REFLECTION PAPER

The Precalculus course bridges basic mathematics and calculus. This

course completes your foundational knowledge on algebra, geometry, and
trigonometry. It provides conceptual understanding and computational skills that
are prerequisites for Basic Calculus and future STEM course. Based on the
Curriculum Guide for Precalculus of the Department of Education, the primary goal
of this is to give adequate stand-alone material that can be used for the Grade 11
Precalculus course. At the end of each lesson of the 1st quarter, more examples are
given in Solved Examples to reinforce the ideas and skills being developed in the
lesson.
Throughout my journey in 1st quarter, I didn’t have comfort in every
lesson we take. I had so much hardships in understanding each topic and answering
every problems that are given. Telescoping Sum is a sum in which subsequent terms
cancel each other, leaving only initial and final terms. This type of infinite series
utilizes the technique of Partial Fractions which is a way for us to express a rational
function as a sum of simpler fractions. In this case, we are going to change our
function into the sum of two “smaller, easier” fractions, where one is positive, and
the other is negative. And for me, it is a topic that is a callous one for me to
understand. It took me how many weeks to understand it slightly. It feels like at the
beginning, everything went wrong for me. But days, weeks, and months have
passed I must say I am slowly getting to used on what I am into right now.
Next one, The Principle of Mathematical Induction is a bit hard for me. At
first, I am getting the steps and the pattern but when another examples are given,
it was like “what am I going to do with this” look. The Principle of Mathematical
Induction is often compared to climbing an infinite staircase. First, you need to be
able to climb up to the first step. Second, if you are on any step (n=k), you must be
able to climb up to the next step (n=k+1). If you can do these two things, then you
will be able to climb up the infinite staircase. Another analogy of the Principle of
Mathematical Induction that is used is toppling an infinite line of standing
dominoes. You need to give the first domino a push so that it falls down. Also, the
dominoes must be arranged so that if the kth domino falls down, the next domino
will also fall down. These two conditions will ensure that the entire line of dominoes
will fall down. Yes, it’s hard for me but I am getting it slowly and hopefully, it went
well. It may be hard for me to take every little steps each day onwards, still I will
devote myself to fight and survive.
 What went well in my journey this 1st quarter of the school year is my
understanding in conic sections. From circles to hyperbola and it’s degenerate and
non-degenerate conics. conic sections (or conics), a particular class of curves which
oftentimes appear in nature and which have applications in other fields. One
of the first shapes we learned, a circle, is a conic. When you throw a ball, the
trajectory it takes is a parabola. The orbit taken by each planet around the sun
is an ellipse. Properties of hyperbolas have been used in the design of certain
telescopes and navigation systems. Circle- when the plane is horizontal; ellipse-
when the plane intersects only one cone to form a bounded curve; parabola; when
the plane intersects only one cone to form a unbounded curve; and hyperbola-
when the plane intersects both cones to form two unbounded curves.
Completing the square is commonly used in this matter. It means
determining the term to be added that will produce a perfect polynomial square.
The first step in completing the square is to write each equation in standard form
by completing the square in x and y. From the standard equation, we can determine
the center and radius. Completing the square is not just for circles. We can also use
it for ellipse, hyperbola, and parabola in degenerate conics. In the properties of
parabola, the parabolas we considered so far are “vertical” and have their vertices
at the origin. Sone parabolas open instead horizontally (to the right or left), and
some have vertices not at the origin. Next one is the Ellipse. Unlike circle and
parabola, an ellipse is one of the conic sections that most students have not
encountered formally before. Its shape is a bounded curve which looks like a
flattened circle. The orbits of the planets in our solar system around the sun happen
to be elliptical in shape. Also, just like parabolas, ellipse have reflective properties
that have been used in the construction of certain structures. These applications
and more are the ones that I encountered in 1st quarter lesson.
Last one it the hyperbola. Just like ellipse, a hyperbola is one of the conic
sections that most students have not encountered formally before. Its graph
consist of two unbounded branches which extend in opposite directions. It is a
misconception that each branch is a parabola. This is not true, as parabolas and
hyperbolas have very different features. Let F1 and F2 be two distinct points. The
set of all points P, whose distances from F1 and from F2 differ by a certain constant,
is called a hyperbola.
 The points F1 and F2 are called the foci of the hyperbola. (1) center : origin
(0, 0)
(2) foci: F1(−c, 0) and F2(c, 0)
• Each focus is c units away from the center.
• For any point on the hyperbola, the absolute value of the difference of its
distances from the foci is 2a.
(3) vertices: V1(−a, 0) and V2(a, 0)
• The vertices are points on the hyperbola, collinear with the center and foci.
• If y = 0, then x = ±a. Each vertex is a units away from the center.
• The segment V1V2 is called the transverse axis. Its length is 2a.
(4) asymptotes: y =b/a x and y = −b/a x, the lines `1 and `2
• The asymptotes of the hyperbola are two lines passing through the center which
serve as a guide in graphing the hyperbola: each branch of
the hyperbola gets closer and closer to the asymptotes, in the direction towards
which the branch extends
• An aid in determining the equations of the asymptotes: in the standard equation,
replace 1 by 0, and in the resulting equation x2/a2 −y2b2 = 0, solve for y.
• To help us sketch the asymptotes, we point out that the asymptotes `1 and `2 are
the extended diagonals of the auxiliary rectangle drawing. This rectangle has sides
2a and 2b with its diagonals intersecting at the center C. Two sides are congruent
and parallel to the transverse axis V1V2. The other two sides are congruent and
parallel to the conjugate axis, the segment shown which is perpendicular to the
transverse axis at the center, and has length 2b. Another one is it’s properties. The
hyperbola we considered so far are “horizontal” and have the origin as their
centers. Sone hyperbolas have their foci aligned vertically, and some have centers
not at the origin.
In the standard equation, aside from being positive, there are no other
restrictions on a and b. In fact, a and b can even be equal. The orientation of the
hyperbola is determined by the variable appearing in the first term: corresponding
axis is where the two branches will open. For example, if the variable in the first
term is x, the hyperbola is “horizontal”: the transverse is horizontal, and the
branches open to the left and right in the direction of the x-axis.
I learned a lot in this subject. It might be hard (nothing is easy), but I think
continuing to fight for survival is enough. Of course there will always be hardships
but one thing is for sure, success is sweeter than anything else. Yes, Precalculus is
damn hard but still the learnings stayed in mind and being kept by the students like
me. I’m not going to deny that I can’t easily understand the lesson but me as a
student, I’m doing my part since my teachers also did enough for us students. I will
just give my evaluation to this subject. Precalculus is something that gamble my
mind and thoughts but on the other hand, I know at the end of this school year it
will have a big part in my life especially when I enter collage. I remembered one
time my brother said that STEM is a good choice in choosing strand for senior high.
At first I was hesitate to choose STEM as my strand because I’m not good in math
but he said “Easy na pag abot sa college kang dle na siya ing ato ka lisod ky ang iba,
naagian na sa sienior high.” And that’s when I made my decision. In my first week
of stay, I must say that I did have a hard time adjusting from the ambiance to the
subjects and teachings but I did my best to catch up. Math is not bad after all. Well
that’s if you’re into solving. They say math is fun but up until now, I’m not still
convinced. Learnings don’t come easily. It is a buy product. A process of hardship
and understanding and choosing to learn in every manner and every way.