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Thinking Mathematically, 7th edition

Published by Pearson (January 2, 2018) © 2019

  • Robert F. Blitzer Miami Dade College

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For courses in Liberal Arts Mathematics.

Helps students see the world as mathematical and meaningful

Thinking Mathematically, 7th Edition captivates students with Blitzer's distinctive, relatable voice and compelling applications, which range from the value of online classes to modeling coronavirus cases to highest-paid celebrities. Understanding that most students in this course are not math majors, Blitzer shows students how truly relevant and fun math can be using current data compiled from hundreds of books, magazines and online sources. 

Hallmark features of this title

  • Compelling applications with real-world data appear in the chapter and section openers, exercise sets and Blitzer Bonus features.
  • Exercise sets include Concept and Vocabulary Checks, Practice Plus problems, Application exercises, Explaining the Concepts, Critical Thinking exercises, Technology exercises and Group exercises.
  • Annotated worked examples provide step-by-step solutions. Check Points follow every example and give students a chance to test their understanding.
  • Brief Reviews summarize prerequisite math skills and appear whenever a skill is first needed.
  • Voice balloons translate mathematical language into plain English, clarify problem-solving procedures, present alternative ways of understanding, and connect complex problems to basic concepts.

New and updated features of this title

  • Revised applications and real-world data: Over 100 new worked-out examples and exercises based on new data sets, and 104 examples and exercises based on updated data.  New applications include student-loan debt, movie rental options, measuring racial prejudice, and many more.
  • Revised Tax Tables in section 8.2 (Income Tax): Contains the most current federal marginal tax tables and FICA tax rates available.
  • New graphing calculator screens: all have been updated using the TI-84 Plus C.
  • New animations let students interact with the math in a visual, tangible way.  These animations allow students to explore and manipulate the mathematical concepts, leading to more durable understanding. 

Features of MyLab Math for the 7th Edition

  • New animations let students interact with the math in a visual, tangible way.  These animations allow students to explore and manipulate the mathematical concepts, leading to more durable understanding.  Corresponding exercises in MyLab Math make these truly assignable.
  • A completely new video program now provides instructional videos at the objective level, giving students comprehensive coverage of every objective in short, easy-to-digest clips.
  • New Interactive Concept Videos are available in MyLab Math:
    • After a brief explanation, the video pauses to ask students to try a problem on their own. Incorrect answers are followed by further explanation, taking into consideration what may have led to the student selecting that particular wrong answer. 
    • Incorrect answer ‘A' goes down one path while incorrect answer ‘B' provides a different explanation based on why the student may have selected that option.
  • (NOTE: Each chapter concludes with a Chapter Summary, Review, and Test, and a comprehensive Chapter Test.)
  1. Problem Solving and Critical Thinking
    • 1.1 Inductive and Deductive Reasoning
    • 1.2 Estimation, Graphs, and Mathematical Models
    • 1.3 Problem Solving
  2. Set Theory
    • 2.1 Basic Set Concepts
    • 2.2 Subsets
    • 2.3 Venn Diagrams and Set Operations
    • 2.4 Set Operations and Venn Diagrams with Three Sets
    • 2.5 Survey Problems
  3. Logic
    • 3.1 Statements, Negations, and Quantified Statements
    • 3.2 Compound Statements and Connectives
    • 3.3 Truth Tables for Negation, Conjunction, and Disjunction
    • 3.4 Truth Tables for the Conditional and the Biconditional
    • 3.5 Equivalent Statements and Variations of Conditional Statements
    • 3.6 Negations of Conditional Statements and De Morgan’s Laws
    • 3.7 Arguments and Truth Tables
    • 3.8 Arguments and Euler Diagrams
  4. Number Representation and Calculation
    • 4.1 Our Hindu-Arabic System and Early Positional Systems
    • 4.2 Number Bases in Positional Systems
    • 4.3 Computation in Positional Systems
    • 4.4 Looking Back at Early Numeration Systems
  5. Number Theory and the Real Number System
    • 5.1 Number Theory: Prime and Composite Numbers
    • 5.2 The Integers; Order of Operations
    • 5.3 The Rational Numbers
    • 5.4 The Irrational Numbers
    • 5.5 Real Numbers and Their Properties; Clock Addition
    • 5.6 Exponents and Scientific Notation
    • 5.7 Arithmetic and Geometric Sequences
  6. Algebra: Equations and Inequalities
    • 6.1 Algebraic Expressions and Formulas
    • 6.2 Linear Equations in One Variable and Proportions
    • 6.3 Applications of Linear Equations
    • 6.4 Linear Inequalities in One Variable
    • 6.5 Quadratic Equations
  7. Algebra: Graphs, Functions, and Linear Systems
    • 7.1 Graphing and Functions
    • 7.2 Linear Functions and Their Graphs
    • 7.3 Systems of Linear Equations in Two Variables
    • 7.4 Linear Inequalities in Two Variables
    • 7.5 Linear Programming
    • 7.6 Modeling Data: Exponential, Logarithmic, and Quadratic Functions
  8. Personal Finance
    • 8.1 Percent, Sales Tax, and Discounts
    • 8.2 Income Tax
    • 8.3 Simple Interest
    • 8.4 Compound Interest
    • 8.5 Annuities, Methods of Saving, and Investments
    • 8.6 Cars
    • 8.7 The Cost of Home Ownership
    • 8.8 Credit Cards
  9. Measurement
    • 9.1 Measuring Length; The Metric System
    • 9.2 Measuring Area and Volume
    • 9.3 Measuring Weight and Temperature
  10. Geometry
    • 10.1 Points, Lines, Planes, and Angles
    • 10.2 Triangles
    • 10.3 Polygons, Perimeter, and Tessellations
    • 10.4 Area and Circumference
    • 10.5 Volume and Surface Area
    • 10.6 Right Triangle Trigonometry
    • 10.7 Beyond Euclidean Geometry
  11. Counting Methods and Probability Theory
    • 11.1 The Fundamental Counting Principle
    • 11.2 Permutations
    • 11.3 Combinations
    • 11.4 Fundamentals of Probability
    • 11.5 Probability with the Fundamental Counting Principle, Permutations, and Combinations
    • 11.6 Events Involving Not and Or; Odds
    • 11.7 Events Involving And; Conditional Probability
    • 11.8 Expected Value
  12. Statistics
    • 12.1 Sampling, Frequency Distributions, and Graphs
    • 12.2 Measures of Central Tendency
    • 12.3 Measures of Dispersion
    • 12.4 The Normal Distribution
    • 12.5 Problem Solving with the Normal Distribution
    • 12.6 Scatter Plots, Correlation, and Regression Lines
  13. Voting and Apportionment
    • 13.1 Voting Methods
    • 13.2 Flaws of Voting Methods
    • 13.3 Apportionment Methods
    • 13.4 Flaws of Apportionment Methods
  14. Graph Theory
    • 14.1 Graphs, Paths, and Circuits
    • 14.2 Euler Paths and Euler Circuits
    • 14.3 Hamilton Paths and Hamilton Circuits
    • 14.4 Trees
  • Answers to Selected Exercises
  • Credits
  • Subject Index

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 Thinking Mathematically, Bob has written textbooks covering developmental mathematics, algebra & trigonometry, trigonometry, college algebra, and precalculus, 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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