Understanding our Quantitative World
    by Janet Andersen and Todd Swanson
    (ISBN:0-88385-738-3)




This text is intended for a general education mathematics course. The authors focus on the topics that they believe students will likely encounter after college. These topics fall into the two main themes of functions and statistics. After the concept of a function is introduced and various representations are explored, specific types of functions (linear, exponential, logarithmic, periodic, power, and multivariable) are investigated. These functions are explored symbolically, graphically, and numerically and are used to describe real world phenomena. On the theme of statistics, the authors focus on different types of statistical graphs and simple descriptive statistics. Linear regression, as well as exponential and power regression, is also introduced. Simple types of probability problems as well as the idea of sampling and confidence intervals are the last topics covered in the text.

The text is written in a conversational tone. Each section begins by setting the mathematics within a context and ends with an application. The questions at the end of each section are called Reading Questions because students are expected to be able to answer most of these after carefully reading the text.

Activities and Class Exercises are also found at the end of each section. These activities are taken from public sources such as newspapers, magazines, and the World Wide Web. Doing these activities demonstrates to students that they can use mathematics as a tool in interpreting quantitative information they encounter outside of academics. The course is designed to allow students to spend most of their time in class working in groups on the activities. Rather than having students passively listen, this approach requires students to read, discuss, and apply mathematics. The text assumes that students will have access to some type of technology such as a graphing calculator.

To purchase a copy of the text visit https://www.maa.org/EbusPPRO/Bookstore/ProductDetail/tabid/170/Default.aspx?ProductId=1618
For TI-83 calculator program downloads used in the text visit http://www.math.hope.edu/swanson/calculator/programs.html.