Precalculus Essentials (5^th Ed.)

Show students that our world is profoundly mathematical

Bob Blitzer continues to inspire students with his engaging approach to mathematics, making this beloved series the #1 in the market year after year. Blitzer draws on his unique background in mathematics and behavioral science to present a wide range of vivid applications in real-life situations. Students of all majors stay engaged because Blitzer uses pop-culture and up-to-date references to connect math to students’ lives, showing that our world is profoundly mathematical.

With the new edition, Blitzer takes student engagement with the mathematical world to a whole new level drawing from applications across all fields as well as topics that are of interest to any college student (e.g., student loan debt, grade inflation, sleep hours of college students). Applications are also brought to life online in a new, assignable video series that explore the entertaining and mathematical Blitzer Bonus boxes. The new edition also aims to help more students to succeed in the course with just-in-time support in the text--such as Brief Review of prerequisite topics, Achieving Success boxes, and Retain the Concepts exercises--as well as support within MyLab™ Math such as new concept-level videos, assignable tools to enhance visualization, and more.

Also available with MyLab Math

MyLab™ Math is an online homework, tutorial, and assessment program designed to work with this text to engage students and improve results. Within its structured environment, students practice what they learn, test their understanding, and pursue a personalized study plan that helps them absorb course material and understand difficult concepts. The new edition continues to expand the comprehensive auto-graded exercise options. In addition, MyLab Math includes new options designed to help students of all levels and majors to stay engaged and succeed in the course. 

Note: You are purchasing a standalone product; MyLab does not come packaged with this content. Students, if interested in purchasing this title with MyLab, ask your instructor for the correct package ISBN and Course ID. Instructors, contact your Pearson representative for more information.

If you would like to purchase both the physical text and MyLab, search for:

0134556127 / 9780134556123 Precalculus Essentials Plus MyLab Math with Pearson eText -- Access Card Package, 6/e

• 0134578155 / 9780134578156 Precalculus Essentials 
• 0321431308 / 9780321431301 MyLab Math -- Glue-in Access Card
• 0321654064 / 9780321654069 MyLab Math Inside Star Sticker

P. Prerequisites: Fundamental Concepts of Algebra

P.1 Algebraic Expressions, Mathematical Models, and Real Numbers

P.2 Exponents and Scientific Notation

P.3 Radicals and Rational Exponents

P.4 Polynomials

P.5 Factoring Polynomials

P.6 Rational Expressions

1. Functions and Graphs

1.1 Graphs and Graphing Utilities

1.2 Basics of Functions and Their Graphs

1.3 More on Functions and Their Graphs

1.4 Linear Functions and Slope

1.5 More on Slope

1.6 Transformations of Functions

1.7 Combinations of Functions; Composite Functions

1.8 Inverse Functions

1.9 Distance and Midpoint Formulas; Circles

2. Polynomial and Rational Functions

2.1 Complex Numbers

2.2 Quadratic Functions

2.3 Polynomial Functions and Their Graphs

2.4 Dividing Polynomials; Remainder and Factor Theorems

2.5 Zeros of Polynomial Functions

2.6 Rational Functions and Their Graphs

2.7 Polynomial and Rational Inequalities

2.8 Modeling Using Variation

3. Exponential and Logarithmic Functions

3.1 Exponential Functions

3.2 Logarithmic Functions

3.3 Properties of Logarithms

3.4 Exponential and Logarithmic Equations

3.5 Exponential Growth and Decay; Modeling Data

4. Trigonometric Functions

4.1 Angles and Radian Measure

4.2 Trigonometric Functions: The Unit Circle

4.3 Right Triangle Trigonometry

4.4 Trigonometric Functions of Any Angle

4.5 Graphs of Sine and Cosine Functions

4.6 Graphs of Other Trigonometric Functions

4.7 Inverse Trigonometric Functions

4.8 Applications of Trigonometric Functions

5. Analytic Trigonometry

5.1 Verifying Trigonometric Identities

5.2 Sum and Difference Formulas

5.3 Double-Angle, Power-Reducing, and Half-Angle Formulas

5.4 Product-to-Sum and Sum-to-Product Formulas

5.5 Trigonometric Equations

6. Additional Topics in Trigonometry

6.1 The Law of Sines

6.2 The Law of Cosines

6.3 Polar Coordinates

6.4 Graphs of Polar Equations

6.5 Complex Numbers in Polar Form; DeMoivre's Theorem

6.6 Vectors

6.7 The Dot Product

Bob Blitzer is a native of Manhattan and received a Bachelor of Arts degree with dual majors in mathematics and psychology (minor: English literature) from the City College of New York. His unusual combination of academic interests led him toward a Master of Arts in mathematics from the University of Miami and a doctorate in behavioral sciences from Nova University. Bob’s love for teaching mathematics was nourished for nearly 30 years at Miami Dade College, where he received numerous teaching awards, including Innovator of the Year from the League for Innovations in the Community College and an endowed chair based on excellence in the classroom. In addition to College Algebra, Bob has written textbooks covering developmental mathematics, introductory algebra, intermediate algebra, trigonometry, algebra and trigonometry, precalculus, and liberal arts mathematics, all published by Pearson. When not secluded in his Northern California writer’s cabin, Bob can be found hiking the beaches and trails of Point Reyes National Seashore and tending to the chores required by his beloved entourage of horses, chickens, and irritable roosters.

• Engage students with the mathematical world around them.
  • UPDATED! Outstanding applications from diverse fields are the centerpiece of this series, drawing from the author’s unique background in behavioral science. Students stay engaged when they see the context and understand the relevance of math. In this new edition, the author continues to raise the bar with new applications throughout that are relevant to college students, including student-loan debt, grade inflation, political orientation of college freshmen, sleep hours of college students, and the number of hours college students study per week.
  • Chapter Opening and Section-Opening Scenarios begin every chapter and section with a unique application of mathematics in students’ lives outside the classroom.  The often humorous tone of these openers is intended to help fearful and reluctant students overcome their negative perceptions about math. These scenarios are revisited throughout the chapter in examples, discussions, and exercises.
  • Blitzer Bonuses provide historical, interdisciplinary, and otherwise interesting connections to the algebra being studied, showing students that math is an interesting and dynamic discipline. New to this edition, these are brought to life in in a new video series and related assignments. 

• Support students of all majors in their goal to be successful--in this course and beyond.
  • NEW! Achieving Success boxes appear at the end of many sections in Chapters 1 through 5 with strategies for persistence and success in college mathematics courses.
  • NEW! “Retaining the Concepts” section exercises focus on objectives that appeared previously in the text, to ensure students continue to apply and maintain mastery of the material. If students are not certain how to solve one of these, they can refer to the specific