Loose-leaf Version for Quantitative Literacy Thinking Between the Lines

by Crauder, Bruce; Evans, Benny; Johnson, Jerry; Noell, Alan

• ISBN13: 9781464125164
• ISBN10: 1464125163
• Edition: 2nd
• Format: Loose-leaf
• Copyright: 2014-12-29
• Publisher: W. H. Freeman

Summary

Quantitative Literacy fully prepares students to be informed consumers of quantitative information with coverage that neatly balances discussions of ideas with computational practice. Through a wide range of examples and applications, the authors show students that they use math in their everyday lives more than they realize, and that learning math in real-world contexts. Students develop the critical thinking and problem solving skills to make intelligent decisions about regarding money, voting and politics, health issues, and much more.

Table of Contents

Chapter 1: Critical Thinking

1.1 Public policy and Simpson’s paradox: Is "average" always average?

1.2 Logic and informal fallacies: Does that argument hold water?

1.3 Formal logic and truth tables: Do computers think?

1.4 Sets and Venn diagrams: Pictorial logic

1.5 Critical thinking and number sense: What do these figures mean?

Chapter 2: Analysis of Growth

2.1 Measurements of growth: How fast is it changing?

2.2 Graphs: Picturing growth

2.3 Misleading graphs: Should I believe my eyes?

Chapter 3: Linear and Exponential Change: Comparing Growth Rates

3.1 Lines and linear growth: What does a constant rate mean?

3.2 Exponential growth and decay: Constant percentage rates

3.3 Logarithmic phenomena: Compressed scales

3.4 Quadratics and parabolas

Chapter 4: Personal Finance

4.1 Saving money: The power of compounding

4.2 Borrowing: How much car can you afford?

4.3 Saving for the long term: Build that nest egg

4.4 Credit cards: Paying off consumer debt

4.5 Inflation, taxes, and stocks: Managing your money

Chapter 5: Introduction to Probability

5.1 Calculating probabilities: How likely is it?

5.2 Medical testing and conditional probability: Ill or not?

5.3 Counting and theoretical probabilities: How many?

5.4 More ways of counting: Permuting and combining

5.5 Expected value and the law of large numbers: Don’t bet on it

Chapter 6: Statistics

6.1 Data summary and presentation: Boiling down the numbers

6.2 The normal distribution: Why the bell curve?

6.3 The statistics of polling: Can we believe the polls?

6.4 Statistical inference and clinical trials: Effective drugs?

Chapter 7: Graph Theory

7.1 Modeling with graphs and finding Euler circuits

7.2 Hamilton circuits and traveling salesmen: Efficient routes

7.3 Trees: Viral e-mails and spell checkers

Chapter 8: Voting and Social Choice

8.1 Measuring voting power: Does my vote count?

8.2 Voting systems: How do we choose a winner?

8.3 Fair division: What is a fair share?

8.4 Apportionment: Am I represented?

Chapter 9: Geometry

9.1 Perimeter, area, and volume: How do I measure?

9.2 Proportionality and similarity: Changing the scale

9.3 Symmetries and tilings: Form and patterns

Appendix 1: Unit Conversion

Appendix 2: Exponents and Scientific Notation

Appendix 3: Calculators, Parentheses, and Rounding

Appendix 4: Basic Math

Appendix 5: Problem Solving

Answers

Credits

Index