The prerequisites for this course are the successful completion of Basic Math Skills MATD 0330 or the equivalent knowledge. Some objectives in the Basic Math Skills course follow: knowledge of the operations with fractions, decimals, and integers and these same operations with simple polynomials; additionally, Basic Math Skills students gain a facility with basic exponent laws, an ability to solve first-degree equations, and some knowledge of geometric shapes and formulas. Finally, Basic Math Skills students become able to solve application problems, those leading to linear equations in one variable, ratio and proportion problems, percentage problems, and to use given data to estimate values and to evaluate basic geometric formulas.

The sections from our text will be covered in the sequence described in the calendar below.

It is recommended that students read the sections from the on-line text previous to attending the classes for the week that each is assigned.

A brief summary of the objectives of MATD 0370 follows:

1. Description, classification, use of properties, operations and simplification of expressions involving whole numbers, integers, and rational numbers and polynomials.                                  
2. Thorough knowledge of factoring of polynomials
3. Understand and use the exponent laws involving integer exponents
4. Understand and use scientific notation in calculations and applications
5. Solve the following types of equations: linear equations in one variable, systems of two linear equations, quadratic equations using factoring and the quadratic formula, literal equations, and create and solve applications involving the preceding types of equations and those which relate to ratio and proportion, and the Pythagorean Theorem
6. Use given data to estimate values and to evaluate geometric and other formulas
7. Graphing including the use of the concepts of slope and intercept and recognition and use of standard, point-slope, or slope-intercept forms of a line
8. Simplify perfect square radical expressions and find decimal approximations for others.

A complete list of course objectives is on the Mathematics department website: http://www.austincc.edu/math.

Elementary Algebra is designed to provide students with the mathematical foundation and personal confidence to enable them to use mathematics in their future lives.  This course is designed to prepare students for Intermediate Algebra and the algebra-based courses, which follow it.  It may also provide them with sufficient preparation to be able to pass the math portion of the THEA or TCOMP