R U Ready For Calculus I ? INSTRUCTIONS ฿฿฿฿฿฿฿฿฿฿฿฿ To browse through this document, use the following keys : Home : takes you to the beginning of the document (here). End : takes you to the end of the document. PgUp : takes you up one page. PgDn : takes you down one page. Up Arrow : takes you up one line. Dn Arrow : takes you down one line. Ctrl P : prints this document (IBM graphics printing capability required). Esc : takes you back to the main menu. If you look at the bottom left hand side of the screen, you will see these commands highlighted. The right hand side displays the length of the document, together with the lines you are currently viewing. You do not need to use the RETURN (or ENTER) key. Just press any key and it will be accepted. Why don't you press the down-arrow key now? If nothing happens, check that the Number Lock key is disabled. Now that was easy, wasn't it! Now try PgDn, and you are on your own. THE PROBLEM ฿฿฿฿฿฿฿฿฿฿฿ One of the problems we encounter while teaching calculus is that many students do not have the mathematical skills which are essential for success. This is true even though the prerequisite courses (College Algebra and Trig) have been passed. Let me put it another way. I think the main reason that students do poorly in calculus has little to do with the course itself. It has to do with poor or forgotten algebra and trig skills. Even students who have received an "A" in algebra or trig have trouble with calculus. This is because some of the material which they did not master in algebra and trig is essential for success in calculus. To address this problem, the Mathematics Department of the University of Arizona decided to do the following. Write a computer program which a student can use before starting calculus. This program would quiz the student on all sections of algebra and trig which are essential to calculus. In other words, it would not review all of college algebra and trigonometry, but would concentrate on those areas which are actually needed in calculus. The quiz would not be part of the student's record. In fact the University would have no knowledge of it. The whole purpose of the program would be to hone the student's skills in those parts of algebra and trig which are essential for success in calculus. This program should be available at minimum cost and could be run anywhere a student has access to an MS-DOS machine. We should supply the computer labs on campus with copies of the program. We should also make it freely available to high schools. Finally, we should upload it to bulletin boards across the country so that students at universities, colleges, and high schools throughout the USA can benefit from it. For my sins, I was asked to write such a program, and this, together with a corresponding program for Business Calculus, is the result. We have also created and released similar programs for other courses, viz. Calculus II, Calculus III, and Ordinary Differential Equations. This program is designed to be self-contained. All you have to know are the keys used to browse through a document. There is nothing else to remember (except algebra and trig!). If you find any mistakes, or if you have any suggestions, or have an overwhelming desire to express an opinion, please feel free to contact me. Please mention that this is Version 2.O5 of RURCI. David Lovelock, Department of Mathematics, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85721. Tel (602)-621-6855 (my office). Tel (602)-621-6893 (departmental office). ษอออออออออออออออออออออออออออออออออออออออออออออออออออออออออออออออออออออออออออป บ บ บ This program may be freely distributed by any means, including bulletin บ บ boards, provided that there is no fee or charge or consideration of any บ บ kind involved which is in excess of $8. However, I retain all the rights บ บ to this program. บ บ บ ศอออออออออออออออออออออออออออออออออออออออออออออออออออออออออออออออออออออออออออผ After you exit from these instructions (by pressing the ESC key) you should attempt the review quizzes. Each quiz has a help document which can be read the same way you are reading this document. Each quiz consists of 10 questions. After you complete all 10 questions, the program will assess your performance. If you know the material sufficiently well you will be so advised. Otherwise the program will recommend that you work on specific problem areas before re-attempting the same review. ษอออออออออออออออออออออออออออออออออออออออออออออออออออออออออออออออออออออออออออป บ Some advice so that you can get the most out of this review. บ บ บ บ 1) ALWAYS use paper and pencil. บ บ 2) ALWAYS start from the question and work towards an answer. บ บ DO NOT start from the answers and work towards the question - some บ บ questions can be done this way, but that won't help you with calculus. บ บ 3) DO NOT use a calculator - many instructors prohibit their use. บ บ 4) Remember this review is for your benefit - take it seriously. If you บ บ don't understand something fully, admit it, AND DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT! บ บ 5) If you don't know why you missed a question, copy it down, along with บ บ all the answers, and take it to your instructor for help. Most บ บ instructors are human and are quite happy to help a serious student! บ บ บ ศอออออออออออออออออออออออออออออออออออออออออออออออออออออออออออออออออออออออออออผ If you have a CGA graphics card, you may have seen flickering (snow) on this and the initial screen. By selecting SNOW ON or SNOW OFF from the main menu, this effect can usually be reduced. In case you inadvertently go to this point, the end of the document, and have already forgotten which keys to use, here they are again. Home : takes you to the beginning of the document. End : takes you to the end of the document (here). PgUp : takes you up one page. PgDn : takes you down one page. Up Arrow : takes you up one line. Dn Arrow : takes you down one line. Ctrl P : prints this document (IBM graphics printing capability required). Esc : takes you back to the main menu. This is the end of the Instructions. Press the ESC key to return to the main menu.