Brita Immergut - Arithmetic and Algebra Again

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It is now ten years since the publication of Arithmetic and Algebra Again. My coauthor Jean Burr Smith passed away four years ago and so the task of preparing the second edition of this book has fallen on me. Jean was a wonderful person to work with.

I miss her greatly and I am dedicating the new book to her. In the new edition, I have included at the beginning a section entitled Tips for Parents and Tutors, because, in addition to its use as a college text in classes, this book will also be used in the home by students who need help with their math homework or those who need tutoring to improve their understanding and knowledge of arithmetic and algebra and to help prepare them for tests. In general, examples and problems in the new edition have been updated to reflect current conditions, such as prices, interest rates, and other items that have undergone change. The use of calculators has become widespread and, therefore, I have included calculations with calculators in several chapters. There is also a new chapter devoted to calculators at the end of the book to show what calculators can do and what they cannot do. introduces different types of calculators and shows how to use them to solve different kinds of problems. introduces different types of calculators and shows how to use them to solve different kinds of problems.

It is my hope that this new edition will satisfy the need of many students, young and old, to feel more comfortable in their mathematics classes or at their jobs when called upon to solve problems that require a basic knowledge of arithmetic and algebra. Brita Immergut April 30, 2004

This arithmetic and beginning algebra text is written for students and anybody else whose experience with mathematics has been one of frustration but whose need for it in the working or the academic world has been constantly increasing. It is designed to help these nontraditional students gain confidence in their ability to cope with mathematics and to learn or relearn the basics of arithmetic and algebra necessary for success in their jobs or in other areas of study. Students who master this material will be ready to take a more rigorous algebra course or a college-level math course. Although the books primary audience is the student in a one-semester community or four-year college developmental course that covers the fundamental operations of arithmetic and elementary algebra, it can also be used for in-house courses and for teacher training. Part of the book is also suitable as a review course for high school students.

The order in which the topics are presented is life-experience oriented. Thus, integers, decimals, and percents are presented before fractions. This is a more appropriate order of presentation than one designed for elementary school students since adults can draw on their shopping, banking, and other real-world experiences. In working with nontraditional students, we have found that starting with material that is new to them, such as integers, is more successful than starting with material that has been troublesome, such as fractions. The book covers operations with whole numbers, integers, decimals, fractions, percents, and the application of these skills in problem solving. Basic operations in algebra, solutions of first-degree equations, and graphing are included.

The last chapters deal with banking problems, statistics, probability, and calculators. In general, the problems are geared to the adults interests and day-to-day concerns. We have also included some problems from nineteenth century math books. Our students find them amusing and far removed from the grade-school variety they may associate with their earlier difficulties. Since most adults use calculators at work, we encourage them to use calculators for problem solving but expect them to approximate their answers first. By showing students several ways of getting the answer (paper and pencil, calculator, and estimation), we feel that they will become more comfortable with math and that their math anxiety will gradually disappear.

Definitions and rules are highlighted throughout the text. At the end of each chapter is a Summary with Vocabulary and Review Problems, a Check List to help students determine whether they have mastered all topics in the chapter, and a Readiness Check to indicate their readiness to go on to new material. Answers to all the exercises and the Readiness Checks will be found at the end of the book.

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