Geometry For Dummies

Hit the geometry wall? Get up and running with this no-nonsense guide!

Does the thought of geometry make you jittery? You're not alone. Fortunately, this down-to-earth guide helps you approach it from a new angle, making it easier than ever to conquer your fears and score your highest in geometry. From getting started with geometry basics to making friends with lines and angles, you'll be proving triangles congruent, calculating circumference, using formulas, and serving up pi in no time.

Geometry is a subject full of mathematical richness and beauty. But it's a subject that bewilders many students because it's so unlike the math they've done before--it requires the use of deductive logic in formal proofs. If you're having a hard time wrapping your mind around what that even means, you've come to the right place! Inside, you'll find out how a proof's chain of logic works and even discover some secrets for getting past rough spots along the way. You don't have to be a math genius to grasp geometry, and this book helps you get un-stumped in a hurry!

• Find out how to decode complex geometry proofs
• Learn to reason deductively and inductively
• Make sense of angles, arcs, area, and more
• Improve your chances of scoring higher in your geometry class

There's no reason to let your nerves get jangled over geometry--your understanding will take new shape with the help of Geometry For Dummies.

Autorentext

Mark Ryan is the founder and owner of The Math Center in the Chicago area, where he provides tutoring in all math subjects as well as test preparation. Mark is the author of Calculus For Dummies, Calculus Workbook For Dummies, and Geometry Workbook For Dummies.

Klappentext

Hit the geometry wall? Get up and running with this no-nonsense guide! Does the thought of geometry make you jittery? You're not alone. Fortunately, this down-to-earth guide helps you approach it from a new angle, making it easier than ever to conquer your fears and score your highest in geometry. From getting started with geometry basics to making friends with lines and angles, you'll be proving triangles congruent, calculating circumference, using formulas, and serving up pi in no time. Geometry is a subject full of mathematical richness and beauty. But it's a subject that bewilders many students because it's so unlike the math they've done before--it requires the use of deductive logic in formal proofs. If you're having a hard time wrapping your mind around what that even means, you've come to the right place! Inside, you'll find out how a proof's chain of logic works and even discover some secrets for getting past rough spots along the way. You don't have to be a math genius to grasp geometry, and this book helps you get un-stumped in a hurry! Find out how to decode complex geometry proofs Learn to reason deductively and inductively Make sense of angles, arcs, area, and more Improve your chances of scoring higher in your geometry class There's no reason to let your nerves get jangled over geometry--your understanding will take new shape with the help of Geometry For Dummies.

Inhalt

Introduction 1 Part 1: Getting Started with Geometry Basics 5 CHAPTER 1: Introducing Geometry 7 CHAPTER 2: Building Your Geometric Foundation 17 CHAPTER 3: Sizing Up Segments and Analyzing Angles 31 Part 2: Introducing Proofs 43 CHAPTER 4: Prelude to Proofs 45 CHAPTER 5: Your Starter Kit of Easy Theorems and Short Proofs 55 CHAPTER 6: The Ultimate Guide to Tackling a Longer Proof 75 Part 3: Triangles: Polygons of the Three-Sided Variety 87 CHAPTER 7: Grasping Triangle Fundamentals 89 CHAPTER 8: Regarding Right Triangles 107 CHAPTER 9: Completing Congruent Triangle Proofs 125 Part 4: Polygons of the Four-or-More-Sided Variety 153 CHAPTER 10: The Seven Wonders of the Quadrilateral World 155 CHAPTER 11: Proving That You Have a Particular Quadrilateral 177 CHAPTER 12: Polygon Formulas: Area, Angles, and Diagonals 193 CHAPTER 13: Similarity: Same Shape, Different Size 211 Part 5: Working with Not-So-Vicious Circles 235 CHAPTER 14: Coming Around to Circle Basics 237 CHAPTER 15: Circle Formulas and Theorems 255 Part 6: Going Deep with 3-D Geometry 277 CHAPTER 16: 3-D Space: Proofs in a Higher Plane of Existence 279 CHAPTER 17: Getting a Grip on Solid Geometry 287 Part 7: Placement, Points, and Pictures: Alternative Geometry Topics 303 CHAPTER 18: Coordinate Geometry 305 CHAPTER 19: Changing the Scene with Geometric Transformations 323 CHAPTER 20: Locating Loci and Constructing Constructions 343 Part 8: The Part of Tens 361 CHAPTER 21: Ten Things to Use as Reasons in Geometry Proofs 363 CHAPTER 22: Ten Cool Geometry Problems 369 Index 377