Discovery Precalculus: A Creative and Connected Approach (edX)

This course is designed to engage learners in the “doing” of mathematics, emphasizing conceptual understanding of mathematical definitions and student development of logical arguments in support of solutions. The course places major emphasis on why the mathematics topics covered work within the discipline, as opposed to simply the mechanics of the mathematics.

What you'll learn:

• How to make conjectures, construct logical arguments, and justify your reasoning
• The concept of function in mathematics, function characteristics and properties, and rate of change of functions
• Modeling of common relations and functions such as linear, power, exponential, and logarithmic functions using statistical regression and matrix methods
• An exploration of algebra and geometry, and the connections between the two in analytic geometry
• Properties and applications of exponential and logarithmic functions including exponential growth and decay and The Logistic Function
• The development of the trigonometric functions and identities along with applications of trigonometry
• Limits and rate of change of functions as a precursor to Calculus
• Other Coordinates Systems – an investigation of parametrization of the plane and the polar coordinate system along with exploration and use of vectors
• Sequences and Series including The Method of Induction
• Basic probability and combinatorics used in an investigation and development of the Binomial Theorem and its connections to Pascal’s Triangle