extensively
in algebra. Geometry does so in a very visual way, which may help bridge the gap
to the abstractions of algebra and more.
Algebra (intro, rather than abstract or whatever) takes these unknowns from
geometry, arithmetic identities and such and generalises them to entire ranges
of numbers rather than fixed values.
Precalc is a weird one because essentially its just a bunch of algebra, trig and
geometry but at a level which should lead into calc. I'm not sure that it would
be correct to say that Geometric series is a precalc thing rather than just
saying it's algebra.
> How do I remember these now that I reviewing all of these 3 content to prepare
> for Calculus 1?
er well idk, how do you usually remember things? I would say a better approach
would be to work through problems and review concepts of them.
Here's an example that uses geometry, algebra and calculus together
http://hubpages.com/education/Why-Is-Derivative-SinX-Equal-CosX , maybe that's
interesting idk.
A book that I haven't worked through yet but flicking through would be happy to
recommend is Axlers precalc (i've bought it myself)
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Precalculus-Prelude-Calculus-Sheldon-Axler/dp/0470416742
I don't know what's going on in this thread. One poster is giving you useless advice about just "trying hard and keeping at it" (as if that's at the root of this issue), one poster saw an opportunity to vent about his personal frustrations and project them onto you (your supervisors are tools, they only care about promotions!), and yet another one decided to pitch in with a useless comment about some random exam they have tomorrow.
So let me give you a level-headed comment that might actually prove useful to you.
First off, you took zero math courses during your undergrad. There's your first problem. Geophysics is what happens when the concept of an inverse problem takes on the shape of an academic discipline. It's a very mathematical and physical subject.
Ideally, you should have completed all of single- and multi-variable calculus. You should have completed a course in linear algebra. You should have completed a course on differential equations (both ordinary and partial), and you should have a solid "signals and systems" course under your belt. Additionally, it'd be very useful if you had a (mathematically-oriented) course on probability and statistics, though this isn't strictly necessary at all, the preceding courses should suffice for 95% of the stuff you need to know.
That about concludes the mathematical side of things. Now let's be real. I just listed about 2 years worth of mathematical coursework, split over at least 5 quarter or semester courses. You're not going to be able to catch up with that.
My solution: get a "Mathematical Methods for Physics/Engineering"-style textbook. There's a few on the market, such as Boas' famous book. That one doesn't start at your current level though, so I don't recommend purchasing it.
The one book that fits the bill for you, and that I'd strongly recommend you purchase is Riley, Hobson and Bence's "Mathematical Methods for Physics and Engineering", Cambridge University Press. Get the latest edition (the 3rd). If you're in the US, the book will set you back about $60 on Amazon, or $50 on Bookdepository. Don't buy the cheap, crappy international edition. This book is massive (1300+ pages). Skip the chapters on quantum operators, group theory and representation theory. Work through the rest. Alternatively, an equally good book, though more concise, is "Mathematical Methods for Physics and Engineering", the 2nd edition by Weltner, Weber and other authors (it's a Springer book). This one really builds you up from scratch, which is great for a beginner like yourself, but hardly has any exercises. If you're really, really short on time, get Weltner et al. If you think you can put in the work and time, definitely go for the Riley/Hobson/Bence book. Also, definitely think about getting a Schaum Outline on Precalculus to quickly get up to speed on some fundamentals (a physical copy will only set you back $14 on Amazon). Seriously, this might prove very useful to you. Don't get the e-book editions,though. They're badly formatted.
That's at least 1000 pages of dense mathematics. If you're confident you're determined enough to get through it, that should be a good stepping stone to start from.
Next up is the physics. Get a University Physics textbook. I'm a big fan of Young and Freedman's University Physics, though you could consider Manfield's Understanding Physics as well as it might be more accessible to you. Study through the sections on mechanics (statics, dynamics, mechanics of materials), electromagnetism and waves (especially the waves section).
At this point you should really consider getting up to speed on signals and systems. Especially seeing as you're working with stuff like SEISAN (which is basically applied signals & systems theory). The one book that stands out, big time, is Lathi's "Linear Systems and Signals, 3rd edition". This text is amazing for self-study. It's incredibly expensive though. If you can't spare the money, there's a pretty cool little book that's freely available and unlicensed, written by prof. Chi-Tsong Chen from Stony Brooks. You will find it here, titled Signals & Systems: a Fresh Look. It even has a brief section on seismometers.
