MAT 160 College Algebra

Exit Skills

The following exit skills were developed with the assumption that the student has a good grasp of all intermediate algebra skills and that word problems and applications are an integral part of any algebra course.

1. Solve quadratic equations, equations of quadratic form and miscellaneous equations.
2. Solve quadratic, rational, compound and absolute value inequalities writing solutions in interval notation.
3. Solve higher-order polynomial equations using the Remainder, Factor, Rational Root and Conjugate Root Theorems.
4. Graph rational functions identifying vertical and horizontal asymptotes.
5. Find the rule for the inverse of a function and graph the inverse.
6. Graph exponential and logarithmic functions.
7. Solve exponential and logarithmic equations.
8. Solve systems of non-linear equations and inequalities.
9. Solve 3 x 3 systems of linear equations using Gaussian elimination, inverse of a matrix and Cramer’s Rule.
10. Perform matrix algebra operations including addition, subtraction, products and the evaluation of determinants by the minor-cofactor method.
11. Graph conic sections including circles, parabolas, ellipses and hyperbolas.
12. Find terms of a sequence using recursion and explicit formulas, and find the nth term formula for arithmetic and geometric sequences.
13. Use summation notation, find the sum of a finite arithmetic series and find the sum of finite and infinite geometric series.

Objectives

1. Identify and graph families of functions, find their inverses and zeros and solve related equations.
2. Solve systems of equations, linear and non-linear, using an appropriate method including matrix methods.
3. Recognize equations of and sketch a graph of the conic sections.
4. Distinguish between general varieties and special types of sequences and series and use appropriate formulas for finding summations and nth terms.