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College Algebra, 12th Edition

Ron Larson

  • Copyright 2027
  • {{checkPublicationMessage('Published', '2026-01-28T00:00:00+0000')}}
Starting At $77.95 See pricing and ISBN options
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College Algebra 12th Edition by Ron Larson
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Overview

Larson's "College Algebra," 12e gives instructors a clear, student-focused approach that helps learners strengthen prerequisite skills and stay on track as new concepts build. A streamlined presentation, continual review and real-life applications reinforce learning throughout the course. WebAssign brings together the proven Larson approach with varied question types, targeted practice and grading that recognizes algebraically equivalent answers, giving instructors flexibility to support students where needed. New brief lecture videos and Getting Ready for the Chapter sections add more ways to address readiness and keep students moving forward.

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Meet the Authors

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Ron Larson

Dr. Ron Larson is a professor of mathematics at the Pennsylvania State University, where he has taught since 1970. He is considered the pioneer of using multimedia to enhance the learning of mathematics, having authored more than 30 software titles since 1990. Dr. Larson has also authored numerous acclaimed textbooks, including the best-selling calculus series coauthored with Dr. Bruce Edwards and published by Cengage. Dr. Larson received the 2017 William Holmes McGuffey Longevity Award for PRECALCULUS and for CALCULUS. He also received the 2018 Text and Academic Authors Association TEXTY Award for CALCULUS: EARLY TRANSCENDENTAL FUNCTIONS. In addition, Dr. Larson received the 1996 Text and Academic Authors Association TEXTY Award for INTERACTIVE CALCULUS -- a complete text on CD-ROM that was the first mainstream college textbook to be offered on the internet.

What's New

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  • New brief lecture videos provide concise presentations of key concepts, giving students another way to get support when they need it.
  • New Mastery Sets provide focused practice that helps students reinforce key skills and demonstrate what they have learned.
  • New Getting Ready for the Chapter sections emphasize the Big Idea concepts and prerequisite skills students need before beginning new material.
  • Fully updated Larson Corequisite Support through Precalculus gives instructors a more consistent way to address readiness with prerequisite practice alongside course-level work.
  • Expanded Problems guide students through intermediate steps, providing structured practice with multi-step problem solving rather than focusing only on the final answer.
  • Review & Refresh exercises revisit prerequisite skills throughout the course, while WebAssign's free College Math Readiness Bootcamp gives students an additional way to identify and strengthen gaps before they interfere with new learning.
  • How Do You See It? exercises use real-life problems and visual reasoning to help students apply course concepts in different contexts.

Features

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  • NEW Getting Ready for the Chapter sections prepare students for success by providing an increased emphasis on and reinforcement of the key Big Idea concepts and skills.
  • NEW Brief lecture videos in WebAssign provide engaging presentations that connect with today’s students and help them understand key concepts.
  • Review & Refresh exercises within section sets reinforce key prerequisite skills to prepare students for the next section and provide continual skill review throughout.
  • Exploring the Concepts sections, Vocabulary and Concept Checks build student confidence and develop conceptual understanding.
  • Summary and Study Strategies for each chapter include explanations and examples of the key objectives and essential study skills to help students succeed in the course.
  • How Do You See It? exercises in every section present real-life problems that students solve by visual inspection using the concepts in the lesson.
  • Algebra of Calculus examples and exercises throughout the text emphasize various algebraic techniques to prepare students for future success.

