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Pathways to College Mathematics, 2nd edition

Published by Pearson (January 2, 2019) © 2020

  • Robert F. Blitzer Miami Dade College

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A 1-semester, non-STEM path focused alternative to the traditional 2-semester, Intro & Intermediate developmental algebra sequence.

Gets them engaged. Keeps them engaged.

In a relatable, distinctive voice, Blitzer motivates students of diverse backgrounds and majors by engaging them through real-world applications of the math. Pathways to College Mathematics, 2nd Edition is a general survey of topics that prepares students for a variety of college math courses (primarily liberal arts mathematics, quantitative reasoning, statistics, finite mathematics, and mathematics for education majors). The content does go deep enough to prepare students for Intermediate Algebra or College Algebra.

Hallmark features of this title

  • Learning objectives, clearly stated at the start of each section, are framed in the context of a question so students can recognize and focus on the section's most important ideas.
  • Examples are clearly written and provide students with detailed step-by-step solutions. No steps are omitted and each step is thoroughly explained.
  • Concept and Vocabulary Checks provide fill-in-the-blank and true/false exercises that assess students' understanding of the definitions and concepts presented in the section
  • Extensive exercise sets offer many exercise types including Practice exercises, Practice Plus problems, Application exercises, Explaining the Concepts exercises, Technology exercises, Group exercises, and much more.

New and updated features of this title

  • Chapter P (Prealgebra Pathways) accommodates students needing additional review of prealgebra concepts. An entire chapter is now dedicated to topics such as whole numbers, fractions, decimals, percents, bar graphs, circle graphs and line graphs.
  • Mid-chapter Check Points review exercises allow students to review and assimilate the skills and concepts they learned separately over several sections.
  • 4 “Make Sense?” critical-thinking exercises in each exercise set test students' conceptual understanding by asking them to determine if statements are sensible, and to explain why or why not. They can be also used for classroom discussion. Instructors can ask students what they think about selected statements, determine whether they understand the concepts and provide feedback.
  • New applications and real-world data includes 58 worked-out examples and 23 applications containing updated data from the previous edition.
  • New topics for STEM students include modeling mixture problems with systems of equations (section 3.4) and right triangle trigonometry (section 6.6).
  • New Blitzer Bonuses: These enrichment essays provide historical, interdisciplinary, and otherwise interesting connections to the mathematics under study, showing students that math is an interesting and dynamic discipline.

Features of MyLab Math for the 2nd Edition

  • New Skill Builder exercises offer just-in-time additional adaptive practice:
    • The adaptive engine tracks student performance and delivers questions to each individual that adapt to their level of understanding.
    • This new feature allows instructors to assign fewer questions for homework, allowing students to complete as many or as few questions as they need.
  • Mindset Module is now available in the course, with mindset-focused videos and exercises that encourage students to maintain a positive attitude about learning, value their own ability to grow, and view mistakes as learning opportunities. 

P. Prealgebra Pathways

  • P.1 Whole Numbers
  • P.2 Fractions and Mixed Numbers
  • P.3 Simplifying Fractions; Operations with Fractions
  • P.4 Decimals
  • Mid-Chapter Check Point
  • P.5 Operations with Decimals
  • P.6 Fractions and Decimals
  • P.7 Percents, Decimals, and Fractions
  • Chapter P Summary
  • Review Exercises
  • Chapter P Test

1. Numerical Pathways

  • 1.1 Sets, Venn Diagrams, and Set Operations
  • 1.2 The Integers; Order of Operations
  • 1.3 The Rational Numbers
  • 1.4 The Irrational Numbers
  • Mid-Chapter Check Point
  • 1.5 Real Numbers and their Properties
  • 1.6 Exponents and Scientific Notation
  • 1.7 Arithmetic and Geometric Sequences
  • Chapter 1 Summary
  • Review Exercises
  • Chapter 1 Test

