Technical Math For Dummies

Technical Math For Dummies®

by Barry Schoenborn and Bradley Simkins

Technical Math For Dummies®

Published byWiley Publishing, Inc.111 River St.Hoboken, NJ 07030-5774

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Copyright © 2010 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Indianapolis, Indiana

Published by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Indianapolis, Indiana

Published simultaneously in Canada

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Library of Congress Control Number: 2010926845

ISBN: 978-0-470-59874-0

Manufactured in the United States of America

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About the Authors

Barry Schoenborn lives in Nevada City, California. He's a longtime technical writer with over 30 years' experience. He's written hundreds of user manuals and (in the early days) worked dozens of part-time jobs that required practical math. He has been a carpenter for the movies, a stage electrician, a movie theater manager, a shipping clerk, an insurance clerk, and a library clerk. He has a bachelor's degree in theatre from California State University, Fullerton.

Recently, his company worked with the California Integrated Waste Management Board to teach scientists and administrators how to write clearly. Barry is the coauthor of Storage Area Networks: Designing and Implementing a Mass Storage System (Pearson Education). He was a movie reviewer for the L.A. Herald-Dispatch and wrote a monthly political newspaper column for The Union of Grass Valley, California, for seven years. Barry's publishing company, Willow Valley Press, published Dandelion Through the Crack, which won the William Saroyan International Prize for Writing.

Bradley Simkins was born and raised in Sacramento, California, and became a sixth-generation journeyman plasterer. But it didn't take long (after many hours on construction sites) before he figured out that it was easier to use his brain than his muscles. He has a master's degree in mathematics from California State University, Sacramento. He has taught, assisted, and tutored at the Multimedia Math Learning Center at American River College in Sacramento. He and his family live in Sacramento, where he owns Book Lovers Bookstore, an independent bookstore.

Dedications

Barry: To my teachers at San Juan High School in Citrus Heights, California: Mr. N. E. (Norm) Andersen (math); Mrs. Eada Silverthorne (English); Ms. Susan A. Schwarz (English); Mr. Norman E. Allen (physics); Mr. A. J. Crossfield (chemistry); and Mr. James C. Harvey (biology). They would be surprised and (maybe) pleased.

Bradley: I dedicate my work to my in-laws, Greg and Diane Manolis, who have always extended their hand to help with no complaints, and to my oldest daughter, Ashleigh, who taught me that failing does not make you a failure.

Authors' Acknowledgments

Barry: This book wouldn't have been possible without the efforts of coauthor Bradley Simkins. We were supported by a great team at Wiley Publishing (Natalie Harris, Erin Mooney, and Megan Knoll) who worked hard to make this book a reality. They are the nicest people you'll ever meet! A big thanks, too, to Matt Wagner of Fresh Books Literary Agency, who presented us to Wiley.

Our patient readers were Priscilla Borquez (who is fast, accurate, and sensible, and who also has a great sense of humor); Jim Collins (an excellent and thorough technical communicator); Bill Love (who knows a zillion things about cars, machining, and welding); and Frances Kakugawa (author, poetess, and lecturer to and supporter of Alzheimer's caregivers, who was our poster child for someone who doesn't understand story problems).

Many thanks to Patricia Hartman, who was always encouraging, and to Johna Orzalli, my haircutter, who taught me how to mix hair color. Thanks as well to Jeff Perilman at Dave's Auto Repair for tips about smogging a car and specialized tools. And, finally, thanks and apologies to all the medical and dental staffs I flooded with questions.

Bradley: First, I thank Barry Schoenborn for all his hard work and dedication to make this work possible and for always going the extra mile to understand when my life became too hectic. I thank my beautiful wife, Audrey, and my beautiful children, Ashleigh, Brayden, Alexander, and Natalie, who make my life worth living. Thanks to Jill Marcai and Jens Lorenz for correcting all of our math mistakes. Last, but certainly not least, many thanks to the team at Wiley Publishing for taking on such goofballs.

Publisher's Acknowledgments

We're proud of this book; please send us your comments at http://dummies.custhelp.com. For other comments, please contact our Customer Care Department within the U.S. at 877-762-2974, outside the U.S. at 317-572-3993, or fax 317-572-4002.

Some of the people who helped bring this book to market include the following:

Acquisitions, Editorial, and Media Development

Project Editor: Natalie Harris

Acquisitions Editor: Mike Baker

Copy Editors: Megan Knoll, Caitie Copple

Assistant Editor: Erin Calligan Mooney

Editorial Program Coordinator: Joe Niesen

Technical Editors: Jens Lorenz, Jill Macari

Editorial Manager: Christine Meloy Beck

Senior Editorial Assistant: David Lutton

Editorial Assistants: Rachelle Amick, Jennette ElNaggar

Art Coordinator: Alicia B. South

Cover Photos: Corbis

Cartoons: Rich Tennant (www.the5thwave.com)

Composition Services

Project Coordinator: Patrick Redmond

Layout and Graphics: Carrie A. Cesavice

Proofreader: Jennifer Theriot

Indexer: BIM Indexing & Proofreading Services

Publishing and Editorial...