Basic Mathematics

Independentworkguide
Basic Mathematics
IndependentWorkGuide

MARÍA CRISTINA GONZÁLEZ MAZUELO

SERGIO ALBERTO ALARCÓNVASCO
 González Mazuelo, María Cristina
Basic Mathematics. Independent Work Guide
Alarcón Vasco – 1st ed. – Medellín: Metropolitan Technological Institute, 2017.
231 p. - (Academic Texts Series)

Include bibliographic references

978-958-5414-19-8

Mathematics I.

510 SCDD Ed.21

Cataloging in Publication - ITM Library

Basic Mathematics. Independent Work Guide

Metropolitan
c Technological Institute –ITM–

Edition: December 2017

978-958-5414-19-8

Authors
MARIA´ CRISTINA GONZALEZ
´ MAZUELO
´
SERGIO ALBERTO ALARCONVASCO

Rector
MARIA´ VICTORIA MEJIA OROZCO
´

Editorial Director
SILVIA INES´ JIMENEZ
´ GOMEZ
´

Editorial Committee
EDUARD EMIRO RODRIGUEZ ´ RAMIREZ,´ MSC.
JAIME ANDRES´ CANO SALAZAR, PHD.
SILVIA INES´ JIMENEZ´ GOMEZ,
´ MSC.
YUDY ELENA GIRALDO PEREZ, ´ MSC.
VIVIANA DIAZ,´ ESP.

Text correction
LILA MARIA´ CORTES FONNEGRA
´

Technical Secretariat
VIVIANA DIAZ ´

Diagramming
JORGE DAVID GARCES ´GOMEZ
´

Cover design
ALFONSO TOBON´ BOTERO

Impression
CURRENT DAILY EDITIONS

Edited in Medellín, Colombia

Editorial label Fondo Editorial ITM
Metropolitan Technological Institute
Street 73 No. 76A 354
(574) 440 5197
[Link]

The opinions, originals, and citations of the text are the responsibility of the authors. The ITM disclaims any
obligation derived from the book that is published. Therefore, it will fall solely and exclusively on the authors.
Prologue

When students enter higher education, particularly in programs that

they include specific subjects in basic sciences, manifest difficulties in skills
of a linguistic and mathematical type that prevents them from optimally facing their process
training.

In the case of mathematics, the deficiency in the development of thinking skills

Numerical and algebraic can bring difficulties for good performance in subjects.
like calculus, chemistry, and physics. These difficulties, in addition to delaying the process
of learning, cause demotivation in students, leading to the loss of these
subjects and leading, in many cases, to an early dropout from the programs.

Awareness of this issue, some universities, in addition to implementing in the

first semester the subject of Basic Mathematics (arithmetic, algebra, and trigonometry)
As part of their training plan, they have taken on the task of designing different types of strategies.
that allow the acquisition of mathematical skills that help students to
develop numerical and algebraic thinking skills.

Not foreign to this situation, at the Metropolitan Technological Institute ITM, from its Faculty
of Arts and Humanities, the Huron Project was proposed for the mitigation of causes of
student desertion in the programs of the Faculty of Arts and Humanities of ITM✮✮,
where a series of strategies were implemented with the purpose of reducing the indices
on the loss and dropout of basic science subjects, as a way to contribute
to the solution of the problem of early dropout from the Institution.

Among the implemented strategies is the design of work modules.

independent for the subject of Basic Mathematics, with the aim of providing help
to help the student develop numerical and algebraic thinking skills and, from this
way, the acquisition of a clear and precise knowledge of one's own knowledge of
this area.
This text is the compilation of said modules, where each of them forms a
chapter and is developed by emphasizing the fundamental concepts of mathematics
basic cases; this is how the following themes will be addressed in the text:

Chapter I. Number Sets

Chapter II. Algebraic Expressions

Chapter III. Factorization

Chapter IV. Rational Expressions

Chapter V. Equations

Chapter VI. Systems of equations

Chapter VII. Inequalities

Chapter VIII. Exponentiation and Logarithmation

Chapter IX. Trigonometry

The text also presents the following characteristics:

Objectives by chapter. Each chapter begins with a list of skills that the
student must acquire.

