Algebra for College Students, 8th edition

Published by Pearson (January 28, 2015) © 2016

  • Margaret L. Lial American River College
  • John Hornsby University of New Orleans
  • Terry McGinnis
$154.66

  • Hardcover, paperback or looseleaf edition
  • Affordable rental option for select titles
  • Free shipping on looseleafs and traditional textbooks

MyLab

$149.99

  • Reach every student with personalized support
  • Customize courses with ease
  • Optimize learning with dynamic study tools
About the Textbook
  • NEW! Vocabulary Lists now appear at the beginning of appropriate sections. The list format allows students to preview the vocabulary introduced in the section and also review and check off the words they will be able to define upon completing a section.
  • A variety of exercises throughout the text and at the end of each section offers students many ways to practice and then master the material they have just learned.
    • Updated and Enhanced! Concept Check Exercises: Each exercise set begins with a set of Concept Check problems that facilitate students’ mathematical thinking and conceptual understanding. Problem types include multiple-choice, true/false, matching, completion, and What Went Wrong? exercises. Many emphasize new vocabulary.
    • NEW! Extending Skills Exercises: These problems, scattered throughout selected exercise sets, expand on section objectives. Some are challenging in nature.
    • NEW! Mixed Review Exercises: Each chapter review has been expanded to include a dedicated set of Mixed Review Exercises to help students further synthesize concepts
    • NEW! Margin Answers to Review Components: To provide immediate reference and enable students to get the most out of review opportunities, answers are included in the margins for Summary Exercises, Chapter Review Exercises, Mixed Review Exercises, Chapter Tests, and Cumulative Review Exercises.
    • Relating Concepts tie the topics together and highlight the relationships among various concepts and skills. They work well for individual or group work.
    • Summary Exercises are carefully placed in every chapter to provide students with the all-important mixed review problems they need to master topics. Summaries of solution methods or additional examples are often included.
  • Study Skills Activities have been integrated throughout the text. These short activities provide helpful information, tips, and strategies on a variety of essential skills.
  • Lial’s student-friendly examples keep students engaged in the learning process.
    • Now Try exercises are included as a parallel margin exercise for each numbered example. These exercises immediately apply and reinforce the concepts and skills presented in corresponding examples.
    • Pointers from the authors provide on-the-spot notes and cautions about common pitfalls.
  • The chapter summary material offers ample opportunity for review. At the end of every chapter, students will find the following resources.
    • Key Terms and Symbols are keyed back to the appropriate section for easy reference and study.
    • Test Your Word Power exercises help students understand and master mathematical vocabulary.
    • Quick Review sections list not only the main concepts from the chapter (referenced back to the appropriate section), but also give an example of each concept.
    • Review Exercises are keyed to the appropriate sections so that students can refer to examples of that type of problem if they need help.
    • Mixed Review Exercises require students to solve problems without the help of section references.
    • Chapter Tests help students practice for the real thing.
    • Cumulative Review Exercises gather various types of exercises from preceding chapters to help students retain what they are learning throughout the course.

Also available with MyMathLab

MyMathLab is an online homework, tutorial, and assessment program designed to work with this text to engage students and improve results. Within its structured environment, students practice what they learn, test their understanding, and pursue a personalized study plan that helps them absorb course material and understand difficult concepts.

