This bestselling author team explains concepts simply and clearly, without glossing over difficult points. Problem solving and mathematical modeling are introduced early and reinforced throughout, providing students with a solid foundation in the principles of mathematical thinking. Comprehensive and evenly paced, the book provides complete coverage of the function concept, and integrates a significant amount of graphing calculator material to help students develop insight into mathematical ideas. The authors' attention to detail and clarity—the same as found in James Stewart's market-leading Calculus text—is what makes this text the proven market leader.
Review Material: The review material at the end of each chapter now includes a summary of properties and formulas and a new Concept Check. Each Concept Check provides a step-by-step review of all the main concepts and applications of the chapter. Answers to the Concept Check questions are on tear-out sheets at the back of the book.
Online Discovery Projects: References to Discovery Projects, including brief descriptions of the content of each project, are located in boxes where appropriate in each chapter. These boxes highlight the applications of precalculus in many different real-world contexts.
Geometry Review: A new Appendix A contains a review of the main concepts of geometry used in this book, including similarity and the Pythagorean Theorem.
Focus on Modeling sections illustrate modeling techniques as well as how mathematics can be applied to model real-life situations. These sections, as well as others, are devoted to teaching students how to create their own mathematical models, rather than using prefabricated formulas.
Real-world applications from engineering, physics, chemistry, business, biology, environmental studies, and other fields demonstrate how mathematics is used to model real-life situations.
Each approach to trigonometry is accompanied by the applications appropriate for that approach, clarifying the reason for different approaches to trigonometry.
Mathematics in the Modern World vignettes show that mathematics is a living science crucial to the scientific and technological progress of recent times, as well as to the social, behavioral, and life sciences.
Discovery/Discussion/Writing problems at the end of every section encourage students to use and develop conceptual, critical thinking, and writing skills.
Online Discovery Projects engage students by providing a challenging but accessible set of activities that enable them (perhaps working in groups) to explore in greater depth an interesting aspect of the topic they have just learned.