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Finite Math (College) - Course Introduction

Finite Math is a bit of an odd duck among math classes. In Algebra, you learn about algebra. Geometry, unsurprisingly, covers geometry. And Algebra II: Electric Boogaloo is algebra's bigger, beefier cousin. But what is Finite Math's deal?

Well, the opposite of Finite Math would be Infinite Math, right? That kind of math already has a name, though, and it is Calculus. Limits, derivatives, and lines at the DMV: Calculus has a lock on all the math that goes to infinity, and beyond. Finite Math gets to stay closer to home and cover everything else.

It's not quite "infinity" kinds of big, but "everything that isn't Calculus" is still a pretty big pair of shoes to fill. That just means that, like a pack of trail mix, Finite Math has a lot of variety.

  • The course starts off with an introductory crash course in logic. We saw a little bit of logic back when we worked with proofs, but this is a whole new ballgame. After we finish this section, people on the street might mistake you for a Vulcan.
  • We return to our old friends, linear functions, for more lessons on following the straight and narrow path. It won't be the same old lectures, though, because we've listened to your demands and are supplying some real-world applications of linear functions in economics.
  • Uh oh, the linear equations are starting to join together to form roving gangs of systems of equations. Good thing Gauss and Jordan are around to help solve this situation with us.
  • Okay, we might need some more help dealing with these systems of equations. Once we learn about matrices, we'll have the tools we need to deal with even the unruliest systems around.
  • If you've ever wanted to maximize the amount of chocolate you can buy with $5, or minimize how many errands you have to run after work, then linear programming is just the thing for you. We'll cover how to solve these problems with graphs or numbers, so you can solve it your way.
  • You can't get much more real world than money, so we've got a whole section on the dolla dolla. We'll be calculating interest and using annuities like Wall Street veterans. We'll also take some of the techniques we'll use here to learn about some different kinds of math.
  • Next on the agenda will be learning to count. Wait, we really mean it: there's a lot more to counting than you think. We'll have to learn about sets and set notation before we can even get started.
  • It's probably not too surprising that we'll be covering all kinds of probabilities in this course. What might surprise you is—BOO! Well? Did we surprise you?
  • If Finite Math is the math of the real world (and it is), then statistics showing up was pretty much inevitable. We'll look at all kinds of ways of classifying and examining your favorite data. Which is data someone else went through the trouble of collecting for us.
  • The best kind of data is normal data, so we'll finish things off the king of statistics, the normal distribution. Oh yeah, and we'll look at game theory a bit too. We might as well end things on a playful note, right?

That's a roller coaster ride of topics that would make Disney World green with envy. It's a good thing, then, that we're here to hold your hand when you hit the triple loop.

Unit Breakdown (143 Lessons)

Unit 1: Logic (6 lessons)

Unit 2: Linear Functions (11 lessons)

Unit 3: Systems of Equations (8 lessons)

Unit 4: Matrices (8 lessons)

Unit 5: Linear Programming: Geometric (7 lessons)

Unit 6: Linear Programming: Algebraic (11 lessons)

Unit 7: Math of Finance (17 lessons)

Unit 8: Counting Theory (15 lessons)

Unit 9: Probability (12 lessons)

Unit 10: Conditional Probability (6 lessons)

Unit 11: Statistics (19 lessons)

Unit 12: Normal Distributions and Game Theory (23 lessons)

Learning Objectives

Upon completion of the course, you will be able to:

  • explain and evaluate conditions, propositions, and arguments.
  • examine and explain Cartesian coordinates.
  • use the Gauss-Jordan elimination method in analyzing systems of equations.
  • understand matrices and inverse matrices.
  • analyze linear equations and inequalities in both geometric and algebraic forms.
  • use math to analyze basic issues of finance.
  • understand the basics of sets and notation theory.
  • examine probabilities and explain the reasoning behind them.
  • use statistical tools to evaluate variables, data, and standard deviations.
  • understand the basics of game theory.
  • analyze distributions.