The concept of absolute value is important with regard to the measurement of distances. The fact that the larger the absolute value of a negative number is, the smaller the number, is presented in the course. Exponential functions have application to population growth and to laws of growth and decay. Those who take the course should be able to comprehend graphs of the sort presented in U.S.A.Today as well as in various texts. Permutations and combinations have important applications in determining the number of ways in which certain activities may be done.
Scientific notation is used in different contexts to express extremely large and very small numbers.
C. International perspectives Much of the symbolism of mathematics is the same in different countries, regardless of language. Furthermore, mathematics is usually written in the present tense. Often international students, who are not yet familiar with the English language, find it easier to study mathematics than many other fields in the university. A. Fundamentals 1. Real numbers 2.