The Math Dude's Quick and Dirty Guide to

A plane leaves New York going 400 m.p.h. Another plane leaves Los Angeles going 350 m.p.h...Yikes! Those dreaded word problems have instilled math phobia in generations of students. Now, The Math Dudeis here to take the agony out of algebra. In The Math Dude's Quick and Dirty Guide to Algebra,Jason Marshall, host of the top ranked Math Dudepodcast, kicks things off with a short, basic-training course to review simple math principles you'll need to get started. Once you've mastered the key concepts, you'll be ready to move on to the main event: understanding algebra. Whether discussing polynomials or giving step-by-step instruction on how to use order of operations to solve equations, Jason's clear, easyto- follow explanations and relevant, real-world examples will have even the most math-averse student basking in an a-ha moment. The book is also loaded with test-taking tips, quick and dirty math memory tricks, and advice for avoiding common mistakes that will help the lessons stick for years (and tests) to come. The bottom line is this: Algebra is the basic math that underlies most of everyday life. The Math Dudeconnects the dots and shows you that you already know a lot more than you think.

When not writing and hosting the Math Dude’s Quick and Dirty Tips to Make Math Easier podcast, Jason Marshall works as a staff research scientist at the California Institute of Technology (Caltech) studying the infrared light emitted by starburst galaxies and quasars. Before that, he was a postdoctoral scholar at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL). Jason obtained a PhD from Cornell University, where he worked with the team of astronomers that built the IRS (nothing to do with taxes) instrument for the Spitzer Space Telescope and helped teach many physics and astronomy classes. In addition to these astronomical pursuits, Jason has many earthly interests: traveling the world, tinkering with technology, watching and playing soccer, and spending time with his wife, Shannon, fixing up their small but increasingly comfortable Los Angeles area home.

Introduction	p. 1
What Can This Book Do for You?	p. 1
How Should You Use This Book?	p. 7
Prologue: Why Math Isn't An Awful Nerd	p. 9
Basic Number Properties	p. 10
Basic Arithmetic	p. 11
Let the Game Begin!	p. 13
Looking for Patterns in Numbers	p. 17
Exponents and Perfect Squares	p. 19
A Surprising Sequence of Numbers	p. 20
Wrap-up	p. 26
Final Exam	p. 27
What Is Algebra, Really?
Taking Algebra To The Streets	p. 33
The Secret Algebra You've Already Been Doing	p. 34
Using Variables	p. 38
Writing Equations	p. 40
What's the Point of Algebra?	p. 42
Square Roots	p. 46
The Pythagorean Theorem	p. 49
Why Algebra Matters in the Real World	p. 56
Algebra in Your Backyard	p. 62
Algebra Tutorial: How to Make a Graph	p. 63
Challenge Problems	p. 71
Final Exam	p. 72
Algebra Basics	p. 76
What Are Variables?	p. 77
How Do Variables Work?	p. 82
What Are Algebraic Expressions?	p. 86
Algebra Tutorial: The Order of Operations	p. 88
Algebra Tutorial: Practice Problem	p. 92
Intro to Equations	p. 95
Halftime Recap	p. 99
How You Should Think About Equations	p. 106
Algebra Tutorial: How to Solve an Equation	p. 107
Algebra Tutorial: How to Solve an Algebra Problem	p. 123
Wrap-up	p. 129
Final Exam	p. 130
Understanding Algebra Better
Walk The Number Line	p. 135
A Brief History of Numbers	p. 136
Algebra and Decimal Numbers	p. 141
Algebra and the Number Line	p. 143
Absolute Values	p. 144
Number Boot Camp	p. 155
Linear Equations	p. 164
Algebra Tutorial: How to Solve Single Variable Linear Equations	p. 167
Linear Equations with Absolute Values	p. 174
Algebra Tutorial: How to Solve Absolute Value Equations	p. 176
Linear Inequalities	p. 179
Algebra Tutorial: How to Solve Linear Inequalities	p. 181
Wrap-up	p. 193
Final Exam	p. 194
Arithmetic 2.0: Math With Variables, Exponents, And Roots	p. 197
Arithmetic 1.0: Preparing for Algebra	p. 198
Doing Arithmetic with "Real" Numbers	p. 201
Arithmetic 2.0 (Here Comes the Algebra)	p. 214
Algebra Tutorial: How to Simplify Expressions	p. 220
Math Properties	p. 223
Algebra Tutorial: How to Combine Like Terms	p. 238
Exponentiation	p. 240
Roots	p. 248
Exponentiation and Roots Combined	p. 254
Irrational Exponents	p. 256
Can You Remind Me of the Point of Algebra?	p. 259
Final Exam	p. 260
Solving Algebra Problems
Polynomials, Functions, And Beyond	p. 265
What Are Polynomials?	p. 266
Evaluating Polynomials	p. 274
Functions	p. 279
Visualizing Polynomial Functions	p. 287
How to Solve Problems with Polynomials	p. 296
Algebra Tutorial: How to Find and Write the Equations of Lines	p. 300
Equations of Horizontal and Vertical Lines	p. 309
Systems of Equations	p. 320
Algebra Tutorial: How to Solve a System of Equations	p. 321
Systems of Inequalities	p. 328
Algebra Tutorial: How to Solve a System of Inequalities	p. 329
Challenge Problem #1	p. 333
Final Exam	p. 335
The Root Of The Problem	p. 339
Challenge Problem #2	p. 339
Roots of Polynomials	p. 344
Factoring Polynomials	p. 360
Algebra Tutorial: How to Factor Polynomials	p. 372
Solving Quadratic Equations	p. 383
Challenge Problem #3	p. 401
Game Over?	p. 409
Final Exam	p. 410
The Math Dude's Solutions	p. 413
Acknowledgments	p. 475
Index	p. 477
Table of Contents provided by Ingram. All Rights Reserved.

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The Math Dude's Quick and Dirty Guide to Algebra

Summary

Author Biography

Table of Contents

Supplemental Materials