2. Algebraic Pathways: Equations and Inequalities

  • 2.1 Algebraic Expression and Formulas
  • 2.2 Linear Equations in One Variable
  • 2.3 Applications of Linear Equalities
  • Mid-Chapter Check Point
  • 2.4 Ratios, Rates, and Proportions
  • 2.5 Modeling Using Variation
  • 2.6 Linear Equalities in One Variable
  • Chapter 2 Summary
  • Review Exercises
  • Chapter 2 Test

3. Algebraic Pathways: Graphs, Functions, Linear Functions, and Linear Systems

  • 3.1 Graphing and Functions
  • 3.2 Linear Functions and Their Graphs
  • 3.3 The Point-Slope Form of the Equation of a Line; Scatter Plots and Regression Lines
  • Mid-Chapter Check Point
  • 3.4 Systems of Linear Equations in Two Variables
  • 3.5 Linear Equalities in Two Variables
  • Chapter 3 Summary
  • Review Exercises
  • Chapter 3 Test

4. Algebraic Pathways: Polynomials, Quadratic Equations, and Quadratic Functions

  • 4.1 Operations with Polynomials; Polynomial Functions
  • 4.2 Factoring Polynomials
  • Mid-Chapter Check Point
  • 4.3 Solving Quadratic Equations by Factoring
  • 4.4 Solving Quadratic Equations by the Square Root Property and the Quadratic Formula
  • 4.5 Quadratic Functions and Their Graphs
  • Chapter 4 Summary
  • Review Exercises
  • Chapter 4 Test

5. Geometric Pathways: Measurement

  • 5.1 Measuring Length; The Metric System
  • 5.2 Measuring Area and Volume
  • Mid-Chapter Check Point
  • 5.3 Measuring Weight and Temperature
  • Chapter 5 Summary
  • Review Exercises
  • Chapter 5 Test

6. Geometric Pathways

  • 6.1 Points, Lines, Planes, and Angles
  • 6.2 Triangles
  • 6.3 Polygons, Perimeter, and Tessellations
  • Mid-Chapter Check Point
  • 6.4 Area and Circumference
  • 6.5 Volume
  • 6.6 A STEM Application: Right Triangle Trigonometry
  • Chapter 6 Summary
  • Review Exercises
  • Chapter 6 Test

7. Pathways to Probability: Counting Methods and Probability Theory

  • 7.1 The Fundamental Counting Principle
  • 7.2 Permutations
  • 7.3 Combinations
  • 7.4 Fundamentals of Probability
  • Mid-Chapter Check Point
  • 7.5 Probability with the Fundamental Counting Principle, Permutations, and Combinations
  • 7.6 Events Involving Not and Or; Odds
  • 7.7 Events Involving And; Conditional Probability
  • Chapter 7 Summary
  • Review Exercises
  • Chapter 7 Test

8. Statistical Pathways

  • 8.1 Sampling, Frequency Distributions, and Graphs
  • 8.2 Measures of Central Tendency
  • Mid-Chapter Check Point
  • 8.3 Measures of Dispersion
  • 8.4 The Normal Distribution
  • Chapter 8 Summary
  • Review Exercises
  • Chapter 8 Test

Answers to Selected Exercises

Subject Index

Index of Applications

About our author

Bob Blitzer is a native of Manhattan and received a Bachelor of Arts degree with dual majors in mathematics and psychology (minor: English literature) from the City College of New York. His unusual combination of academic interests led him toward a Master of Arts in mathematics from the University of Miami and a doctorate in behavioral sciences from Nova University. Bob's love for teaching mathematics was nourished for nearly 30 years at Miami Dade College, where he received numerous teaching awards, including Innovator of the Year from the League for Innovations in the Community College and an endowed chair based on excellence in the classroom. In addition to Pathways to College Mathematics, Bob has written textbooks covering developmental mathematics, algebra & trigonometry, trigonometry, college algebra, precalculus, and liberal arts mathematics, all published by Pearson. When not secluded in his Northern California writer's cabin, Bob can be found hiking the beaches and trails of Point Reyes National Seashore and tending to the chores required by his beloved entourage of horses, chickens, and irritable roosters.  

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