Euclidean vectors, and other topics needed for calculus, used in fields such as medicine or engineering. A college preparatory/regular class might focus on topics used in business-related careers, such as matrices, or power functions. A standard course considers functions, function composition, and inverse functions, often in connection with sets and real numbers. In particular, polynomials and rational functions are developed. Algebraic skills are exercised with trigonometric functions and trigonometric identities. The binomial theorem, polar coordinates, parametric equations, and the limits of sequences and series are other common topics of precalculus. Sometimes the mathematical induction method of proof for propositions dependent upon a natural number may be demonstrated, but generally coursework involves exercises rather than theory. Sample texts Roland E. Larson & Robert P. Hostetler (1989) Precalculus, second edition, D.C. Heath and Company Margaret L. Lial & Charles D. Miller (1988) Precalculus, Scott Foresman Jerome E. Kaufmann (1988) Precalculus, PWS-Kent Publishing Company (Wadsworth) Karl J. Smith (1990) Precalculus Mathematics: a functional approach, fourth edition, Brooks/Cole Michael Sullivan (1993) Precalculus, third edition, Dellen imprint of Macmillan Publishers Online access Jay Abramson and others (2014) Precalculus from OpenStax David Lippman & Melonie Rasmussen (2017) Precalculus: an investigation of functions Carl Stitz & Jeff Zeager (2013) Precalculus (pdf) See also AP Precalculus AP Calculus AP Statistics References External links Precalculus information at Mathworld Mathematics education