From here on out, ask your supervisors etc what books they'd suggest that specifically deal with geophysics/seismic stuff. I could recommend you a few if you're still interested after reading this daunting wall of text.
Let me know!
I usually use patrickjmt, but you could try scanning Coursera for classes in pre-calculus or trig. Basically it's free online classes that last a few weeks. If not, I use this book as well. It may be from The Complete Idiots Guide series, but it's actually really helpful! A friend who majored in math used this one as well as the calculus book by the same author during his studies. Both are really helpful tools.
Hi there, I'm 27 y/o starting University on February. I've been recomended this book by many high school teachers: https://www.amazon.es/Precalculus-Mathematics-Calculus-James-Stewart/dp/1305071751 I'm slowly going at it and it is very good. My math level is HORRIBLE. Plus, i haven't really used my brain for the last decade, since I finished high school on 2007 and didn't atteng univesity back then. Hope it helps!
https://www.amazon.com/Precalculus-Mathematics-Calculus-Standalone-Book/dp/1305071751/ref=nodl_
It’s a PreCalc textbook
This was the book I used in my precalc class and I thought it was pretty good. There are only three chapters which really focus on trig (4: traditional 5: analytical 6: additional) which you can skip but I'd recommend tackling chapter five as it is based on trig identities and and has you prove things which is useful to change up the pace and for later classes. Chapter six also has vectors which is super useful in later courses (Calc, LINEAR ALGEBRA, physics, etc.).
The rest of the book is pretty great. It starts out kind of boring (focusing a lot on functions) but from what I remember, the "new" concepts really start at chapter five (I might be wrong so look over the earlier chapters to make sure you know what they're talking about). You must NOT SKIP CHAPTER 7&8 as they form the foundation for linear algebra (considered Calc 3 at my school). I'm also pretty sure that chapters 9 and 10 are covered more in depth in Calc 2 so I'd recommend doing these as well. There's also an introduction to limits but we didn't get that far in the book so I don't know how "good" that section is.
Also, I got the chapter names and topics from Slader which covers this book: http://www.slader.com/textbook/9780618660896-larson-precalculus-with-limits/
prof Leonard only does from calc afaik.
If you want a book suggestion for Precalc I would recommend this
https://www.amazon.com/Precalculus-Prelude-Calculus-Sheldon-Axler/dp/0470416742
Hi, I am going to take the math 1A this fall and my friend has this book and will give it basically for free. Will it work? Or do I need the Berkeley edition
[Precalculus with Limits 1e] (https://www.amazon.com/Precalculus-Limits-Ron-Larson/dp/0618660895/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1527656177&sr=8-4&keywords=larson+precalculus+with+limits) is a great book.
Beyond comprehensive coverage of the various types of functions (including logarithms and exponentials), trigonometry, and an introduction to complex numbers, the book covers [limits] (http://prntscr.com/jodi0c) and has a brief intro to [vectors] (http://prntscr.com/jodi3z), 3D space, the dot product, and cross product.
I feel better then. However, you're the second reference I've seen to using ALEKS for Pre-calc. A looked at the bookstore for another nearby university and found this: https://smile.amazon.com/Bundle-Precalculus-Mathematics-WebAssign-Single-Term/dp/1305701615/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1527796755&sr=8-1&keywords=9781305701618. I don't really get what this means. My university used ALEKS as a placement test system - one that we've decided isn't particularly good, and we're dropping for this year. Can you elaborate a little more on how this works, or what this is? Why is this used, and maybe why you don't like it?
Schaum's Outline of PreCalculus covers all of pre-calc quickly, and provides a ton of practice questions with solutions. Check this review out from a guy in your exact situation.
I am pretty sure I just found the book quickly on Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Algebra-Trigonometry-Robert-F-Blitzer-ebook/dp/B00AQXMPJA/ref=mt_kindle?_encoding=UTF8&me=
Can't exactly say. At your age the reality is that the workforce tends to be stacked against you, especially since you currently don't have an associates degree or prior professional experience in the field you're wishing to switch to.
