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Math
Elementary Algebra
Foundations

Foundations

Just like a building needs a firm foundation to support it, a study of algebra needs a firm foundation too. This chapter reviews arithmetic with whole numbers, integers, fractions, and decimals, so that you have a solid base for the algebra to come.

Sections

  • Introduction to Whole Numbers — place value, multiples, divisibility tests, and prime factorization.
  • Use the Language of Algebra — variables, algebraic expressions, and the order of operations.
  • Add and Subtract Integers — signed numbers and their operations.
  • Multiply and Divide Integers — signed-number rules for multiplication and division.
  • Visualize Fractions — equivalent fractions, simplifying, and multiplying and dividing fractions.
  • Add and Subtract Fractions — combining fractions with like and unlike denominators.
  • Decimals — operations on decimals and converting between decimals, fractions, and percents.
  • The Real Numbers — rational and irrational numbers and where they sit on the number line.
  • Properties of Real Numbers — the commutative, associative, distributive, and identity properties.
  • Systems of Measurement — the U.S. and metric systems, and converting between them.

This chapter overview is adapted from Elementary Algebra 2e, Chapter 1 Introduction by Lynn Marecek, MaryAnne Anthony-Smith, and Andrea Honeycutt Mathis, © OpenStax, licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 4.0. Access the original for free at openstax.org. Changes: condensed the chapter introduction and recast the chapter outline as a section list.

OverviewIntroduction to Whole Numbers