Frequently Asked Questions: This page contains answers to common questions of students and parents.

1. What is Precalculus?
2. What is the difference between the two courses Trigonometry and Precalculus?
3. What are circular functions?
4. What is a Cartesian coordinates plane?

What is Precalculus?

Precalculus is the study of essential mathematics that are needed for 
learning Calculus.  In broad description, precalculus = trigonometry + 
analytic geometry + advanced algebra.

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What is the difference between the two courses Trigonometry and Precalculus?

First, the course Trigonometry focuses on trigonometry only.  Precalculus, 
on the other hand, studies trigonometric functions as a 
major unit, but Precalculus also studies other elementary functions such as 
polynomial, rational, absolute value, exponential, or logarithmic 
functions, and more.  Secondly, Trigonometry as an independent course takes 
12 weeks to study, but Precalculus aims to study Trigonometry in 6 weeks in 
order to learn other elementary functions as well.  This means Precalculus 
has a faster pace than the Trigonometry.

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What are circular functions?

Circular functions relate to a circle in a Cartesian coordinates plane with 
center at the origin (0,0).  They are functions that are generated by 
various ratios in a right triangle with the radius of a circle as 
hypotenuse.  See the animated image that appears in the home page.  You will 
see a moving triangle within a circle.  Generated within the circle are six 
important functions: y = sin(x), y = cos(x), y = tan(x), y = cot(x), y = csc
(x), and y = sec(x).

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What is a Cartesian coordinates plane?

It is the 2-dimensional coordinate system that is named after its inventor, 
Rene Descartes. (By all means, do a Google search on this brilliant 
mathematician and philosopher.)  The coordinate system divides a plane into 
four quadrants,and every point in the plane has a location identified 
commonly by (x-coordinate, y-coordinate) or technically by (abscissa, 
ordinate).

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