01
Absolute value as distance
Why |x| makes a V, how to move that V around, and how to read solutions straight off the graph.
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All courses
MTH 161
Precalculus I
Presents topics in power, polynomial, rational, exponential, and logarithmic functions, and systems of equations and inequalities.
How this course is taught: Video lessons, interactive demos, and the free OpenStax textbook.
How to use this page
- Watch the lesson for the section you are on, in the player below.
- Experiment with the matching interactive demo to build intuition.
- Read and practice that section in the free OpenStax book linked in the outline.
Practice problems: each OpenStax Precalculus 2e section has exercises with answers in the back. The demo checks are for understanding, not a grade.
Video lessons
Watch the full course
Lessons
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Course outline
What we cover, and where to read it
Our lessons follow OpenStax Precalculus 2e, a free, peer-reviewed textbook. Each unit below lists its topics and links to the matching chapter so you can read alongside the videos.
Unit 1 · Chapter 1
Functions
- Function notation, domain and range
- Rates of change and graph behavior
- Composition and transformations
- Absolute value and inverse functions
Unit 2 · Chapter 2
Linear Functions
- Linear functions and their graphs
- Slope, intercepts, and equations of lines
- Modeling with linear functions
- Fitting linear models to data
Unit 3 · Chapter 3
Polynomial & Rational Functions
- Complex numbers and quadratic functions
- Power and polynomial functions and their graphs
- Dividing polynomials and finding zeros
- Rational functions
Unit 4 · Chapter 4
Exponential & Logarithmic Functions
- Exponential functions and their graphs
- Logarithmic functions and their graphs
- Properties of logarithms
- Solving exponential and logarithmic equations
Bonus · Chapter 11.6
The Binomial Theorem
- Expanding a binomial raised to a power without multiplying it all out
- Binomial coefficients and Pascal's triangle
Official grades, submissions, and course announcements live in Canvas. This site hosts public course materials, explanations, examples, and study resources.
Interactive demos
Explore the ideas, hands on
These tools let you move the pieces and watch the math respond. Each one walks through the idea first, then hands you the controls. Nothing here is graded, so experiment freely. Not sure how to study this? See Study Strategies. Back to the lessons
02
Slope as a rate of change
What slope really measures: how fast one quantity changes as another changes, read straight off the line.
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03
Transformations of functions
Pick a parent shape, then shift, stretch, and flip it with a·f(b(x − h)) + k.
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04
Exponential growth and decay
What happens when you multiply instead of add, step after step, and why the curve takes off.
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05
Logarithms: counting by multiplying
A logarithm is just a different way of counting. Instead of adding, you count how many times you multiply.
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06
How exponentials and logs relate
They undo each other. See why the two curves are mirror images across the line y = x.
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Turn it in
Your practice report
Every quick check above feeds this report: what you got right on the first try, and what you got right eventually. Download it and upload it to Canvas.
MTH practice report · bryantclass.com