Algebra/Chapter 0/Introduction

Algebra is the branch of mathematics concerning the study of the rules of operations and relations, and the constructions and concepts arising from them, including terms, polynomials, equations and algebraic structures.

You've been asked to buy peanuts for you and your friends at a football game. You've collected $12.50. One bag is $2.75. You want to know how many bags you can buy. This is an algebra problem! Related problems are how much money will be left over, and what should you buy or in what proportions should you return the extra money to your friends.

Algebra helps us to predict things that we don't yet know and to determine the relationships between the things we do. Algebra is a powerful and rich branch of mathematics that is useful in everyday life as well as business, engineering, and other technical fields.