Precalculus and calculus skills are often needed by programmers, especially people interested in data science, machine learning, and computer graphics.

Math also plays an important part in other areas of programming such as game development, image and signal processing, pricing engines, and stock market analysis.

Since Precalculus is important for many areas of programing, we have released a full College Precalculus course on the freeCodeCamp.org YouTube channel.

This course was created by Dr. Linda Green who teaches at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. She has years of experience teaching precalculus to undergraduate students. And she has condensed College Precalculus basics down into this 5-hour course.

Here are all the Precalculus concepts you will learn about in this course:

  • Functions
  • Increasing and Decreasing Functions
  • Maximums and minimums on graphs
  • Even and Odd Functions
  • Toolkit Functions
  • Transformations of Functions
  • Piecewise Functions
  • Inverse Functions
  • Angles and Their Measures
  • Arclength and Areas of Sectors
  • Linear and Radial Speed
  • Right Angle Trigonometry
  • Sine and Cosine of Special Angles
  • Unit Circle Definition of Sine and Cosine
  • Properties of Trig Functions
  • Graphs of Sine and Cosine
  • Graphs of Sinusoidal Functions
  • Graphs of Tan, Sec, Cot, Csc
  • Graphs of Transformations of Tan, Sec, Cot, Csc
  • Inverse Trig Functions
  • Solving Basic Trig Equations
  • Solving Trig Equations that Require a Calculator
  • Trig Identities
  • Pythagorean Identities
  • Angle Sum and Difference Formulas
  • Proof of the Angle Sum Formulas
  • Double Angle Formulas
  • Half Angle Formulas
  • Solving Right Triangles
  • Law of Cosines
  • Law of Cosines - old version
  • Law of Sines
  • Parabolas - Vertex, Focus, Directrix
  • Ellipses
  • Hyperbolas
  • Polar Coordinates
  • Parametric Equations
  • Difference Quotient

Also, we recommend you pull out some paper and a pencil and take physical notes – just like when you were back in a classroom.

This manual process of taking notes will help you better comprehend and retain these concepts, since Dr. Green moves fast and covers a lot of topics in a short time.

Watch the full course on the freeCodeCamp.org YouTube channel (5 hour watch).