  • Updated! The Lial Video Library, available in MyMathLab, provides students with a wealth of video resources to help them navigate the road to success. The videos have been updated with new navigation, and now work on mobile devices, with new videos reflecting changes to the new edition. All videos in the library offer optional English subtitles. The following resources are included:
    • Section Lecture Videos offer a new navigation menu that allows students to easily focus on the key examples and exercises that they need to review in each section. These lectures also include optional Spanish subtitles.
    • Solutions Clips show an instructor working through the complete solutions to selected exercises from the text. Exercises with a solution clip are marked in the text and eBook with a Play Button icon.
    • Quick Review lectures provide a short summary lecture of each key concept from the Quick Reviews at the end of each chapter in the text.
    • The Chapter Test Prep Videos show step-by-step solutions to all exercises from the Chapter Tests. These videos provide guidance and support when students need it the most: the night before an exam. The Chapter Test Prep Videos are also available on YouTube (searchable using author name and book title).
  • NEW! The Lial Video Library Workbookis an unbound, three-hole-punched workbook/note-taking guide that students can use in conjunction with the Lial Video Library. The notebook helps students to develop organized notes as they work along with the videos. The notebook includes:
    • Guided Examples to be used in conjunction with the Lial Video Library Section Lecture Videos and/or Objective-Level Video clips, plus corresponding Now Try Exercises for each text objective.
    • Extra practice exercises for every section of the text with ample space for students to show their work.
    • Learning objectives and key vocabulary terms for every text section, along with vocabulary practice problems.
  • NEW! Student Success Module in MyMathLab. This new, interactive module is available in the left-hand navigation of MyMathLab and includes videos, activities, and post-tests for these three student success areas:
    • Math-Reading Connections, including topics such as Using Word Clues, and Looking for Patterns.
    • Study Skills, including topics such as Time Management and Preparing for and Taking Exams.
    • College Success, including topics such as College Transition and Online Learning.
    • Instructors can assign these videos and/or activities as media assignments, along with pre-built post-tests to make sure students learn and understand how to improve their skills in these areas. Instructors can integrate these assignments with their traditional MyMathLab homework assignments to incorporate student success topics into their course as they deem appropriate.
  • New and Updated! Exercise Coverage in MyMathLab
    • Increased exercise coverage means that nearly every problem type in the textbook is also assignable in MyMathLab. Existing coverage has also been reviewed and updated to incorporate reviewer comments and improvements from the previous edition.
    • New Relating Concepts exercises are now assignable in MyMathLab and covered in special ways, often using the guided exercise format, to help students learn the mathematics.
      • For example, the solution process as students work from one exercise to the next might be important. When appropriate, a whole section’s Relating Concepts problems are covered in one guided exercise so students can work through multiple questions using the same information. As a result, students relate the concepts as they move through the course, and gain a better understanding of the concepts overall.

New in the Textbook

  • Vocabulary Lists now appear at the beginning of appropriate sections. The list format allows students to preview the vocabulary introduced in the section and also review and check off the words they will be able to define upon completing a section.
  • Extending Skills Exercises: These problems, scattered throughout selected exercise sets, expand on section objectives. Some are challenging in nature.
  • Mixed Review Exercises: Each chapter review has been expanded to include a dedicated set of Mixed Review Exercises to help students further synthesize concepts
  • Margin Answers to Review Components: To provide immediate reference and enable students to get the most out of review opportunities, answers are included in the margins for Summary Exercises, Chapter Review Exercises, Mixed Review Exercises, Chapter Tests, and Cumulative Review Exercises.

Content Updates

  • New Chapter R (former Chapter 1) provides a thorough review of exponents, roots, order of operations, operations and properties of real numbers, and other basic concepts.
  • Application Sections 1.3, 1.4, and 3.3 include new and/or updated problem-solving examples, exercises, and hints. Section 1.2 provides new health care formulas.
  • The presentation on linear equations in two variables in Sections 2.1—2.3 has been reorganized. Several groups of new exercises make connections between tables, equations, and graphs of linear equations.
  • The introduction to relations and functions in Section 2.5 has a new example and enhanced discussion.
  • Section 7.3 now includes a new objective and discussion, examples, and exercises on equations and graphs of circles. This material is expanded in Section 12.1.
  • A new objective and new examples and exercises using calculators to approximate exponentials and logarithms are included in Sections 10.2 and 10.3. Calculator screens from the TI-84 have been updated here and throughout the text.
  • Presentations of the following topics have been enhanced and expanded:
    • Solving absolute value inequalities (Section 1.7)
    • Graphing linear inequalities in two variables (Section 2.4)
    • Applying composition of functions (Sections 4.3, 9.1)
    • Factoring by grouping (Section 5.1)
    • Determining domains of rational functions (Sections 6.1, 6.4)
    • Understanding operations with rational expressions (Sections 6.1, 6.2)
    • Solving quadratic inequalities (Section 8.5)
    • Determining intervals over which a function is increasing, decreasing, or constant (Section 9.4)
    • Finding inverse functions (Section 10.1)
    • Solving exponential and logarithmic equations (Section 10.6)
    • Applying the division algorithm (Section 11.1)
    • Graphing polynomial functions (Section 11.3)

Also available with MyMathLab

MyMathLab is an online homework, tutorial, and assessment program designed to work with this text to engage students and improve results. Within its structured environment, students practice what they learn, test their understanding, and pursue a personalized study plan that helps them absorb course material and understand difficult concepts.

