Intermediate Algebra
| University credit, 25 assignments, 5 exams, $912 tuition, $75 administration fee, Prerequisites: One year each of high-school algebra and geometry. This is course U600-101. |
Director of Mathematics
Department of Liberal Studies and the Arts
610 Langdon Street, 629 Lowell Hall
Madison WI 53703-1195
1-608-262-2152
schandarana@dcs.wisc.edu
Prerequisite: See the prerequisite page for more details.
Course Materials
- Intermediate Algebra, 9th ed. Lial, Hornsby, and Miller. Addison-Wesley, 2004
SEARCH FOR AVAILABLE COPIES OF TEXTBOOK - Course Guide for Mathematics 101, Wilson, UW-Extension Independent Learning, available through MBS at direct.mbsbooks.com/uwlearning.htm (choose "Buy Materials", then "Independent Learning") or 800-325-3252. A PDF of the course guide is available free to registered students. Email the course instructor, Sharad Chandarana if you are interested.
- Student Handbook, available at learn.wisconsin.edu/il/studenthandbook/studenthandbook.pdf, or on paper by request to Learner Services, toll-free 1-877-UW-LEARN (877-895-3276)
Format of Course
The course consists of 5 modules, each of which has 5 lessons followed by a module exam.
Each lesson
consists of:
- A reading assignment from the text.
- Exercises to test your understanding of the material. (Solutions to these self-test problems are provided in the course guide.)
- A written assignment, from the text, to submit for grading and feedback.
At the end of each module is a sample exam, with solutions provided. The actual exam is mailed to a proctor selected by the student in accordance with Independent Learning's guidelines.
Grading
| Score | Letter Grade |
|---|---|
| NOTE: The grading scale was revised on Nov 13, 2003. This grading scale applies to all students who complete the course after that date. | |
| 93-100 | A |
| 90-92 | AB |
| 83-89 | B |
| 80-82 | BC |
| 73-79 | C |
| 65-72 | D |
| 0-64 | F |
Each lesson and each exam is graded on a 100-point scale. The final score is computed as a weighted average, with the average of the lessons counting for 40%, and the average of the exams counting 60%. The exam average must be at least 65 for a passing grade. Assuming this is the case, the average of all your work is converted to a letter grade as shown in the table.
Course Outline
Module 161: Linear Equations and Inequalities
- Lesson 1: Review of Arithmetic
- Lesson 2: Linear Equations in One Variable
- Lesson 3: Lines and Applications
- Lesson 4: Linear Inequalities
- Lesson 5: Compound Inequalities and Absolute Value
- Lesson 6: Coordinates and Lines
- Lesson 7: Linear Equations and Variation
- Lesson 8: Linear Systems
- Lesson 9: Applications of Linear Systems
- Lesson 10: Exponents
- Lesson 11: Polynomial Arithmetic
- Lesson 12: Factoring Polynomials
- Lesson 13: More Factoring
- Lesson 14: An Application of Factoring
- Lesson 15: Rational Expressions
- Lesson 16: Equations with Rational Expressions
- Lesson 17: Rational Exponents and Radicals
- Lesson 18: Arithmetic with Radical Expressions
- Lesson 19: Equations with Radicals
- Lesson 20: Complex Numbers
- Lesson 21: Quadratic Equations
- Lesson 22: More Quadratic Equations
- Lesson 23: Parabolas
- Lesson 24: Circles, Ellipses, and Inverse Functions
- Lesson 25: Exponential and Logarithmic Functions