Theoretical aspects. In each of the chapters, the basic concepts are constructed.
briefly explain the properties and fundamental principles of each of them.

Examples are explained in detail and step by step, with some prototype examples for the afian-
summary of the concepts presented in each chapter and as a guide to facilitate the
student the development of the proposed exercises afterwards.

Common errors. In the development of certain concepts, common errors are noted.
frequent mistakes that students may make, the reason for these errors is explained and
the clarification is given on the correct way to proceed.

Suggestions. Boxes with suggestions on the easiest way to approach are presented.
a theme or property.
Exercises. At the end of each chapter, a series of prototype exercises are presented.
tasks arranged according to their level of difficulty, ranging from basic conceptual exercises to
others with a higher degree of difficulty.

Bibliography. At the end of each chapter, a bibliography is presented with which one can
complement the topics worked on in each of them.

By the way the text is written, the strategies implemented in it and the way
As the examples are developed step by step, this becomes an impor- tant tool.
so much for students in the early semesters of higher education, as well as for
secondary education students.
Content

1 NUMERIC SETS ´ 13
1.1 Order relations and representation on the number line . . . . . . . . . . 18
1.2 Operations and properties of real numbers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
1.3 Exponentiation and Root Extraction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
30
1.5 References . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

2 ALGEBRAIC EXPRESSIONS 33
2.1 Polynomials ........................................................ 36
2.2 Operations with polynomials
2.3 Multiplication of polynomials
2.4 Notable products . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
2.5 Polynomial division . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
2.6 References . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

3FACTORING ´ 63
3.1 Factorization of polynomials
3.2 Factorization - special cases................................... 71
3.3 References 85

4 RATIONAL EXPRESSIONS 87
4.1 Simplification of rational expressions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
4.2 Operations with rational expressions
4.3 References . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

5 EQUATIONS 103
5.1 Types of equations
5.2 Methods of solving equations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 107
5.3 References ........................................................................... 117
6 SYSTEMS OF EQUATIONS 119
6.1 Methods to find the solutions of a system of equations . . . . . 121
6.2 Systems of linear equations 3x3.............................................133
6.3 Non-linear equation systems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 135
6.4 References .................................................. 142

7 INEQUALITIES 143
7.1 Inequalities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
7.2 Intervals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
7.3 Inequalities
7.4 Algebraic Inequalities
7.5 References . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

´
8 EXPONENTIATION AND LOGARITHMATION ´ 167
8.1 Laws of Exponentiation and Logarithm.
8.2 Exponential and logarithmic equations
8.3 References

9 TRIGONOMETRY ´ 187
´
9.1 Angle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
9.2 Relationship between degrees and radians ............................................... 191
´
9.3 Reference angle ...................................... 192
9.4 Triangles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
9.4.1 Right triangles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
9.4.2 Relationships between the elements of a right triangle . . . . . . 196
9.5 Trigonometric Reasons . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
9.6 Trigonometry in the unit circle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 200
9.7 Identities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
9.8 Trigonometric formulas . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
9.9 Trigonometric equations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
9.10 Exercises in context . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 227
9.11 References . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 228
Sergio Alberto AlarcónVasco
Mathematician from the University of Antioquia; Master's in Education and Teaching of the
Mathematics, from the University of Antioquia; Associate Professor of the Technological Institute
Metropolitan and researcher of the GNOMON group at ITM.

sergioalarcon@[Link]

Maria Cristina Gonzalez Mazuelo

Civil Engineer from the National University of Colombia, Medellín campus; Master's in Education
the University Pontifical Bolivarian; Associate Professor of the Technological Institute
Metropolitan and investigator of the group
GNOMON of the ITM.

mariagonzalez@[Link]
The cover was printed on C1S propalcote 240 grams,
the interior pages in Bond Bahia 75 grams.

The typeface used is: Times New Roman

11 points in continuous text.