Math 103A Intermediate Algebra Syllabus

Course No. 11513

Instructor Dr. Irina Roderick Phone(415) 485 9522 ext. 7522 Office: SC149
Textbook Intermediate Algebra, 8th ed., by Bittinger and Ellenbogen
Time and location MW 9:10 a.m. - 11:00 a.m; F 9:10 a.m. - 10:00 a.m SC 177
Office Hours MWF 7:00-7:30; 1:00-2:00 p.m.; F 10:00-11:00 a.m. SC 149
Math Lab MWF 11:00 a.m. -1:00 p.m. SC 115

Please note: I teach other classes besides the one that you are enrolled in (please check the
catalog) and perform other duties related to my job as an Instructor and Department Chair. While
I am lecturing, conducting office hours, or performing my other duties, I am not available for e-
mail or phone communication. Your e-mail messages will be answered on a daily basis on
weekdays during regular business hours 8 a.m. through 5 p.m. when not otherwise engaged.

“Never regard study as a duty,

but as the enviable opportunity
to learn to know the liberating
influence of beauty in the
realm of the spirit for your own
personal joy and to the profit of
the community to which your
later work belongs.”
--Albert Einstein
Content Elementary functions and graphs; equations and inequalities in one and two variables;
systems of equations; matrices; radical expressions and equations.

Attendance Successful completion of the course requires attendance and a strong commitment
on your part. Not all the material presented in the course can be found in the textbook. You are
responsible for all the material covered.

Reading It is important that you read the appropriate section before the start of each class
meeting. This is not an "optional" part of your homework! All lectures and activities will be given
under the assumption that you have done this. You should plan on spending 8-12 hours a
week outside of class working on activities related to this class.

Writing Every week you will be expected to work the problems listed in the schedule. These
problems will not be formally entered into your grade. They have been assigned to help you
practice the concepts covered during lectures. I will not grade every problem that is assigned,
but I will check all homework for completeness. Homework will count in borderline cases along
with the attendance. A portion of the following lecture section may be spent addressing any
questions that might arise while you work these problems. All homework needs to be written
legibly and using proper mathematical language. It is recommended that you also have at your
disposal a set of colored pencils and a ruler and that you avail yourself of these utensils both in
class and when doing your homework.
IMPORTANT: All assignments are expected to follow
the required format. Correct answers with incorrect or
incomplete work will receive few or no points. If I cannot
read or follow your work, no credit will be given. All
work will be done in pencil. I will not accept any work in
pen. All assignments must be stapled. I will not accept
paperclips or dog-eared fold.

All graphs will be sketched on engineering paper. It is

recommended to switch to engineering paper
altogether.

I expect my students to learn correct mathematical notation, vocabulary, and ways in which to
correctly express concepts through the use of the written word. Writing point deductions
occur for factual and/or vocabulary errors and/or for incomplete (or nonexistent)
explanations. Not all problems require an explanation (e.g. you never need to "explain" your
algebraic steps). Application problems and multi-step problems require explanation.

IMPORTANT: Homework will be collected on

Mondays (or during the next class meeting if Monday
happens to be a holiday.) A point will be deducted
from your final grade for each missing homework. No
assignments will be accepted after Exam 5. Read the
last sentence several times – feel the absoluteness of
this statement.

Grading Your grade in this class will be determined by 5 exams and a final exam. Emphasis for
grading is whether the procedure or method you used is appropriate and how good is your skill at
applying it. If a problem requires a specific method, you must show that you have used that
method, or no credit will be given. Minor arithmetic errors will not result in a total loss of credit
for the problem. No credit is given when you fail to answer a specific question.

IMPORTANT: Your grade in this class is a reflection of the

demonstrated ability to meet the Student Learning Outcomes
listed below:

1. Find zeroes of polynomial functions and factor the function completely.

2. Be able to present a complete algebraic analysis of a given linear function.
3. Solve inequalities in one or two variables; solve absolute value inequalities.
4. Solve systems of equations in several variables algebraically and using matrices.
5. Solve application problems involving linear equations and their systems.
6. Perform operations with polynomials; factor polynomials using various factorization
techniques.

