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Finite Mathematics, 12th edition

Published by Pearson (April 9, 2021) © 2022

  • Margaret L. Lial American River College
  • Raymond N. Greenwell Hofstra University
  • Nathan P Ritchey Kent State University
  • Geoffrey Krader Morton College

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For 1-semester/1-2 quarter finite mathematics courses for business, economics, social sciences or life sciences.

An applied presentation that makes math meaningful

Finite Mathematics, 12th Edition prepares students for career success with timely applications throughout. Known for using real data in their examples and exercises, the authors make mathematics relevant and accessible in the exposition, examples, exercise sets and supplementary resources. Students have ample opportunity to relate what they're learning to career situations through the Apply It question at the beginning of sections, the applied examples and exercises, and the Extended Application at the end of each chapter. 

Hallmark features of this title

  • An Apply It question typically at the start of a section poses a real-world question that is then answered within the examples or exercises. 
  • Extended Applications at the end of each chapter provide in-depth applied exercises that can be completed individually or as a group project.
  • Your Turn Exercises follow selected examples and enable students to check their understanding. Answers are provided at the end of the section's exercises. 
  • Chapter Review Exercises include Concept Check exercises and a set of Practice and Exploration exercises, useful for exam prep.
  • For Review boxes in the margins give students just-in-time help with skills that may need refreshing.
  • Tech Notes: Material on graphing calculators and Microsoft® Excel® is clearly labeled.

New and updated features of this title

  • Approximately 12 percent of the exercises are new or updated, improving data and applications. This includes nearly 300 new exercises written for the 12th Edition.
  • More "help text" annotations have been added to examples. These notes, set in small blue type, appear next to the steps within worked-out examples and provide an additional aid for students with weaker algebra skills.
  • All answers in the Annotated Instructor's Edition are now located in one place at the back, saving time and page-flipping to find answers.
  • Significant content revisions, reorganization and updates have been made throughout, particularly in Chapters 4 (Linear Programming), 6 (Logic), 7 (Sets and Probability), 8 (Counting Principles), and much more.


Features of MyLab Math for the 12th Edition

  • A built-inIntegrated Review option offers pre-assigned diagnostic and remediation resources for key prerequisite skills. 
  • All  MyLab  Math exercises have been reviewed and edited as needed for improved quality and fidelity to the text.
  • Hundreds of new exercises have been added to the course, including more application exercises throughout the text, Setup & Solve exercises that require students to specify how to set up a problem as well as how to solve it, and exercises added to chapters and sections that were more widely assigned, based on data from the previous edition. 
  • An expanded suite of interactive figures: Created in GeoGebra, these figures illustrate key concepts and can be manipulated by users. They can be used in lectures or independently by students. 
  • Student's Solutions Manual available within MyLab Math provides detailed solutions to all odd-numbered text exercises and sample chapter tests with answers.
  • Graphing Calculator and Excel Manuals are available within MyLab Math under Video & Resource Library > Learning Tools as well as at bit.ly/3kSaDDT. 

Preface

Prerequisite Skills Diagnostic Test

R. Algebra Reference
R.1 Polynomials
R.2 Factoring
R.3 Rational Expressions
R.4 Equations
R.5 Inequalities
R.6 Exponents
R.7 Radicals

1. Linear Functions
1.1 Slopes and Equations of Lines
1.2 Linear Functions and Applications
1.3 The Least Squares Line
Chapter 1 Review
Extended Application: Predicting Life Expectancy

2. Systems of Linear Equations and Matrices
2.1 Solution of Linear Systems by the Echelon Method
2.2 Solution of Linear Systems by the Gauss-Jordan Method
2.3 Addition and Subtraction of Matrices
2.4 Multiplication of Matrices
2.5 Matrix Inverses
2.6 Input-Output Models
Chapter 2 Review
Extended Application: Contagion

3. Linear Programming: The Graphical Method
3.1 Graphing Linear Inequalities
3.2 Solving Linear Programming Problems Graphically
3.3 Applications of Linear Programming
Chapter 3 Review
Extended Application: Sensitivity Analysis

4. Linear Programming: The Simplex Method
4.1 Slack Variables and the Pivot
4.2 Maximization Problems
4.3 Minimization Problems; Duality
4.4 Nonstandard Problems
Chapter 4 Review
Extended Application: Using Integer Programming in the Stock-Cutting
Problem

