What books do I recommend for the Subtest I: Algebra/Number Theory portion of the Single Subject Math CSET?
The following topics are not required from a Precalculus text for CSET Subtest I:
* Trigonometry more sophisticated than ordinary ratios and knowledge of sin / cos / tan of 0-30-45-60-90
* Probability
* Permutations & Combinations
* Rotation of Axes re Conics
* Partial Fractions
First, any regular College-Level Algebra book of RECENT edition (1998+) should be adequate. Also, any Precalculus book (High School or College-Level) would be perfect. Typically, such books have titles with more than one of the following terms:
(Advanced / College-level) Algebra
Trigonometry
Analytical Geometry
PreCalculus
The following texts would be woefully inadequate:
a) Algebra I textbook
b) Algebra II textbook: such texts ONLY serve as an introduction to advanced Algebra concepts, but do not treat topics in the depth as required for the CSET.
c) College Algebra textbook for a basic foundational / remedial Algebra course
Here's how to judge if an Algebra book is sufficient for CSET purposes. Look for the following terms in the Index at the back. (While NOT all terms/concepts are required for Subtest I, they indicate how sophisticated the book is!):
i) Row Transformations or Row Operations or Row Reduced Matrix or Row Echelon Form or Transformations (some of them might be listed under the broad term: Matrix)
ii) Vectors, Orthogonal or Orthogonal Vectors
iii) Piece-wise defined function
iv) Augmented Matrix
v) DeMoivre's Theorem
vi) Oblique Asymptotes
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The following are books I have myself used with abundant profit:
a) Algebra & Trigonometry (with Analytical Geometry)
By: Swokowski/Cole
Pub: Brooks/Cole
Edition: 9th/10th
Comments: A terrific, lucidly written text!
b) Algebra and Trigonometry OR
College Algebra (3rd Edition) OR
Precalculus (3rd Edition)
By: Stewart/Redlin/Watson
Pub: Brooks/Cole
Comments: Another marvellous set of books; any ONE of the above would be fine as they cover the same grounds almost identically!
c) Precalculus with Limits: A Graphing Approach
By: Larson/Hostetler/Edwards
Pub: Houghton Mifflin
Edition: 3rd
Comments: A fairly popular High School Precalculus book; the 3rd edition layout is superior to the 2nd!
d) PreCalculus : With Unit Circle Trigonometry
By: David Cohen
Pub: Brooks/Cole
Edition: 3rd
Comments: A stupendous College-level text by a UCLA chap with some very clever exercises to test your grasp; a little daunting for the rookie, perhaps, but strongly recommended if you want to TEACH Precalculus in High School!
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Quick links: Current List of Articles in ARCHIVES, TESTIMONIALS & FEEDBACK and CONTACT ME!
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You can procure these books
a) by approaching friendly High School teachers who might have copies of PreCalculus books to spare for a couple of months
b) by borrowing them from friends who recently did Math courses in college
c) by purchasing them (the best option as they're terrific for Reference purposes!) from a college bookstore (expensive!) OR online (used, hence, affordable!) at Amazon.com or half.com.
d) by borrowing them from your local Public Library. This would entail renewing the books repeatedly, for which wooing date-less librarians wearing large glasses would help...
e) by stealing them from college bookstores, which are, anyway, the face of evil behemoth corporations...
In general, I would strongly recommend having at least TWO of the above Algebra texts!
I've known chaps that do some sort of 'online research' for certain topics. Typical remark: "I was on the internet looking for stuff about parabolas (or vectors)!" I can't fathom what in the blazes these fellows are blathering about, as, to me, it all seems such a beastly WASTE OF ONE'S TIME: consult a bloody %&$#@%$# book!! (For starters, you'd pull up 8769876098 trillion gazillion quintillion mazillion billion jillion number of pages on parabolas! Oh, did I forget to say mahallion?)
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