Includes bibliographical references and index.

Introduction -- Getting started with pre-calculus. Pre-pre-calculus ; Playing with real numbers ; The building blocks of pre-calculus functions ; Operating on functions ; Digging out and using roots to graph polynomial functions ; Exponential and logarithmic functions -- The essentials of trigonometry. Circling in on angles ; Simplifying the graphing and transformation of trig functions ; Identifying with trid identities: the basics ; Advanced identities: your keys to success ; Taking charge of oblique triangles with the laws of sines and cosines -- Analytic geometry and system solving. Plane thinking: complex numbers and polar coordinates ; Creating conics by slicing cones ; Streamlining systems, managing variables ; Sequences, series, and expanding binomials for the real world ; Onward to calculus -- The part of tens. Ten polar graphs ; Ten habits to adjust before calculus

Pre-calculus courses have become increasingly popular with 35 percent of students in the U.S. taking the course in middle or high school. Often, completion of such a course is a prerequisite for calculus and other upper level mathematics courses. Pre-Calculus For Dummies is an invaluable resource for students enrolled in pre-calculus courses. By presenting the essential topics in a clear and concise manner, the book helps students improve their understanding of pre-calculus and become prepared for upper level math courses

In English text.