  • Updated! The Lial Video Library, available in MyMathLab, provides students with a wealth of video resources to help them navigate the road to success. The videos have been updated with new navigation, and now work on mobile devices, with new videos reflecting changes to the new edition. All videos in the library offer optional English subtitles. The following resources are included:
    • Section Lecture Videos offer a new navigation menu that allows students to easily focus on the key examples and exercises that they need to review in each section. These lectures also include optional Spanish subtitles.
    • Solutions Clips show an instructor working through the complete solutions to selected exercises from the text. Exercises with a solution clip are marked in the text and eBook with a Play Button icon.
    • Quick Review lectures provide a short summary lecture of each key concept from the Quick Reviews at the end of each chapter in the text.
    • The Chapter Test Prep Videos show step-by-step solutions to all exercises from the Chapter Tests. These videos provide guidance and support when students need it the most: the night before an exam. The Chapter Test Prep Videos are also available on YouTube (searchable using author name and book title).
  • NEW! The Lial Video Library Workbookis an unbound, three-hole-punched workbook/note-taking guide that students can use in conjunction with the Lial Video Library. The notebook helps students to develop organized notes as they work along with the videos. The notebook includes:
    • Guided Examples to be used in conjunction with the Lial Video Library Section Lecture Videos and/or Objective-Level Video clips, plus corresponding Now Try Exercises for each text objective.
    • Extra practice exercises for every section of the text with ample space for students to show their work.
    • Learning objectives and key vocabulary terms for every text section, along with vocabulary practice problems.
  • NEW! Student Success Module in MyMathLab. This new, interactive module is available in the left-hand navigation of MyMathLab and includes videos, activities, and post-tests for these three student success areas:
    • Math-Reading Connections, including topics such as Using Word Clues, and Looking for Patterns.
    • Study Skills, including topics such as Time Management and Preparing for and Taking Exams.
    • College Success, including topics such as College Transition and Online Learning.
    • Instructors can assign these videos and/or activities as media assignments, along with pre-built post-tests to make sure students learn and understand how to improve their skills in these areas. Instructors can integrate these assignments with their traditional MyMathLab homework assignments to incorporate student success topics into their course as they deem appropriate.
  • New and Updated! Exercise Coverage in MyMathLab
    • Increased exercise coverage means that nearly every problem type in the textbook is also assignable in MyMathLab. Existing coverage has also been reviewed and updated to incorporate reviewer comments and improvements from the previous edition.
    • New Relating Concepts exercises are now assignable in MyMathLab and covered in special ways, often using the guided exercise format, to help students learn the mathematics.
      • For example, the solution process as students work from one exercise to the next might be important. When appropriate, a whole section’s Relating Concepts problems are covered in one guided exercise so students can work through multiple questions using the same information. As a result, students relate the concepts as they move through the course, and gain a better understanding of the concepts overall.


Preface

            Study Skills: Using Your Math Textbook

 

R. Review of the Real Number System

R.1 Basic Concepts

R.2 Operations on Real Numbers

R.3 Exponents, Roots, and Order of Operations

R.4 Properties of Real Numbers

            Chapter R Summary

            Chapter R Test

            Study Skills: Reading Your Math Textbook

 

1. Linear Equations, Inequalities, and Applications

1.1 Linear Equations in One Variable

            Study Skills: Completing Your Homework

1.2 Formulas and Percent

            Study Skills: Taking Lecture Notes

1.3 Applications of Linear Equations

1.4 Further Applications of Linear Equations

            Summary Exercises: Applying Problem-Solving Techniques

1.5 Linear Inequalities in One Variable

            Study Skills: Using Study Cards

1.6 Set Operations and Compound Inequalities

            Study Skills: Using Study Cards Revisited

1.7 Absolute Value Equations and Inequalities

            Summary Exercises: Solving Linear and Absolute Value Equations and Inequalities

            Study Skills: Reviewing a Chapter

            Chapter 1 Summary

            Chapter 1 Review Exercises

            Chapter 1 Mixed Review Exercises

            Chapter 1 Test

 

2. Linear Equations, Graphs, and Functions

2.1 Linear Equations in Two Variables

            Study Skills: Managing Your Time

2.2 The Slope of a Line

2.3 Writing Equations of Lines

            Study Skills: Taking Math Tests

            Summary Exercises: Finding Slopes and Equations of Lines

2.4 Linear Inequalities in Two Variables

2.5 Introduction to Relations and Functions

            Study Skills: Analyzing Your Test Results

2.6 Function Notation and Linear Functions

            Chapter 2 Summary

            Chapter 2 Review Exercises

            Chapter 2 Mixed Review Exercises

            Chapter 2 Test

 

