What resources can help me brush up on math before starting calculus?

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Discussion Overview

The discussion centers around resources for reviewing mathematics in preparation for a calculus course, focusing on topics such as trigonometry and algebra. Participants share recommendations for books and online materials that could help build confidence in these areas.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory
  • Homework-related
  • Technical explanation

Main Points Raised

  • One participant expresses a lack of confidence in their high school math skills and seeks recommendations for resources to review trigonometry and algebra.
  • Another participant emphasizes the importance of understanding functions as a central focus in calculus and suggests that good calculus resources will review basic concepts.
  • A recommendation is made for the book "How To Ace Calculus: The Streetwise Guide" as a helpful introduction, noting its lack of practice problems but suggesting that additional problems can be found online.
  • One participant mentions a resource for trigonometry that is free and provides good explanations.
  • There are repeated mentions of the importance of having a solid foundation in elementary algebra and a list of reference books for undergraduate math.
  • Another participant suggests using Google to find specific resources tailored to the user's needs.
  • A link to an Amazon book is provided, with the assertion that one book should suffice for preparation, along with recommendations for free online video resources.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants generally agree on the importance of reviewing foundational math topics before starting calculus, but there is no consensus on specific resources, as multiple suggestions are provided without a clear preference among them.

Contextual Notes

Some recommendations may depend on individual learning styles and preferences, and there is no discussion of the effectiveness of the suggested resources.

Who May Find This Useful

Students preparing to take calculus who wish to strengthen their understanding of trigonometry and algebra may find this discussion helpful.

Frzn
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Hey guys, I'm starting calculus this summer and don't feel very confident in my high school math skills. Are there any books I could read that would be able to reteach me trigonometry (stuff like the unit circle, identities, etc not talking about basic solving for angles/sides of a triangle), algebra, etc?
 
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I can't remember any books right at this moment but you're correct that you should review basic trig. More importantly, review as much as you can about functions. This is the central focus for most arguments in calculus. Any good calculus book and instructor will review the basics before going into the mathematical structure of calculus. Calculus, at first, may seem very difficult because of the new notation, but once you understand the meaning of the derivative and integral it becomes easily digestible.
 
I highly recommend How To Ace Calculus: The Streetwise Guide as a nice introduction to Calculus. I'm using it now to self study so my summer calculus course isn't too overwhelming. It lacks practice problem sets but you can find plenty of those on the web with a little digging.

For Trig I recommend http://oakroadsystems.com/twt/ . It's free and does a pretty good job explaining things.
 
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All the math you'll need as an undergraduate. Beginning with elementary algebra. Also a great list of reference books to have. You can always find older versions a lot cheaper.
 
kuahji said:


All the math you'll need as an undergraduate. Beginning with elementary algebra. Also a great list of reference books to have. You can always find older versions a lot cheaper.

Awesome! Thank you!
 
I think it's easy for you to find what you want. Just use google and type what you need.
 
http://www.amazon.com/dp/0199142599/?tag=pfamazon01-20

You don't need to read 6 books before you start calculus. I believe the above book should do more than suffice. Maybe throw some free videos off of www.khanacademy.org[/url] & [url]www.justmathtutoring.com[/URL] into the mix.
 
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