Preface
- Page ID
- 210148
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\(\newcommand{\avec}{\mathbf a}\) \(\newcommand{\bvec}{\mathbf b}\) \(\newcommand{\cvec}{\mathbf c}\) \(\newcommand{\dvec}{\mathbf d}\) \(\newcommand{\dtil}{\widetilde{\mathbf d}}\) \(\newcommand{\evec}{\mathbf e}\) \(\newcommand{\fvec}{\mathbf f}\) \(\newcommand{\nvec}{\mathbf n}\) \(\newcommand{\pvec}{\mathbf p}\) \(\newcommand{\qvec}{\mathbf q}\) \(\newcommand{\svec}{\mathbf s}\) \(\newcommand{\tvec}{\mathbf t}\) \(\newcommand{\uvec}{\mathbf u}\) \(\newcommand{\vvec}{\mathbf v}\) \(\newcommand{\wvec}{\mathbf w}\) \(\newcommand{\xvec}{\mathbf x}\) \(\newcommand{\yvec}{\mathbf y}\) \(\newcommand{\zvec}{\mathbf z}\) \(\newcommand{\rvec}{\mathbf r}\) \(\newcommand{\mvec}{\mathbf m}\) \(\newcommand{\zerovec}{\mathbf 0}\) \(\newcommand{\onevec}{\mathbf 1}\) \(\newcommand{\real}{\mathbb R}\) \(\newcommand{\twovec}[2]{\left[\begin{array}{r}#1 \\ #2 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\ctwovec}[2]{\left[\begin{array}{c}#1 \\ #2 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\threevec}[3]{\left[\begin{array}{r}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\cthreevec}[3]{\left[\begin{array}{c}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\fourvec}[4]{\left[\begin{array}{r}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \\ #4 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\cfourvec}[4]{\left[\begin{array}{c}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \\ #4 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\fivevec}[5]{\left[\begin{array}{r}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \\ #4 \\ #5 \\ \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\cfivevec}[5]{\left[\begin{array}{c}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \\ #4 \\ #5 \\ \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\mattwo}[4]{\left[\begin{array}{rr}#1 \amp #2 \\ #3 \amp #4 \\ \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\laspan}[1]{\text{Span}\{#1\}}\) \(\newcommand{\bcal}{\cal B}\) \(\newcommand{\ccal}{\cal C}\) \(\newcommand{\scal}{\cal S}\) \(\newcommand{\wcal}{\cal W}\) \(\newcommand{\ecal}{\cal E}\) \(\newcommand{\coords}[2]{\left\{#1\right\}_{#2}}\) \(\newcommand{\gray}[1]{\color{gray}{#1}}\) \(\newcommand{\lgray}[1]{\color{lightgray}{#1}}\) \(\newcommand{\rank}{\operatorname{rank}}\) \(\newcommand{\row}{\text{Row}}\) \(\newcommand{\col}{\text{Col}}\) \(\renewcommand{\row}{\text{Row}}\) \(\newcommand{\nul}{\text{Nul}}\) \(\newcommand{\var}{\text{Var}}\) \(\newcommand{\corr}{\text{corr}}\) \(\newcommand{\len}[1]{\left|#1\right|}\) \(\newcommand{\bbar}{\overline{\bvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\bhat}{\widehat{\bvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\bperp}{\bvec^\perp}\) \(\newcommand{\xhat}{\widehat{\xvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\vhat}{\widehat{\vvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\uhat}{\widehat{\uvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\what}{\widehat{\wvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\Sighat}{\widehat{\Sigma}}\) \(\newcommand{\lt}{<}\) \(\newcommand{\gt}{>}\) \(\newcommand{\amp}{&}\) \(\definecolor{fillinmathshade}{gray}{0.9}\)About this Open Educational Resource (OER)
This book and its ancillary materials were created by Ricela Feliciano-Semidei at Northern Illinois University for MATH 103: Elements of Mathematical Reasoning and was made possible through an Illinois Secretary of State/Illinois State Library (ISL) OER Grant awarded to Northern Illinois University Libraries’ project: Huskies Unbound: Developing OER for Undergraduate Success in High-Impact Courses. Funded by a one-time $3 million allocation to the Illinois Secretary of State's Budget in FY24, and facilitated by the Consortium of Academic and Research Libraries in Illinois (CARLI), the ISL OER Grant Program was created to support the development of textbooks and ancillaries as open educational resources to reduce students’ costs, encourage student success, and allow faculty to adapt materials to meet local needs.
I wish to express my gratitude to Illinois Governor JB Pritzker, Illinois Secretary of State Alexander Giannoulias, and Greg McCormick, Director of the Illinois State Library, for their commitment to Open Education.
Acknowledgements
The creation of this OER was made possible through the collaborative efforts of educators, librarians, and staff from Northern Illinois University. In particular, I acknowledge grant project members Jaime Schumacher, Missy Clapp, Cynthia Paralejas, Tracy Miller, and Lindsay Vreeland, whose time and expertise were invaluable to its development. I also extend my gratitude to Larissa Garcia and Dee Anna Phares, as co-directors of the grant, for their instrumental contributions in making this project possible and their management throughout the process.
In addition, I offer my appreciation for the training and support provided by Michele Leigh, Elizabeth Clarage, and Nicole Swanson and other CARLI staff members.
Peer Review
The Peer Reviewer process was completed by the following reviewer(s):
- Mike Mutersbaugh, Instructor, Department of Mathematical Sciences, Northern Illinois University
- Peter Sassman, Assistant Professor, Department of Mathematics, University of Arkansas - Fort Smith
Customization/Terms of Use
This textbook is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC-BY) license unless otherwise indicated, which means that you are free to:
- SHARE – copy and redistribute the material in any medium or format
- ADAPT – remix, transform, and build upon the material for any purpose
Licensing Terms
The licensor cannot revoke these freedoms as long as you follow the license terms.
- Attribution: You must give appropriate credit, provide a link to the license, and indicate if any changes were made. You may do so in any reasonable manner, but not in any way that suggests the licensor endorses you or your use.
- No Additional Restrictions: You may not apply legal terms or technological measures that legally restrict others from doing anything the license permits.
- Notice: You do not have to comply with the license for elements of the material in the public domain or where your use is permitted by an applicable United States copyright exception or limitation.
- No Warranties are Given: The license may not give you all of the permissions necessary for your intended use. For example, other rights such as publicity, privacy, or moral rights may limit how you use the material.
Attribution
Some of the content for this textbook may have been adapted from other open educational resources. For specific reference information about what was used and/or changed in this adaptation, please refer to the references at the end of each section of the book.
Suggested Attribution Statement for this Book
Content that is not adapted from other OER should include the following attribution statement:
Feliciano-Semidei, Ricela. (2026). Conceptual Mathematics in Society (Second Edition). Illinois Secretary of State/Illinois State Library OER Grant: Northern Illinois University. Licensed under CC BY 4.0.
References
This Preface is a derivative of Labatte, Jessica and Larissa Garcia. (2024). Illinois SCOERs. Fundamentals of Photography and Creative Practice by Consortium of Academic and Research Libraries in Illinois licensed under CC BY 4.0.