3. Systems of Linear Equations

3.1 Systems of Linear Equations in Two Variables

            Study Skills: Preparing for Your Math Final Exam

3.2 Systems of Linear Equations in Three Variables

3.3 Applications of Systems of Linear Equations

            Chapter 3 Summary

            Chapter 3 Review Exercises

            Chapter 3 Mixed Review Exercises

            Chapter 3 Test

            Chapters R—3 Cumulative Review Exercises

 

4. Exponents, Polynomials, and Polynomial Functions

4.1 Integer Exponents and Scientific Notation

4.2 Adding and Subtracting Polynomials

4.3 Polynomial Functions, Graphs, and Composition

4.4 Multiplying Polynomials

4.5 Dividing Polynomials

            Chapter 4 Summary

            Chapter 4 Review Exercises

            Chapter 4 Mixed Review Exercises

            Chapter 4 Test

            Chapters R—4 Cumulative Review Exercises

 

5. Factoring

5.1 Greatest Common Factors and Factoring by Grouping

5.2 Factoring Trinomials

5.3 Special Factoring

5.4 A General Approach to Factoring

5.5 Solving Equations by the Zero-Factor Property

            Chapter 5 Summary

            Chapter 5 Review Exercises

            Chapter 5 Mixed Review Exercises

            Chapter 5 Test

            Chapters R—5 Cumulative Review Exercises

 

6. Rational Expressions and Functions

6.1 Rational Expressions and Functions; Multiplying and Dividing

6.2 Adding and Subtracting Rational Expressions

6.3 Complex Fractions

6.4 Equations with Rational Expressions and Graphs

            Summary Exercises: Simplifying Rational Expressions vs. Solving Rational Equations

6.5 Applications of Rational Expressions

6.6 Variation

            Chapter 6 Summary

            Chapter 6 Review Exercises

            Chapter 6 Mixed Review Exercises

            Chapter 6 Test

            Chapters R—6 Cumulative Review Exercises

 

7. Roots, Radicals, and Root Functions

7.1 Radical Expressions and Graphs

7.2 Rational Exponents

7.3 Simplifying Radicals, the Distance Formula, and Circles

7.4 Adding and Subtracting Radical Expressions

7.5 Multiplying and Dividing Radical Expressions

            Summary Exercises: Performing Operations with Radicals and Rational Exponents

7.6 Solving Equations with Radicals

7.7 Complex Numbers

            Chapter 7 Summary

            Chapter 7 Review Exercises

            Chapter 7 Mixed Review Exercises

            Chapter 7 Test

            Chapters R—7 Cumulative Review Exercises

 

8. Quadratic Equations and Inequalities

8.1 The Square Root Property and Completing the Square

8.2 The Quadratic Formula

8.3 Equations Quadratic in Form

            Summary Exercises: Applying Methods for Solving Quadratic Equations

8.4 Formulas and Further Applications

8.5 Polynomial and Rational Inequalities

            Chapter 8 Summary

            Chapter 8 Review Exercises

            Chapter 8 Mixed Review Exercises

            Chapter 8 Test

            Chapters R—8 Cumulative Review Exercises

 

9. Additional Graphs of Functions and Relations

9.1 Review of Operations and Composition

9.2 Graphs of Quadratic Functions

9.3 More About Parabolas and Their Applications

9.4 Symmetry; Increasing and Decreasing Functions

9.5 Piecewise Linear Functions

            Chapter 9 Summary

            Chapter 9 Review Exercises

            Chapter 9 Mixed Review Exercises

            Chapter 9 Test

            Chapters R—9 Cumulative Review Exercises

 

10. Inverse, Exponential, and Logarithmic Functions

10.1 Inverse Functions

10.2 Exponential Functions

10.3 Logarithmic Functions

10.4 Properties of Logarithms

10.5 Common and Natural Logarithms

10.6 Exponential and Logarithmic Equations; Further Applications

            Chapter 10 Summary

            Chapter 10 Review Exercises

            Chapter 10 Mixed Review Exercises

            Chapter 10 Test

            Chapters R—10 Cumulative Review Exercises

 