Table of Contents

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P. PREREQUISITES.
Review of Real Numbers and Their Properties. Exponents and Radicals. Polynomials and Special Products. Factoring Polynomials. Rational Expressions. The Rectangular Coordinate System and Graphs. Summary and Study Strategies. Review Exercises. Chapter Test. Proofs in Mathematics. P.S. Problem Solving.
1. EQUATIONS, INEQUALITIES, AND MATHEMATICAL MODELING.
Graphs of Equations. Linear Equations in One Variable. Modeling with Linear Equations. Quadratic Equations and Applications. Complex Numbers. Other Types of Equations. Linear Inequalities in One Variable. Other Types of Inequalities. Summary and Study Strategies. Review Exercises. Chapter Test. Proofs in Mathematics. P.S. Problem Solving.
2. FUNCTIONS AND THEIR GRAPHS.
Linear Equations in Two Variables. Functions. Analyzing Graphs of Functions. A Library of Parent Functions. Transformations of Functions. Combinations of Functions: Composite Functions. Inverse Functions. Summary and Study Strategies. Review Exercises. Chapter Test. Proofs in Mathematics. P.S. Problem Solving.
3. POLYNOMIAL FUNCTIONS.
Quadratic Functions and Models. Polynomial Functions of Higher Degree. Polynomial and Synthetic Division. Zeros of Polynomial Functions. Mathematical Modeling and Variation. Summary and Study Strategies. Review Exercises. Chapter Test. Proofs in Mathematics. P.S. Problem Solving.
4. RATIONAL FUNCTIONS AND CONICS.
Rational Functions and Asymptotes. Graphs of Rational Functions. Conics. Translations of Conics. Summary and Study Strategies. Review Exercises. Chapter Test. Proofs in Mathematics. P.S. Problem Solving.
5. EXPONENTIAL AND LOGARITHMIC FUNCTIONS.
Exponential Functions and Their Graphs. Logarithmic Functions and Their Graphs. Properties of Logarithms. Exponential and Logarithmic Equations. Exponential and Logarithmic Models. Summary and Study Strategies. Review Exercises. Chapter Test. Proofs in Mathematics. P.S. Problem Solving.
6. SYSTEMS OF EQUATIONS AND INEQUALITIES.
Linear and Nonlinear Systems of Equations. Two-Variable Linear Systems. Multivariable Linear Systems. Partial Fractions. Systems of Inequalities. Linear Programming. Summary and Study Strategies. Review Exercises. Chapter Test. Proofs in Mathematics. P.S. Problem Solving.
7. MATRICES AND DETERMINANTS.
Matrices and Systems of Equations. Operations with Matrices. The Inverse of a Square Matrix. The Determinant of a Square Matrix. Applications of Matrices and Determinants. Summary and Study Strategies. Review Exercises. Chapter Test. Proofs in Mathematics. P.S. Problem Solving.
8. SEQUENCES, SERIES, AND PROBABILITY.
Sequences and Series. Arithmetic Sequences and Partial Sums. Geometric Sequences and Series. Mathematical Induction. The Binomial Theorem. Counting Principles. Probability. Summary and Study Strategies. Review Exercises. Chapter Test. Proofs in Mathematics. P.S. Problem Solving.
APPENDIX A: ERRORS AND THE ALGEBRA OF CALCULUS.
APPENDIX B: CONCEPTS IN STATISTICS (ONLINE).
Representing Data. Analyzing Data. Modeling Data.
ALTERNATE VERSION OF CHAPTER P (ONLINE).
Operations with Real Numbers. Properties of Real Numbers. Algebraic Expressions. Operations with Polynomials. Factoring Polynomials. Factoring Trinomials.

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WebAssign
Each WebAssign online product offers the full textbook combined with a flexible and fully customizable online instructional assignments and tools.

Cengage provides a seamless user experience for Learning Management Systems (LMS) integration. Please contact your Cengage Learning Consultant for ordering information and visit our Learning Management System Integration web page on WebAssign for general information.

Standalone Digital Access — Ultimate Value

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  • ISBN-10: 821440746X
  • ISBN-13: 9798214407463
  • RETAIL $105.95
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Textbook Only Options

Traditional eBook and Print Options

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  • ISBN-10: 8214407559
  • ISBN-13: 9798214407555
  • RETAIL $77.95

  • ISBN-10: 8214407400
  • ISBN-13: 9798214407401
  • RETAIL $210.95
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Supplements

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Cengage provides a range of supplements that are updated in coordination with the main title selection. For more information about these supplements, contact your Learning Consultant.

FOR STUDENTS

WebAssign for Larson's College Algebra, 12th Single-Term Instant Access

ISBN: 9798214407463
WebAssign for Larson's "College Algebra," 12th Edition, is a flexible and fully customizable online instructional solution that puts powerful tools in the hands of instructors, enabling you to deploy assignments, instantly assess individual student and class performance and help your students master the course concepts. With its powerful digital platform and specific content, you can tailor your course with a wide range of assignment settings, add your own questions and content and access student and course analytics and communication tools.