Technology No calculator will be allowed.

Exams There will be 4 exams given. There will be a comprehensive Final Exam. Make-up
exams will be given at the instructor’s discretion upon receipt of a typed signed and dated letter
from a student requesting a make-up exam. No textbooks or lecture notes may be used on the
exams except for a single card on which are written helpful basic formulas. No samples of
previously worked problems may be included. Photocopies are unacceptable. Your help card
must be handed in with your exam. Up to 5 help cards are allowed for the Final.
 A B C D F
Exams (5) 65% 90 - 100 % 80 - 89 % 70 - 79 % 62 - 69 % Less than 62%

Final 35%

It is recommended that you drop the course if you are unsatisfied with your performance
following the second exam. After this point, it is highly unlikely that you can improve a non-
passing grade to a passing one due to the amount of the grade already determined and the lack
of understanding of foundational material. Please, if you stop attending, drop the class
immediately.

Expectations I expect you to arrive on time every day with the appropriate materials, to put real
effort into class and home assignments, to behave appropriately for a college classroom. At all
times, you must be respectful and courteous to your classmates, to me, and to the learning
environment. Your conduct should benefit, not hinder anyone in this class. Conduct which is
disrespectful or which disrupts another student’s ability to learn can result in removal from the
class. If you must leave early please let me know at the beginning of the class. I do not accept
students spontaneously walking out of class. Academic dishonesty is not tolerated. No electronic
devices of any kind except a calculator (if permitted).

IMPORTANT: I reserve the right to drop a student

under the following circumstances: poor attendance,
consistent failure to turn in homework on a weekly
basis, consistently substandard quality of writing,
consistently substandard grades on the exams,
conduct that does not meet the code of student’s
conduct of the College of Marin.

Keys to Success Assuming that you have met the prerequisites for this course, you are fully
capable of successfully completing this course. That having been said, there are certain actions
you must take. Read section(s) before coming to class. Prepare a list of questions that I will
answer. If you don’t ask questions during class you are leaving it up to chance as to whether the
question will ever be addressed. Everybody needs help sometimes; when that body is you,
please avail yourself of the available help. After lecture on the material, you must complete the
assignment before coming to class. This will make you prepared for the understanding of the
current day’s lecture. Take comprehensive notes during lecture time and refer to them when
working on your homework. Understanding a topic while the instructor is discussing it and being
able to successfully apply a topic are two very separate issues. The fact of the matter is that you
will not truly learn the material until you have practiced applying the material. Write your
solutions to the practice problems as if you were taking an exam. You will frequently be asked to
explain a concept or verbally outline a solution on exam questions. If you have practiced writing
complete sentences, it will seem natural to you to do this when it comes time to take the exam.

VERY IMPORTANT: All graded work will be

evaluated for your ability to meet the following
writing objectives as well as for mathematical
content. Papers which are submitted that show no
attempt to meet the writing objectives will receive a
score of 0! :-O
Read the last sentence several times – feel the
absoluteness of this statement.
Writing Guidelines

1. Every solution must be written vertically down on the page in a single column. No cells,
zigzag lines or any other intricate ways of partitioning the page and jamming mathematics
into those partitions. There are two of us on every page of work submitted for grading
purposes – you and me, your Instructor. I need space to give you feedback.
 2. Every solution must be written in such a way that the question asked is clear simply by
reading the solution.
3. Every solution must be written neatly. Illegible work will remain unmarked.
4. All (relevant) information given in the problem must be stated in your solution.
5. Unexplained variables in application problems have no meaning and shall be rejected.
6. Solutions with incorrect notation are incorrect solutions and shall be rejected.
7. Your answer shall not be encased in a box, but rather stated at the end of your solution.
8. Incomplete mathematical sentences and ambiguous conclusions shall be rejected.
9. Show ALL work. Unsubstantiated work will receive little or no credit.
10. Solutions obtained with the help of the calculator solely instead of algebra will be rejected.
11. Solutions that are obtained without the use of algebra will be rejected.
12. Solutions to application problems must start with the explanation of the variables used.

