Precalculus: Mathematics for Calculus, 8th Student Edition

Focus on Modeling sections illustrate modeling techniques as well as how mathematics can be applied to model real-life situations. These sections, as well as others, are devoted to teaching students how to create their own mathematical models, rather than using prefabricated formulas.

Real-world applications from engineering, physics, chemistry, business, biology, environmental studies, and other fields demonstrate how mathematics is used to model real-life situations.

Mathematics in the Modern World vignettes show that mathematics is a living science crucial to the scientific and technological progress of recent times, as well as to the social, behavioral, and life sciences.

Discovery/Discussion/Writing problems at the end of every section encourage students to use and develop conceptual, critical thinking, and writing skills.

Discovery Projects engage students by providing a challenging but accessible set of activities that enable them (perhaps working in groups) to explore in greater depth an interesting aspect of the topic they have just learned.

Review Sections and Chapter Tests at the end of each chapter help students gauge their learning progress. Brief answers to the odd-numbered exercises in each section and to all questions in the Chapter Tests are provided at the back of the book.

NEW EXERCISES HELP STUDENTS DEVELOP IMPORTANT PROBLEM-SOLVING SKILLS: New Problem-Solving exercises in most sections highlight and apply a specific problem-solving principle from the prologue. More than 20% of the overall exercises are new to this edition.

NEW REVIEW MATERIAL REINFORCES STUDENT UNDERSTANDING: Updated, effective review material at the end of most chapters now includes a matching exercise to reinforce the fundamental relationship between graphs and equations. This important review also includes a summary of properties and formulas. In addition, a Concept Check provides a step-by-step review of all of the main concepts and applications from the chapter.

NEW DISCOVERY PROJECTS GUIDE STUDENTS IN APPLYING THE CONCEPTS THEY'VE MASTERED: Several new Discovery Projects in this edition feature applications or extensions of the concepts that students have just studied in the text. Discover/Discuss/Prove/Write problems at the end of every section encourage students to develop and strengthen their conceptual, critical-thinking and writing skills.

NEW REMEDIAL SUPPORT PREPARES STUDENTS FOR SUCCESS: Revisions throughout Chapter 1 review fundamentals while WebAssign digital resources provide prerequisite support to address readiness gaps, including the College Math Readiness Bootcamp and Just-in-Time review exercises. This edition also offers an expanded Geometry Review appendix that now highlights main concepts from geometry used in this edition, including congruence, similarity, the Pythagorean Theorem, parallel lines and circles.