Mathematics I (MATSUR1)

In this handout, we go over exponential functions and equations of base e. In particular, we want to be able to apply the knowledge of quadratic equations to solve exponential equations without the use of a calculator. Understanding of the graphs of exponential logarithmic functions and their domains and ranges is necessary to solve such equations completely as some of the solutions you get are not feasible and must be discarded. The main purpose of this guide is to serve as a gentle int...

This section begins by reviewing the basic laws of indices and logarithms. Understanding of these laws is crucial in all the other areas you will encounter dealing with indices and logarithms, and that extends beyond this content area. Let’s begin by reviewing these laws from what you already know from high school.

From your lectures, you know that an ellipse is part of a family of curves called conic sections. Other members of this family include the hyperbola, parabola, circle, etc. However, for purposes of the Mathematics 1 module, the only conic section to be analysed is an ellipse with its centre at the origin.

The practical unit of measurement for angles is the degree (°) which is 1 360 th of a complete revolution. The number 360 comes from Babylonian times but it is an arbitrary choice. There is another system of measurement called circular or radian measure which is more suitable for advanced mathematics like Engineering Mathematics.