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PrefaceTo All

HTML and PDF

This book is available as an eBook, a free PDF, or printed and bound. All versions offer the same content and are synchronized such that cross-references match across versions. They can each be found at spaces.pcc.edu/display/MS/Precollege+Algebra+OER.

The list below describes the distinctions in the eBook, PDF, and printed versions.

  • The eBook is recommended, as it offers interactive elements and easier navigation than print.

  • A PDF version can be downloaded and then accessed without the internet. Some content is in color, but most of the colorized content from the eBook has been converted to black and white to ensure adequate contrast when printing. The exceptions are the graphs generated by WeBWorK.

  • Printed and bound copies are available online. Up-to-date information about purchasing a copy should be available at spaces.pcc.edu/display/MS/Precollege+Algebra+OER. Contact the authors if you have trouble finding the latest version online. For each online sale, all royalties go to a PCC Foundation account, where roughly half will fund student scholarships, and half will fund continued maintenance of this book and other OER.

  • The answers to the odd homework exercises at the end of each section are not contained in the eBook, PDF, or print versions, but are available at spaces.pcc.edu/display/MS/Precollege+Algebra+OER.

Copying Content

The graphs and other images that appear in this manual may be copied in various file formats using the eBook version. Below each image are links to .png, .eps, .svg, .pdf, and .tex files that contain the image.

Mathematical content can be copied from the eBook. To copy math content into MS Word, right-click or control-click over the math content, and click to Show Math As MathML Code. Copy the resulting code, and Paste Special into Word. In the Paste Special menu, paste it as Unformatted Text. To copy math content into source, right-click or control-click over the math content, and click to Show Math As TeX Commands.

Tables can be copied from the eBook version and pasted into applications like MS Word. However, mathematical content within tables will not always paste correctly without a little extra effort as described above.

Accessibility

The HTML version is intended to meet or exceed web accessibility standards. If you encounter an accessibility issue, please report it to the editor.

  • All graphs and images will eventually have meaningful alt text that communicates what a sighted person would see, without necessarily giving away anything that is intended to be deduced from the image. Construction of alt text is underway, and will be complete by Summer 2018.

  • All math content is rendered using MathJax. MathJax has a contextual menu that can be accessed in several ways, depending on what operating system and browser you are using. The most common way is to right-click or control-click on some piece of math content.

  • In the MathJax contextual menu, you may set options for triggering a zoom effect on math content, and also by what factor the zoom will be.

  • If you change the MathJax renderer to MathML, then a screen reader will generally have success verbalizing the math content.

Tablets and Smartphones

PreTeXt documents like this book are “mobile-friendly”. When you view the HTML version, the display adapts to whatever screen size or window size you are using. A math teacher will always recommend that you do not study from the small screen on a phone, but if it's necessary, the eBook gives you that option.

WeBWorK for Online Homework

Most exercises are available in a ready-to-use collection of WeBWorK problem sets. Visit webwork.pcc.edu/webwork2/orcca-demonstration to see a demonstration WeBWorK course where guest login is enabled. Anyone interested in using these problem sets should contact the authors.