Geometry For Dummies

by Ryan, Mark

• ISBN13: 9780470089460
• ISBN10: 0470089466
• Edition: 2nd
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2008-01-03
• Publisher: For Dummies

Summary

Learning geometry doesn't have to hurt. With a little bit of friendly guidance, it can even be fun! Geometry For Dummies, 2 nd Edition, helps you make friends with lines, angles, theorems and postulates. It eases you into all the principles and formulas you need to analyze two- and three-dimensional shapes, and it gives you the skills and strategies you need to write geometry proofs.Before you know it, you'll be devouring proofs with relish. You'll find out how a proof's chain of logic works and discover some basic secrets for getting past rough spots. Soon, you'll be proving triangles congruent, calculating circumferences, using formulas, and serving up pi. The non-proof parts of the book contain helpful formulas and tips that you can use anytime you need to shape up your knowledge of shapes. You'll even get a feel for why geometry continues to draw people to careers in art, engineering, carpentry, robotics, physics, and computer animation, among others.You'll discover how to: Identify lines, angles, and planes Measure segments and angles Calculate the area of a triangle Use tips and strategies to make proofs easier Figure the volume and surface area of a pyramid Bisect angles and construct perpendicular lines Work with 3-D shapes Work with figures in the x-y coordinate systemSo quit scratching your head. Geometry For Dummies, 2 nd Edition, gets you un-stumped in a hurry.

Author Biography

A graduate of Brown University and the University of Wisconsin Law School, Mark Ryan has been teaching math since 1989. He runs The Math Center (www.themathcenter.com) in Winnetka, Illinois, where he teaches high school math courses, including an introduction to geometry and a workshop for parents based on a program he developed, The 10 Habits of Highly Successful Math Students. In high school, he twice scored a perfect 800 on the math portion of the SAT, and he not only knows mathematics, he has a gift for explaining it in plain English. He practiced law for four years before deciding he should do something he enjoys and use his natural talent for mathematics. Ryan is a member of the Authors Guild and the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics.
Geometry For Dummies, 2nd Edition, is Ryan’s fifth book. Everyday Math for Everyday Life (Grand Central Publishing) was published in 2002; Calculus For Dummies (Wiley), in 2003; Calculus Workbook For Dummies (Wiley), in 2005; and Geometry Workbook For Dummies (Wiley), in 2006. His math books have sold over 200,000 copies.

Table of Contents

Introduction

Getting Started with Geometry Basics

Introducing Geometry

Building Your Geometric Foundation

Sizing Up Segments and Analyzing Angles

Introducing Proofs

Prelude to Proofs

Your Starter Kit of Easy Theorems and Short Proofs

The Ultimate Guide to Tackling a Longer Proof

Triangles : Polygons of the Three-Sided Variety

Grasping Triangle Fundamentals

Regarding Right Triangles

Completing Congruent Triangle Proofs

Polygons of the Four-or-More Sided Variety

The Seven Wonders of the Quadrilateral World

Proving That You've Got a Particular Quadrilateral

Polygon Formulas: Area, Angles, and Diagonals

Similarity : Same Shape, Different Size

Working with Not-So-Vicious Circles

Coming Around to Circle Basics

Circle Formulas and Theorems

Going Deep with 3-D Geometry

3-D Space: Proofs in a Higher Plane of Existence

Getting a Grip on Solid Geometry

Placement , Points, and Pictures: Alternative Geometry Topics

Coordinate Geometry

Changing the Scene with Geometric Transformations

Locating Loci and Constructing Constructions

The Part of Tens

Ten Things to Use as Reasons in Geometry Proofs

Ten Cool Geometry Problems

Appendixes

Formulas and Other Important Stuff You Should Know

Glossary

Index

Table of Contents provided by Publisher. All Rights Reserved.