Finite Mathematics Solving Problems in Business, Economics, and the Social and Behavioral Sciences

Audience In preparing to write this text, we talked with many of our colleagues who teach a finite math course to find out if they experienced the same difficulties in teaching this course. What we learned is that while there is very little similarity in the topics covered or in how much time is spent on each area, there is remarkable uniformity in the needs of students who enroll in these diverse courses. Professors at Community Colleges, Universities, and Liberal Arts Colleges all told us that their students are generally unmotivated, unsure of their algebra skills, and uncomfortable with translating English into mathematics and knowing how to set up problems for solution. Armed with this knowledge, we set out to write a new Finite Math text that would address these fundamental needs. As with other Finite Mathematics textbooks, our text may be used in either a one or two term course for students majoring in economics, business, social, or behavioral sciences. We have organized the topics for maximum flexibility so that the text may be adapted to any college or university's curriculum. However, that is where the similarity ends. We have crafted this book around six key principles designed to address student's needs: Present the mathematics in language that students can read and understand Teach good problem solving techniques and provide ample practice Use real data applications to keep it interesting Provide timely reinforcement of algebra and other essential skills Let Instructor's decide whether to incorporate technology Present Probability and Statistics with clarity and precision Present the Mathematics in Language That Students Can Read and Understand By writing this text in a conversational, easy-to-read style, we strive to evoke the one-on-one communication of a tutorial session. When students find that they can understand the clear presentation and follow the interesting, real world examples, we believe they will get into the habit of reading the text. Although we have written a text that is accessible, we have been careful not to sacrifice the proper depth of coverage and necessary rigor required of finite mathematics. We are confident both objectives have been met. Teach Good Problem Solving Techniques and Provide Ample Practice Problem Solving Sections Before explaining how to solve an entire class of problems, we provide a special section that demonstrates how to apply the appropriate mathematical tools to analyze a given type of problem. For example, the first section of the book,Problem Solving: Linear Equations,introduces our general approach to problem solving and then addresses the challenge of analyzing a word problem and translating the words into mathematical expressions; after which we examine the more complex situation of writing a word problem as a system of linear, equations. The other dedicated problem solving sections introduce strategies and techniques for solving each type of problem. Section 3.1,Problem Solving: Linear Inequalitiesreviews writing linear models and solving linear inequalities, both of which are vital skills for solving linear programming problems. Section 6.1,Problem Solving: Probability and Statisticsexplains some basic concepts in probability and statistics such as probability experiment, mutual exclusivity, and ordered samples. Many of the exercises in these problem solving sections prepare students for subsequent sections because they introduce exercises that are solved later in the textbook. Reviewer feedback was enthusiastic on these sections which indicated to us that we were pursuing an approach that many felt was lacking in this area. Problem Solving Method To help students solve problems in finite mathematics, we developed a problem solving method that is used throughout the entire text. Many revieArmstrong, Bill is the author of 'Finite Mathematics Solving Problems in Business, Economics, and the Social and Behavioral Sciences', published 2002 under ISBN 9780130199584 and ISBN 0130199583.