Author Description

This text is designed for a variety of students with different mathematical needs. For those students who will take additional mathematics, the text will provide the proper foundation of skills, understanding, and insights necessary for success in further courses. For those students who will not pursue further mathematics, the extensive emphasis on applications and modeling will demonstrate the usefulness and applicability of mathematics in the world today. Many of the applied problems in this text are actually real problems that people have had to solve on the job. With an emphasis on problem solving, this text provides students with an excellent opportunity to sharpen their reasoning and thinking skills. With increased critical thinking skills, students will have the confidence they need to tackle whatever future problems they may encounter inside and outside the classroom. This text is technology optional. With this approach, teachers will be able to offer either a technology-oriented course or a course that does not make use of technology. For departments requiring both options, this text provides the advantage of flexibility.