Precalculus: A Study of Functions and Their Applications, is the culmination of six years of work at Hope College.  The project stems from work that began with a grant from the National Science Foundation which resulted in the publication of Projects for Precalculus (Saunders College Publishing).  This book contains 26 projects with complete solutions and teachers’ notes. The projects are primarily applications, drawn from a wide variety of disciplines, in which students use the mathematics they are currently learning to investigate interesting problems. Using a guided discovery approach, the projects help students communicate effectively, make connections between the different representations of functions, and see the variety of ways mathematics is used.  Projects for Precalculus was an award winner in the 1996-97 Innovative Programs Using Technology Awards Competition. 

The authors used their experience in writing Projects for Precalculus as well as the input from many instructors who piloted the materials to create Precalculus: A Study of Functions and Their Applications.  Limited class testing of the manuscript has been ongoing since 1998.  The manuscript has also been reviewed and praised by a number of mathematics professors from around the country. 
 

Todd Swanson is an Adjunct Assistant Professor of Mathematics at Hope College in Holland, Michigan where he teaches introductory mathematics courses and mathematics education courses. He earned a BS in mathematics from Grand Valley State University in 1985 and an MA in mathematics from Michigan State University in 1989. Before coming to Hope College, he was a high school mathematics teacher and an instructor at Aquinas College in Grand Rapids, Michigan. 

Janet Andersen is an Associate Professor of Mathematics and Director of General Education at Hope College in Holland, Michigan. In addition to writing precalculus materials, she is also developing materials for integrated mathematics and science general education courses. She earned a BA in mathematics from LeTourneau College in 1979 and a Ph.D. in mathematics from the University of Minnesota in 1992. Before attending graduate school, she was a high school mathematics teacher for four years. 

Robert Keeley is an Associate Professor of Education at Calvin College in Grand Rapids, Michigan. He also taught middle and high school mathematics for 20 years. He earned a BA in mathematics from Calvin College in 1976, an MA in mathematics education from the University of Colorado at Denver in 1982, and a Ph.D. in educational psychology from the University of Denver in 1989. His interests include adjusting curriculum to meet the needs of gifted students, especially in mathematics.