Tentative schedule The following schedule may be changed in response to institutional,

weather or class problems. Your regular attendance will help you learn about any changes if they
happen.

Date Chapter/Section Homework

Wk 1 1.1 Some basics 1-13 odd, 15,19,21,25,29-41 odd, 45-55 odd,
Jan24-28 57,58,59,61,63,67-75 odd
1.2 Operations and 1-108 eoo (every other odd), 109-127
properties odd,133,137,139,143,147,149,150,151, 159
1.3 Solving equations 1-91 odd, 93, 94, 95
1.4 Intro to problem-solving 1-43 odd, 46, 47
Wk 2 1.5 Formulas 1-37 odd, 43,45,51,59,61,63,65
J31-Feb4 1.6 Properties of exponents 1-115 odd, 116-119, 121-137 odd
1.7 Scientific notation 1-55 eoo, 63
Wk 3 Exam 1 3, 7-19 odd, 25,27,31-61 odd, 62,63,67,71, 73
Feb 7-11 2.1 Graphs 1,5,7,11-27 odd, 31
2.2 Functions 35,37,43,47,51,57,59,61,63,67,69,71, 73-79 odd, Sec.
4.2 #75, 77, 79
Wk 4 2.3 Linear functions 3-69 eoo, 71,73,75,77,79,85-95 odd
Feb 14, 2.4 Another look 1-53 odd, 67-85 odd, 89, 91, 93
16 2.5 Other equations 1-97 odd
Wk 5 2.6 The algebra of functions 1-31 odd, 35,37, 41, 43,47, 49, 51, 53,55, 59, 63, 69-
Feb 23, Exam 2 75 odd
25
Wk 7 3.1 Systems of equations 1,3,7,9,11,13,17,21,25,27,31, 33, 37, 39,41, 43,
Feb28- 3.2 Solving by substitution 45,53,55, 57,61
Mar4 or elimination 1-61 odd
Wk 8 3.3 Applications Do the word problems you set up in 3.1
Mar 7-11 3.4 Systems of eq-ns in 3 21,25,27,33, 35,37,41,43,45
variables 1,3,7,11,15,17,27,29,35, 37, 39
Wk 8 3.5 Applications 3,5,7,9,13,15,23-33 odd
Mar 14-18 3.6 Elimination using 1-17 odd, solve 3.2 # 7, 11, 17, 19, 21, using matrices
matrices
Wk 9 Exam 3
Mar 21-25 4.1 Inequalities and 1-61 odd, 65, 67, 69,71, 73
applications
Wk 10 4.2 Intersections, unions, 1-61 eoo, 63-71 odd, 75, 77, 79
Mar28-Ap etc. 1-81 eoo, 83,85,87,88,89,90, 91, 107, 109, 115, 117
1 4.3 Absolute value eq-ns/
ineq-s
Wk11 4.4 Inequalities in 2 1, 3,7, 11, 13,15,19, 21, 25,31,35,43,45,47, 49, 55,
Apr4-8 variables. 57,58, 59, 61
4.5 Linear programming 1,3,7,9,11,13,15, 21, 23
Wk 12 Exam 4 1-10, 11, 13, 17, 19, 25, 27, 31, 35, 39, 47, 57-85 odd,
Apr18-22 5.1 Intro to polynomials 89, 95, 99-103 odd
5.2 Multiplication of 1-8, 9-85 eoo
polynom.
Wk 13 5.3 Common factors and 1-59 odd, 71,73, 75
Apr 25-29 factoring by grouping 1-85 odd, 89-95 odd, 101, 103, 107
5.4 Factoring trinomials
Wk 14 5.5 Factoring perfect sq. 1-71 odd,75-81 odd, 91, 95, 99
May 2-6 trinom. 1-53 odd, 57, 59
5.6 Factoring sums/diff. of
cubes
Wk15 5.7 Factoring: general 1-69 odd, 75, 77
May 9-13 strategy 1-71 eoo, 73, 79, 83, 87, 91, 99, 101, 103, 105
5.8 Applic. of polynom. eq-ns
Wk 16 Exam 5
May 16- Final Review
20
May 27 Final 2:10-5:00 p.m.