Pure Textbooks

Precalculus

Contributors: Collingwood, Prince, and Conroy

Publisher: A.T. Still University

License: Free Documentation License (GNU)

Prior to 1990, the performance of a student in precalculus at the University of Washington was not a predictor of success in calculus. For this reason, the mathematics department set out to create a new course with a specific set of goals in mind:

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(0 reviews)

Elementary Differential Equations with Boundary Value Problems

Contributor: Trench

Publisher: A.T. Still University

License: CC BY-NC-SA

Elementary Differential Equations with Boundary Value Problems is written for students in science, engineering, and mathematics who have completed calculus through partial differentiation.

(9 reviews)

A Gentle Introduction to the Art of Mathematics

Contributor: Fields

Publisher: A.T. Still University

License: Free Documentation License (GNU)

This book is designed for the transition course between calculus and differential equations and the upper division mathematics courses with an emphasis on proof and abstraction. The book has been used by the author and several other faculty at Southern Connecticut State University. There are nine chapters and more than enough material for a semester course. Student reviews are favorable.

(2 reviews)

A Computational Introduction to Number Theory and Algebra

Contributor: Shoup

Publisher: Cambridge University Press

License: CC BY-NC-ND

All of the mathematics required beyond basic calculus is developed “from scratch.” Moreover, the book generally alternates between “theory” and “applications”: one or two chapters on a particular set of purely mathematical concepts are followed by one or two chapters on algorithms and applications; the mathematics provides the theoretical underpinnings for the applications, while the applications both motivate and illustrate the mathematics. Of course, this dichotomy between theory and applications is not perfectly maintained: the chapters that focus mainly on applications include the development of some of the mathematics that is specific to a particular application, and very occasionally, some of the chapters that focus mainly on mathematics include a discussion of related algorithmic ideas as well.

(3 reviews)

Active Calculus 2.0

Contributors: Boelkins, Austin, and Schlicker

Publisher: Grand Valley State University

License: CC BY-NC-SA

Active Calculus is different from most existing calculus texts in at least the following ways: the text is freely readable online in HTML format and is also available for in PDF; in the electronic format, graphics are in full color and there are live links to java applets; version 2.0 now contains WeBWorK exercises in each chapter, which are fully interactive in the HTML format and included in print in the PDF; the text is open source, and interested users can gain access to the original source files on GitHub; the style of the text requires students to be active learners — there are very few worked examples in the text, with there instead being 3-4 activities per section that engage students in connecting ideas, solving problems, and developing understanding of key calculus concepts; each section begins with motivating questions, a brief introduction, and a preview activity, all of which are designed to be read and completed prior to class; following the WeBWorK exercises in each section, there are several challenging problems that require students to connect key ideas and write to communicate their understanding.

(11 reviews)

Fundamentals of Mathematics

Contributors: Burzynski and Ellis

Publisher: OpenStax CNX

License: CC BY

Fundamentals of Mathematics is a work text that covers the traditional study in a modern prealgebra course, as well as the topics of estimation, elementary analytic geometry, and introductory algebra. It is intended for students who:

(8 reviews)

Algorithms and Data Structures With Applications to Graphics and Geometry

Contributors: Nievergelt and Hinrichs

Publisher: Global Text Project

License: CC BY

An introductory coverage of algorithms and data structures with application to graphics and geometry.

(1 review)

Intermediate Algebra

Contributor: Redden

Publisher: Saylor Foundation

License: CC BY-NC-SA

It is essential to lay a solid foundation in mathematics if a student is to be competitive in today's global market. The importance of algebra, in particular, cannot be overstated, as it is the basis of all mathematical modeling used in applications found in all disciplines.

(2 reviews)

Calculus for the Life Sciences: A Modeling Approach Volume 2

Contributors: Cornette and Ackerman

Publisher: A.T. Still University

License: CC BY-NC-ND

Our writing is based on three premises. First, life sciences students are motivated by and respond well to actual data related to real life sciences problems. Second, the ultimate goal of calculus in the life sciences primarily involves modeling living systems with difference and differential equations. Understanding the concepts of derivative and integral are crucial, but the ability to compute a large array of derivatives and integrals is of secondary importance. Third, the depth of calculus for life sciences students should be comparable to that of the traditional physics and engineering calculus course; else life sciences students will be short changed and their faculty will advise them to take the 'best' (engineering) course.

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Precalculus: An Investigation of Functions

Contributors: Lippman and Rasmussen

Publisher: David Lippman and Melonie Rasmussen

License: CC BY-SA

Precalculus: An Investigation of Functions is a free, open textbook covering a two-quarter pre-calculus sequence including trigonometry. The first portion of the book is an investigation of functions, exploring the graphical behavior of, interpretation of, and solutions to problems involving linear, polynomial, rational, exponential, and logarithmic functions. An emphasis is placed on modeling and interpretation, as well as the important characteristics needed in calculus.

(7 reviews)