9ECOURSESYLLABUS

2013-2014
I.

EUCLIDEAN GEOMETRY
a) Introduction to an axiomatic system by discussion of undefined terms (a point/a line/ a plane) and of
postulates versus theorems including a discussion of what we can (colinearity, coincidence) and what we
cannot (relative measures) assume from a diagram.
b) Introduction of a few postulates and their applications to a geometric proof (two-column and
paragraph proofs);
c) Discussion and discovery of relationships between angles (supplementary/ complementary/ vertical/
adjacent) and derivation of simple theorems involving angles; All throughout the beginning we expand
our vocabulary by learning formal definitions of angle- bisectors, perpendicular bisectors of line
segments, medians of a triangle, altitudes of a triangle and we introduce segment and angle construction
postulates;
d) Introduction of congruency of triangles;
e) Introduction of methods used in proving triangles congruent (SAS, ASA, SSS, and later prove HyLeg and SAA and discuss the ambiguity of SSA); application problems involving overlapping triangles
and drawing auxiliary lines;
f) Consequence of congruency (CPCTC: corresponding parts of congruent triangles are congruent)
g) Proving properties of isosceles and equilateral triangles, e.g. base angle theorem and its converse/ An
angle bisector of the vertex angle of an isosceles triangle is also a median and an altitude/ Equilateral
triangles are also equiangular.
h) Review of algebraic properties of inequality and the presentation of the intuitive definition of
inequality (a is greater than b, if and only if there exists a positive real number c, such that b+c=a)
i) Derivation of the Exterior Angle Inequality Theorem and all the other geometric inequalities involving
one triangle, e.g. In a triangle, a larger angle lies opposite a longer side (+ its converse); Further
discussion proofs of the Triangle Inequality Theorem and theorems involving two triangles
(Hinge/Scissors Theorems);
j) Introduction of Parallel Lines Postulate and derivation of a Parallel Lines Theorem.
k) Derivation of all theorems concluding parallel lines, e.g. If two lines are intersected by a transversal
and the alternate interior angles formed are congruent, then the two lines are parallel;
l) Derivation of all theorems involving parallel lines intersected by a transversal that conclude
congruency of pairs of corresponding angles, alternate interior/exterior angles and supplementary nature
of interior/exterior angles on the same side of the transversal;
m) Proof of the sum of all interior angles in a triangle being equal to 180o and derivation of the formula
for the sum of all the interior angles in any polygon, (n-2)180 , and the sum of all the exterior angles of
a polygon (360 degrees);
n) Formal definition of various quadrilaterals and derivation of their geometric properties
(parallelograms: a rhombus, a rectangle, a square; trapezoids: an isosceles trapezoid; kites)
o) Solving problems when one is a given a parallelogram and solving problems proving special
quadrilaterals;

p) Using properties of special parallelograms in proving further properties of a triangle:

a midline theorem;

concurrency of medians and the property of the centriod dividing each median in the ration of
2:1; (a discussion of concurrency of angle-bisectors (incenter), perpendicular- bisectors (circumcenter),
altitudes (orthocenter))
q) Applications of the midline theorem in proving properties of a median of a trapezoid;
r) Introduction to similarity of polygons with the review of properties of proportions; (For triangles,
postulate AA, prove ~SAS, ~SSS);
s) Proving triangles similar;
t) Proving Mean Proportional Theorems (right triangles) and proving of the Pythagorean Theorem and
its converse;
u) Postulate the formula for the area of a rectangle and derive formulae for areas of a parallelogram, a
triangle, a trapezoid, and a kite;
The ratio of the areas of similar polygons is the square of the ratio of a pair of corresponding
sides.
The ratio of the areas of two circles is the square of the ratio of their radii.
The area of a triangle is given by K 12 ab sin C
Herons Formula: In a triangle, K s s a s b s c .

Problems involving areas of regular polygons.

v) Using similarity in finding areas/volumes of similar polygons/solids;

w) Proving the Pythagorean Theorem via President Garfields method and the proof without words;
y) Volume and surface area of solids (right rectangular prisms and pyramids, cylinders, cones, frustum)
II.

RIGHT TRIANGLE TRIGONOMETRY

a) Introduction of trigonometric ratios in the context of a right triangle: sin(A), cos(A), tan(A), csc(A),
sec(A), cot(A);
b) Solving problems involving angles of elevation and depression;
c) Finding exact and approximated areas of various polygons, e.g. a parallelogram ( A ab
sin C ),
triangle (

III.

), and a regular octagon;

EXPONENTS
a) Reviewoflawsforintegerexponents(including0andnegativeexponents);
b) Introductionofrationalexponentsandapplicationofthelawsofexponentssimplifyingexpressions
like
;
c)Solvingradicalequationsandequationswithrationalexponents;
d)Solvingexponentialequations;

IV.

COMPLEXNUMBERS
a) Introductionofthecomplexnumberi"asoneofthesolutionsto

b)Investigationoflargesumsandproductsofconsecutivepowersofiandintroductionofthesigma
andpinotation,e.g.

and

c) Expansion of number sets from real numbers to complex numbers sets, including a discussion of:
i) an Argand plane;
ii) a conjugate of z = a + bi,
,
iii)

a modulus of a complex number z, where

properties of the modulus, namely

and
,

d) Simplifying expressions with operations involving complex numbers (addition/subtraction,

multiplication/division) and simplification of rational expressions involving complex numbers;
e) Solving quadratic and hidden quadratic (cubic/quartic) equations that have complex roots;
V.

COORDINATE GEOMETRY
a) Introduction of formal definitions of: a relation, a function, domain and range of a function, one-toone function including the discussion of a vertical and a horizontal line tests;
b) Direct and inverse proportion
b) Introduction of a composition of functions,

c) Defining and finding an inverse of a one-to-one functions; Graphing functions and their inverses and
realizing that they are reflections over y=x line; Finding range of a one to one function via the domain of
its inverse;
d) Discussion of even and odd functions and their symmetrical properties;
e) Discussion and intuitive derivation of a midpoint and a distance formulae;
f) Review of linear functions in its three algebraic forms:
i.

a general form:

ii.

a point-slope form:

iii.

a slope-intercept form:

g) Derivation of equations from their locus definitions for:

a circle, a locus of points equidistant from one fixed point called the center;

an ellipse, a locus of points such that the sum of their distances from two fixed points called foci is
constant,

a hyperbola, a locus of points such that the positive difference of their distances from two fixed
points called foci is constant,

or

or

a parabola, a locus of points of points equidistant form a fixed point called the focus and a fixed line
called the directrix,

or

;
h) Finding equations of particular conic sections based on a graph or an information involving key
features of a particular conic;
k) Finding points of intersection algebraically and graphically of the following systems:
linear-quadratic;
quadratic-quadratic;
l) Solving and graphing linear inequalities in 2-d and applications in linear programming;