<p>After 20 years of being a locksmith, I have decided that I want to get a college degree and I'll be starting next year! As part of my degree, I will be doing two math courses - one in calculus and the other in linear algebra.</p>
<p>However my foundations are very weak (other than adding and subtracting - I don't know much else!) so I'll need to work my way through K - 12 math textbooks before even touching first year college calculus and linear algebra textbooks!</p>
<p>Could I please get some math textbook recommendations that are comprehensive, precise, proof-based and to the point? I'm not asking for just one textbook that has everything, of course!</p>
<p><a href=“http://www.khanacademy.com”>www.khanacademy.com</a> is a good,free site to learn math. They have everything from 1+1 to college calculus.</p>
<p>@Ultimablade I have heard about Khan Academy, but I am a bit old fashioned and just prefer textbooks! Do you have any recommendations for textbooks from K - 12 that could help me? It would also be interesting to hear what textbooks the top students/schools use.</p>
<p>@intparent I have also heard about the Art of Problem Solving series. I understand that they go from 6th grade - 12th grade. However I have heard that they teach content more for math competitions. Is this true?</p>
<p>Another vote with @intparent. My son has me order the Art of Problem Solving books, and he researched his choice before asking me to order. He is not home-schooled, so I am not sure what he does with them. Perhaps prep for Math Team?</p>
<p>Go onto the AoPS website and poke around. If you are not absolutely drawn into the cult of it all, I will be surprised. If you like Math, after spending some time in the AoPS community, you will love it. They commission their own text books.</p>
<p>I have been working my way through them, that is how I know about them. I’d like to take some college level physics classes for fun, but have completely forgotten pretty much all math above algebra and some geometry over the past 25 years. I am working on Intermediate Algebra now, and have Pre-Calc next up. I feel like I REALLY understand it in a way I never did when I took it at a younger age, nor when helping my kids in high school. It is kind of addicting… I found myself thinking about parabola equations while out on a walk this week.</p>
<p>@intparent So are these textbooks the best I can get to prepare for college? After working through all of the AoPS textbooks, should I be ready to move on to first year college calculus and linear algebra? How long should it take to work through all of the textbooks?</p>
<p>By any chance do you know what textbooks the top schools and students use for K - 12 math?</p>
<p>I can’t imagine better prep. But there are no shortcuts to really learning and understanding math. I can’t tell you how long it will take – I am going kind of slowly, but I have a super busy life and probably only spend an hour or two a week on it in a good week. </p>
<p>@intparent I have looked at excerpts of the AoPS and I’m not sure…it doesn’t seem like it’s for me! Could you give me any other recommendations? Like I said, it would be interesting to know what the top students/schools use for their K - 12 math courses.</p>
<p>I cannot… I am not on top of the textbook market, only know what I have been using. I think there are probably many textbooks that will do the job (and “top” math students are studying with courses like APoS beyond what their regular textbooks may cover). But I don’t think there is “one” set of textbooks. Maybe you should go to a bookstore like a B&N and see what they have on the shelves and what appeals to you. </p>
<p>Here are some math placement exams that you can try to determine what algebra, geometry, and trigonometry topics you need to review before taking a calculus course:</p>
I’d like to take some college level physics classes for fun, but have completely forgotten pretty much all math above algebra and some geometry over the past 25 years. I am working on Intermediate Algebra now, and have Pre-Calc next up. I feel like I REALLY understand it in a way I never did when I took it at a younger age, nor when helping my kids in high school. It is kind of addicting… I found myself thinking about parabola equations while out on a walk this week.</p>