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<H1><center>Introduction to the Math Readiness Course</center></H1> <p> <img align=left src="/mrc/images/keith.jpg" width=200 height=251> <font size=6>W</font>elcome to the electronic version of the Math Readiness Course, MRC for short. My name is Keith Taylor, a professor in the Department of Mathematics and Statistics at the University of Saskatchewan. I am the director of the MRC project, but many others have contributed in a variety of ways, see <a href="display.cgi?document=credits&iframe=1" target="_top"> Credits</a> and <a href="display.cgi?document=awards" target="_top">Awards</a>.<p> In this course, we have collected together those topics from arithmetic, algebra, geometry, and trigonometry that seem to be most frequently used in university courses which have a high degree of mathematical content. Examples of such quantitative programs are engineering, physics, chemistry, biology, economics, business, computer science, statistics, and mathematics.<p> With mathematics, maybe more than any other subject, the knowledge is cumulative. For example, a skill that was covered in grade 10 algebra may be exactly what is needed to carry out an interest rate calculation in a business course at university. Those students who retain the particular skill and who are able to call on it whenever necessary may find the calculation, and the whole course, "a snap". Those who cannot rely on the skill when the need arises will be lost and confused. This same story is repeated in many different classes.<p> Our Math Readiness Course is designed to help you refresh those skills. You cannot expect miracles; mathematics is like gymnastics or playing the piano in that doing it well requires serious work and practice. To encourage you, we have provided interactive tutorials for you to work through after each lesson and you will occasionally be directed to enter a Virtual Mathematics Laboratory to carry out experiments with important concepts. Moreover, your learning progress will be monitored by quizzes.<p> We urge you to keep in touch with us. Please e-mail us (<a href="mailto:readin@math.usask.ca">readin@math.usask.ca</a>) with your most perplexing questions, those which you cannot answer yourself after a reasonable period of thought. You might like to check our <a href="display.cgi?document=faq" target="_top">FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions) page</a>; we will post answers to the most common questions there. As well, you can and should consult with other students via our discussion board.<p> We encourage your comments regarding this course. We hope you share in our excitement about the possibilities for an electronic math course. Did you know that the MRC is one of the very first internet mathematics courses to be offered by any university? We'd like to know what works, what doesn't, and how you think we can improve the course. You can help us by taking a minute to fill out our survey form.<p> We wish you every success in your studies.<p><hr> For those who are in Saskatoon, a "live" version of this course is offered as a two week camp each summer. For more information, you can e-mail me at <a href="mailto:taylor@snoopy.usask.ca">taylor@math.usask.ca</a> or call me at (306) 966-6092.<p>