Dev is slightly easier to get into besides administration as Dev is simply about what you can produce, whereas administration is more experience prone and tends to pay less on top of it.
Since you're interested in Computer Science, I would suggest the following books as I went through them while I attended university:
https://www.amazon.com/Computer-Science-Overview-Glenn-Brookshear/dp/0132569035
https://www.amazon.com/Introduction-Computation-Programming-Using-Python/dp/0262525003
https://www.amazon.com/Scripting-Objects-Comparative-Presentation-Object-Oriented/dp/047039725X
https://www.amazon.com/Algebra-Trigonometry-James-Stewart/dp/1305071743
https://www.amazon.com/Concrete-Mathematics-Foundation-Computer-Science/dp/0201558025
https://mitpress.mit.edu/sicp/full-text/book/book.html
Basically anything off this: https://wiki.installgentoo.com/images/d/d7/1420500175412.jpg
Thank you very much. I was considering also getting this book (http://www.amazon.com/Pre-Calculus-Demystified-Rhonda-Huettenmueller/dp/0071439277) to kind of guide me in studying. Now that it is presented to me, Khan Academy looks like it could be a good supplement.
try renting them from amazon or barnes and noble. do NOT ever buy from the bookstore. their markup is crazy.
here's amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Precalculus-Ron-Larson/dp/1133949010/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1406429589&sr=8-1&keywords=precalculus+textbook+larsen#selectedObb=rbb_rbb_trigger
here's b&n (cheaper) http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/precalculus-ron-larson/1100200816?ean=9781133949015
they're both 9th edition though. I'm sure if you actually only need the 6th, that will be even cheaper.
also: most teachers/departments will put a copy put on reserve all semester.
I spent $236 for my Calculus textbook :/ https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/1305270339/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1484577834&sr=8-1&pi=AC_SX236_SY340_QL65&keywords=isbn+9781305270336&dpPl=1&dpID=51A6PBOW%2BPL&ref=plSrch
They're expensive :(
Anyone got an access code for webassign?
https://www.amazon.com/Precalculus-Mathematics-Calculus-Standalone-Book/dp/1305071751/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1537853692&sr=8-1&keywords=precalculus+stewart
Hi, I'm trying to buy this textbook for MTH141, the professor said to buy Single Variable Calculus 8th UB edition.
https://www.amazon.com/Single-Variable-Calculus-Early-Transcendentals/dp/1305270339
Is this what he's talking about or should I just walk over to the bookstore and purchase the book there?
https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/ol/0495392766/ref=mw_dp_olp?ie=UTF8&condition=all
https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/1592441300/
https://www.khanacademy.org/math/precalculus
But, I assure you, you'll almost certainly have better luck in a structured class.
https://www.amazon.com/Prealgebra-Richard-Rusczyk/dp/1934124214 | 978-1934124215
https://www.amazon.com/Introduction-Geometry-2nd-Problem-Solving/dp/1934124087 | 978-1934124086
https://www.amazon.com/Intermediate-Algebra-Art-Problem-Solving/dp/1934124044 | 978-1934124048
https://www.amazon.com/Art-Problem-Solving-Vol-Beyond/dp/0977304582 | 978-0977304585
https://www.amazon.com/Precalculus-Problem-Solving-Richard-Rusczyk/dp/1934124265 | 978-1934124260
https://www.amazon.com/Calculus-Problem-Solving-David-Patrick/dp/1934124249 | 978-1934124246
https://www.amazon.com/Competition-Math-Middle-School-Batterson/dp/1441488871 | 978-1441488879
$7.50 per book, $10 if you find the solution manuals too please pm me and comment pm'ed if you have any
Looking for a single textbook, Precalculus 10th edition by Ron Larson. Must be the 10th edition and pdf format.
$10 through PayPal
https://www.amazon.com/Precalculus-Ron-Larson-ebook-dp-B01N9ILR9D/dp/B01N9ILR9D/ref=mt_kindle?_encoding=UTF8&me=&qid=
CLOSED
Guys, thank you for your tips. I am looking it those. I didn't reply sooner because of family issues (grandpa had 2 strokes and had surgery), but all seems well now.
