Course Description

Welcome to Algebra Foundations for Calculus! In this course, you'll learn the foundational Algebra principles needed to be successful in Calculus.

You'll watch videos in which Arun and Katie explain concepts and work through examples. We also provide many practice exercises so you can solidify what you're learning. Remember, learning math is just like learning a language, and the goal of this course is to make you fluent. Or, at least conversational. :)

A few tips as you work through this course:

  • Re-watch the videos to refresh your memory
  • Keep a pen and paper with you so you can do the exercises
  • Pause the videos occasionally to give you time to process the concepts
  • There's no need for calculators. This course is less about performing basic calculations and more about understanding the principles

Course objectives:

  • Become fluent in the language of math
  • Solve equations and inequalities involving exponents, logarithms, trigonometric functions
  • Graph polynomials and exponential, logarithmic, and trigonometric functions
  • Define and use the derivative--the most important concept in Calculus--to better understand how functions behave
  • Use limits to graph functions and find the derivative
  • Find sums of finite and infinite series

CEO, TURN THE WHEEL

Katie Kormanik

Katie is passionate about education and particularly excited about the potential of online learning. She has designed courses for Udacity, Stanford Graduate School of Business, McKinsey Academy, African Leadership University School of Business, and Applied Materials, to name a few. Click here to learn more about how she works with clients. In addition, she has consulted for a number of education non-profits, start-ups, and for-profit companies on product development, curriculum development, pedagogy, and investments in edtech. And of course, she has been an educator in a number of capacities, from tutoring to teaching supplemental college courses, after-school programs, and summer school programs. Her two greatest passions are learning and making learning fun for others. Education:BS Mathematics, BS Economics (cum laude), University of Utah (2010)MA International Comparative Education, Stanford University (2011)

Course curriculum

  • 1

    Algebra basics

    • Welcome to Algebra Foundations for Calculus

      FREE PREVIEW

    • About the course

      FREE PREVIEW

    • What is Calculus?

      FREE PREVIEW

    • Write neatly

      FREE PREVIEW

    • Exercises: Compute expressions

    • Solutions: Compute expressions

    • Graphing lines and calculating slope

    • Exercises: Find equations of lines and calculate slope

    • Solutions: Find equations of lines and calculate slope

    • Why is the slope important in Calculus?

    • Exercises: Graph the derivative

    • Solutions: Graph the derivative

    • Simplifying rational expressions

    • Exercises: Simplifying rational expressions

    • Solutions: Simplifying rational expressions

    • Simplifying logarithmic expressions

    • Exercises: Simplifying logarithmic expressions

    • Solutions: Simplifying logarithmic expressions

    • Trig basics and the unit circle

    • Exercises: Find sine, cosine, and tangent

    • Solutions: Find sine, cosine, and tangent
  • 2

    Solving equations and inequalities

    • Why solve equations?

      FREE PREVIEW

    • Solving equations: Quadratics

      FREE PREVIEW

    • Exercises: Solve quadratic equations

    • Solutions: Solve quadratic equations

    • Solving equations: Absolute values

    • Exercises: Solve equations involving absolute value

    • Solutions: Solve equations involving absolute value

    • Solving equations: Polynomials

    • Exercises: Solve polynomial equations

    • Solutions: Solve polynomial equations

    • Solving equations: Rational expressions

    • Exercises: Solve equations involving rational expressions

    • Solutions: Solve equations involving rational expressions

    • Solving equations: Exponents

    • Exercises: Solve exponential equations

    • Solutions: Solve exponential equations

    • Solving equations: Logs

    • Exercises: Solve logarithmic equations

    • Solutions: Solve logarithmic equations

    • Solving equations: Trigonometric functions

    • Trig identities

    • Exercises: Solve trigonometric equations

    • Solutions: Solve trigonometric equations

    • Why solve inequalities?

    • Solving inequalities

    • Exercises: Solve inequalities

    • Solutions: Solve inequalities
  • 3

    Graphing

    • Introduction to graphing

      FREE PREVIEW

    • Parent functions

      FREE PREVIEW

    • Exercises: Graph each translation

    • Solutions: Graph each translation

    • Domain

    • Exercises: Find the domain

    • Solutions: Find the domain

    • Graphing polynomials

    • Exercises: Graph polynomials

    • Solutions: Graph polynomials

    • Graphing rational functions

    • Exercises: Graph rational functions

    • Solutions: Graph rational functions

    • Logarithmic and exponential functions

    • Exercises: Graph logarithmic and exponential functions

    • Solutions: Graph logarithmic and exponential functions

    • Graph trigonometric functions

    • Exercises: Graph trigonometric functions

    • Solutions: Graph trigonometric functions

    • Piecewise functions
  • 4

    Limits and series

    • Introduction to limits and series

      FREE PREVIEW

    • Limits

      FREE PREVIEW

    • Use limits to find the derivative

    • Exercises: Find the derivative

    • Solutions: Exercises: Find the derivative

    • Introduction to sequences and series

    • Arithmetic series

    • Exercises: Arithmetic series

    • Solutions: Arithmetic series

    • Finite geometric series

    • Exercises: Finite geometric series

    • Solutions: Finite geometric series

    • Infinite geometric series

    • Exercises: Infinite geometric series

    • Solutions: Infinite geometric series

    • Course close

    • Before you go...