5. Mathematics of Finance
5.1 Simple and Compound Interest
5.2 Future Value of an Annuity
5.3 Present Value of an Annuity; Amortization
Chapter 5 Review
Extended Application: Time, Money, and Polynomials

6. Logic
6.1 Statements
6.2 Truth Tables and Equivalent Statements
6.3 The Conditional and Circuits
6.4 More on the Conditional
6.5 Analyzing Arguments and Proofs
6.6 Analyzing Arguments with Quantifiers
Chapter 6 Review
Extended Application: Logic Puzzles

7. Sets and Probability
7.1 Sets
7.2 Applications of Venn Diagrams
7.3 Introduction to Probability
7.4 Basic Concepts of Probability
7.5 Conditional Probability; Independent Events
7.6 Bayes' Theorem
Chapter 7 Review
Extended Application: Medical Diagnosis

8. Counting Principles; Further Probability Topics
8.1 The Multiplication Principle; Permutations
8.2 Combinations
8.3 Probability Applications of Counting Principles
8.4 Binomial Probability
8.5 Probability Distributions; Expected Value
Chapter 8 Review
Extended Application: Optimal Inventory for a Service Truck

9. Statistics
9.1 Frequency Distributions; Measures of Central Tendency
9.2 Measures of Variation
9.3 The Normal Distribution
9.4 Normal Approximation to the Binomial Distribution
Chapter 9 Review
Extended Application Statistics in the Law--the Castaneda Decision

10. Markov Chains
10.1 Basic Properties of Markov Chains
10.2 Regular Markov Chains
10.3 Absorbing Markov Chains
Chapter 10 Review
Extended Application: A Markov Chain Model for Teacher Retention

11. Game Theory
11.1 Strictly Determined Games
11.2 Mixed Strategies
11.3 Game Theory and Linear Programming
Chapter 11 Review
Extended Application: The Prisoner's Dilemma--Non-Zero-Sum Games in Economics

Appendix
A. Solutions to Prerequisite Skills Diagnostic Test
B. Logarithms
C. Area Under a Normal Curve
Answers to Selected Exercises
Credits
Index of Applications
Index
Sources

About our authors

Marge Lial  (late) was always interested in math; it was her favorite subject in the first grade! Marge's intense desire to educate both her students and herself has inspired the writing of numerous best-selling textbooks. Marge, who received bachelor's and master's degrees from California State University at Sacramento, was affiliated with American River College. An avid reader and traveler, her travel experiences often found their way into her books as applications, exercise sets, and feature sets. Her interest in archeology led to trips to various digs and ruin sites, producing some fascinating problems for her textbooks involving such topics as the building of Mayan pyramids and the acoustics of ancient ball courts in the Yucatan.

Raymond N. Greenwell  earned a B.A. in Mathematics and Physics from the University of San Diego, and an M.S. in Statistics, an M.S. in Applied Mathematics, and a Ph.D. in Applied Mathematics from Michigan State University, where he earned the graduate student teaching award in 1979. After teaching at Albion College in Michigan for 4 years, he moved to Hofstra University in 1983, where he currently is Professor of Mathematics.

Raymond has published articles on fluid mechanics, mathematical biology, genetic algorithms, combinatorics, statistics, and undergraduate mathematics education. He is a member of MAA, AMS, SIAM, NCTM, and AMATYC. He has served as governor of the Metropolitan New York Section of the MAA, as well as webmaster and liaison coordinator, and he received a distinguished service award from the Section in 2003. He is an outdoor enthusiast and leads trips in the Sierra Club's Inner City Outings program.

Nathan P. Ritchey  earned a B.A. in Mathematics with a minor in Music from Mansfield University of Pennsylvania. He earned a M.S. in Applied Mathematics and a Ph.D. in Mathematics from Carnegie Mellon University. He is former chair of the Department of Mathematics and Statistics at Youngstown State University and is currently serving as the dean of the College of Science and Health Professions at Edinboro University. He has published articles in economics, honors education, medicine, mathematics, operations research, and student recruitment. Nate is a Consultant/Evaluator for the North Central Association's Higher Learning Commission and regularly participates in program evaluations.

In recognition of his numerous activities, Nate has received the Distinguished Professor Award for University Service, the Youngstown Vindicator's "People Who Make a Difference Award," the Watson Merit Award for Department Chairs, the Spirit in Education Award from the SunTex corporation, and the Provost's Merit Award for significant contributions to the Honors Program. 

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