I was able to get, for free, a copy of this book from my cousin: http://www.amazon.com/Precalculus-9th-Edition-Ron-Larson/dp/1133949010 (Precalculus, 9th Edition by Larson).
Going to start going through it now. It has a good bit of trig and I think while it may not cover more basic algebra topics, it lets me know what I need to review on my own. The appendix also does a brief explanation of simpler topics.
This is a tough one, but have you considered something like this:
https://www.amazon.com/Pre-Calculus-Dummies-Yang-Kuang/dp/1118168887/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1482192354&sr=8-2&keywords=precalculus
Send me a PM if you have further questions, I'd love to help.
W method;' write everything.
Get a book with solutions in it, and then WRITE the examples as you follow them along with the solutions.
Yes, it is a huge amount of work, but it will save your life.
A good starting book is any Schaum.
James Stewart: 5th Edition
That really depends on you, but my high school taught them as a single one-year course (if you were on the accelerated track), so doing it in a year should be possible with enough motivation on your part. It will of course be easier if you take a lighter courseload. Maybe take a study hall period and use it to work on math. (In my experience, though, study hall was a hard place to get anything done because other students just went there to screw around.)
A lot of people studying at that level use Khan Academy. It's supposed to be pretty good. Other people can probably suggest other online resources.
As for books, Algebra 2 and Precalculus are often taught out of the same book. Books that are titled "precalculus" usually include a section on limits that you might not need to cover (ask about this) because it's part of Calculus I.
You can get free textbooks here:
These are some suggested dead tree books:
Or just see if your school will let you borrow a copy of the textbook that they use.
Whatever you choose to use, I suggest that you use multiple resources to get some different points of view and a wider variety of problems to work on. This is especially important since you won't be going to class.
When I first started prepping for the CSET Math subtest I and II, I used test prep materials. However, I wasn't able to pass the test the first time. I have a decent background in fundamental math concepts, but I had a difficult time putting everything together when I used the prep materials. Instead, I studied textbooks. It took more time to study those but I felt that I understand math better and would be a better math teacher.
I could recommend these books:
https://smile.amazon.com/SCHOOL-COMMON-ALGEBRA-STUDENT-GRADE/dp/0133281167/ref=pd_sbs_14_1?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=0133281167&pd_rd_r=E7JVSQ0QCFZT8BCHEBV8&pd_rd_w=LJzxB&pd_rd_wg=w3Bh9&psc=1&refRID=E7JVSQ0QCFZT8BCHEBV8
https://smile.amazon.com/Precalculus-5th-Robert-F-Blitzer/dp/0321837347/ref=sr_1_7?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1500859470&sr=1-7&keywords=precalculus
pre-cal: http://www.amazon.com/Precalculus-5th-Edition-Robert-Blitzer/dp/0321837347
calculus: http://www.amazon.com/Calculus-Ron-Larson/dp/1285057090
https://www.amazon.com/College-Algebra-12th-Margaret-Lial/dp/0134217454/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1550277393&sr=8-4&keywords=college+algebra+textbook
I've never read this book, but by looking at the table of contents, it seems pretty good.
https://www.amazon.com/College-Algebra-12th-Margaret-Lial/dp/0134217454/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1484951902&sr=8-1&keywords=college+algebra+12
I don't know exactly what math class you're in, but the "Schaum's Outline" series contains a ton of solved problems. They're also MUCH cheaper than buying a textbook.
Like I said I'm not sure what your skill level is, but here are a few I found on Amazon.
Precalculus
Trigonometry
Calculus
Schaum's Outline Series. That's for Precalculus. They have College Algebra, Calculus, and many other topics. Lots of worked examples.
Honestly, Trigonometry isn't so rarified a field that you couldn't just go with the Schaum's Outlines series. They're cheap, can be had at pretty much any bookstore, and contain solved exercises.
There may be a textbook with a solutions manual; a cursory search of Amazon shows solutions manuals for a variety of trig books that can be had for pretty cheap. If you have enough discipline, you might be able to simply use the solutions manual without a textbook (most show the problem statement before delving into the solution).
Trig instruction is pretty standardized. I wouldn't worry too much about which book you get; just get any and start doing exercises over and over.
Fred Safiers Schaum's Outline of Precalculus, 3rd Edition {Schaum's Outline Series}.