MAT 149 Precalculus

Welcome to the Oakton Community College MAT 149 course home page. Here you will find information shared by all sections of the course. In the frame to the left there are a number of useful links including the textbook web site, if there is one, and the generic course syllabus. Further down this frame there are links to individual instructors' resources for their specific sections.  

Prerequisites
MAT 053 or geometry proficiency; and MAT 120 or the equivalent with a grade of C or better, or an appropriate score on the OCC Mathematics Assessment test.

Course Description
This course focuses on the study of functions including polynomial, rational, exponential, logarithmic and trigonometric functions. Additional topics include the conic sections, series, parametric equations, and polar equations. Use of technology is integrated throughout.

Course Objectives

A. Understand the concepts of relations and functions.
B. Understand the basic characteristics and graphs for the following functions: polynomial, rational, exponential, logarithmic, trigonometric and inverse trigonometric.
C. Apply algebraic techniques to trigonometric expressions, identities, and triangles.
D. Understand the basic characteristics and graphs of the conic sections.
E. Understand the concepts associated with vectors and their operations.
F. Apply the concepts of sequences and series.
G. Understand parametric equations.
H. Understand polar equations.
I. Use technology for graphing and evaluating functions.

1. Generate the complete graph for the elementary functions.
2. Solve equations involving elementary functions.

Instructional Materials

Required Textbook: Precalculus by Judith A. Beecher, Judith A. Penna, and Marvin L. Bittinger, 2^nd Edition, Addison-Wesley, 2005.

A graphics calculator is required. A TI-83 will be used for instructional purposes.

Send corrections and comments to  pboisver@oakton.edu.