11. Polynomial and Rational Functions

11.1 Zeros of Polynomial Functions (I)

11.2 Zeros of Polynomial Functions (II)

11.3 Graphs and Applications of Polynomial Functions

            Summary Exercises: Examining Polynomial Functions and Graphs

11.4 Graphs and Applications of Rational Functions

            Chapter 11 Summary

            Chapter 11 Review Exercises

            Chapter 11 Mixed Review Exercises

            Chapter 11 Test

            Chapters R—11 Cumulative Review Exercises

 

12. Conic Sections and Nonlinear Systems

12.1 Circles Revisited and Ellipses

12.2 Hyperbolas and Functions Defined by Radicals

12.3 Nonlinear Systems of Equations

12.4 Second-Degree Inequalities, Systems of Inequalities, and Linear Programming

            Chapter 12 Summary

            Chapter 12 Review Exercises

            Chapter 12 Mixed Review Exercises

            Chapter 12 Test

            Chapters R—12 Cumulative Review Exercises

 

13. Further Topics in Algebra

13.1 Sequences and Series

13.2 Arithmetic Sequences

13.3 Geometric Sequences

13.4 The Binomial Theorem

13.5 Mathematical Induction

13.6 Counting Theory

13.7 Basics of Probability

            Chapter 13 Summary

            Chapter 13 Review Exercises

            Chapter 13 Mixed Review Exercises

            Chapter 13 Test

            Chapters R—13 Cumulative Review Exercises

 

 

Appendix A: Solving Systems of Linear Equations by Matrix Methods

Appendix B: Determinants and Cramer’s Rule

Appendix C: Properties of Matrices

Appendix D: Matrix Inverses

 

Photo Credits

Answers to Selected Exercises

Index

 

 

Marge Lial was always interested in math; it was her favorite subject in the first grade! Marge's intense desire to educate both her students and herself has inspired the writing of numerous best-selling textbooks. Marge, who received Bachelor's and Master's degrees from California State University at Sacramento, is affiliated with American River College. Marge is an avid reader and traveler. Her travel experiences often find their way into her books as applications, exercise sets, and feature sets. She is particularly interested in archeology. Trips to various digs and ruin sites have produced some fascinating problems for her textbooks involving such topics as the building of Mayan pyramids and the acoustics of ancient ball courts in the Yucatan.

When John Hornsby enrolled as an undergraduate at Louisiana State University, he was uncertain whether he wanted to study mathematics education or journalism. His ultimate decision was to become a teacher, but after twenty-five years of teaching at the high school and university levels and fifteen years of writing mathematics textbooks, both of his goals have been realized. His love for both teaching and for mathematics is evident in his passion for working with students and fellow teachers as well. His specific professional interests are recreational mathematics, mathematics history, and incorporating graphing calculators into the curriculum. John's personal life is busy as he devotes time to his family (wife Gwen, and sons Chris, Jack, and Josh), and has been an avid baseball fan all of his life. John's other hobbies include numismatics (the study of coins) and record collecting. He loves the music of the 1960s and has an extensive collection of the recorded works of Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons.

A native Midwesterner, Terry McGinnis received her Bachelor’s of Science in Elementary Education with a concentration in Mathematics from Iowa State University. She has taught elementary and middle school mathematics, and developed and implemented the curriculum used with her students. Terry has been involved in college mathematics publishing for over 20 years, working with a variety of authors on textbooks in both developmental mathematics and precalculus. After working behind the scenes on many of the Lial/Hornsby textbooks and supplements for over 10 years, Terry joined Margaret Lial and John Hornsby in 2002 as coauthor of their developmental mathematics series that includes Introductory Algebra, Intermediate Algebra, and Introductory and Intermediate Algebra. When not working, Terry enjoys spinning at a local health club, walking, and reading fiction. She is the devoted mother of two sons, Andrew and Tyler.

Need help? Get in touch

MyLab

Customize your course to teach your way. MyLab® is a flexible platform merging world-class content with dynamic study tools. It takes a personalized approach designed to ignite each student's unique potential. And, with the freedom it affords to adapt your pedagogy, you can reinforce select concepts and guide students to real results.

Video
Play
Privacy and cookies
By watching, you agree Pearson can share your viewership data for marketing and analytics for one year, revocable by deleting your cookies.

Empower your students, in class and beyond

Meet students where they are with MyLab®, and capture their attention in every lecture, activity, and assignment using immersive content, customized tools, and interactive learning experiences in your discipline.