ONE MATHEMATICAL CAT, PLEASE! A First Course in Algebra

This is a complete, sequenced, free course. It has unlimited, randomly-generated exercises and worksheets. It can be used for a year-long high school course, or a one-semester college course.

You're about to learn that $\,x\,$ is to mathematics as ‘cat’ is to English. Next time you see ‘$\,x\,$’, I hope you think One Mathematical Cat, Please! and laugh a bit $\ldots\,$ making mathematics a little less stressful, and a little more fun.

Sections with the light green background are from the original ‘cat’ book (cat-on-swing). It was filled out to become this First Course in Algebra (which is also available as the cat-in-hammock book).

Section 1:
The Language of Mathematics
Read Section 1
Section 2:
Brushing Up On Basic Arithmetic Skills
Read Section 2
Section 3:
The Real Numbers
Read Section 3
Section 4:
Addition of Signed Numbers
Read Section 4
Section 5:
Subtraction of Signed Numbers
Read Section 5
Section 6:
Average
Read Section 6
Section 7:
The Base Ten Number System
Read Section 7
Section 8:
Decimals
Read Section 8
Section 9:
Mathematicians are Fond of Collections
Read Section 9
Section 10:
Holding This, Holding That
Read Section 10
Section 10.5:
Solving For A Particular Variable
(important for science classes)
Section 10.7:
Scientific Notation and Significant Figures
(important for science classes)
Section 11:
Introduction to Fractions
Read Section 11
Section 12:
Multiplying Fractions
Read Section 12
Section 13:
Adding Fractions
Read Section 13
Section 13.5:
Prime Numbers and Related Concepts
(Short on time? Section 13.5 can be skipped without any loss of continuity.)
Section 14:
I Live Two Blocks West Of You
Read Section 14
Section 15:
Numbers Have Lots of Different Names!
Read Section 15
Section 16:
Exact versus Approximate
Read Section 16
Section 17:
Rounding
Read Section 17
Section 18:
Unit Conversion
Read Section 18
Section 19:
More Unit Conversion
Read Section 19
Section 20:
Exponent Notation
Read Section 20
Section 21:
Exponent Laws
Read Section 21
71. Practice with $\,x^mx^n = x^{m+n}\,$
72. Practice with $\,(x^m)^n = x^{mn}\,$
73. Practice with $\,x^m/x^n = x^{m-n}$
74. Practice with $\,x^{-p} = 1/x^p$
75. One-Step Exponent Law Practice
76. Multi-Step Exponent Law Practice
Section 22:
Radicals
Read Section 22
Section 23:
Rational Exponents
Read Section 23
Section 24:
The Distributive Law
Read Section 24
Section 25:
Revisiting Exponents
Read Section 25
Section 26:
FOIL and More
Read Section 26
Section 27:
These Sentences Certainly Look Different!
Read Section 27
Section 28:
Introduction to Factoring
Read Section 28
Section 29:
Greatest Common Factor
Read Section 29
Section 30:
Transforming Tool #1
(the Addition Property of Equality)
Read Section 30
Section 31:
Transforming Tool #2
(the Multiplication Property of Equality)
Read Section 31
Section 32:
Solving Linear Equations in One Variable
Read Section 32
Section 32.5:
Applications and More
Section 33:
Solving Linear Inequalities in One Variable
Read Section 33
Section 34:
Introduction to Absolute Value
Read Section 34
Section 35:
Solving Absolute Value Equations
Read Section 35
Section 36:
Solving Absolute Value Inequalities Involving ‘Less Than’
Read Section 36
Section 37:
Finishing Up Absolute Value Sentences
Read Section 37
Section 38:
Factoring a Difference of Squares
Section 39:
Solving Equations Involving Perfect Squares
Section 40:
Factoring Trinomials
133. Basic Concepts Involved in Factoring Trinomials
134. Factoring $\,x^2 + bx + c\,,$   $\,c \gt 0\,$
135. Factoring $\,x^2 + bx + c\,,$   $\,c \lt 0\,$
136. Factoring Trinomials, All Mixed Up
Section 41:
Solving Quadratic Equations by Factoring
Section 42:
More on Quadratic Equations
Section 42.5:
Arithmetic with Fractions Involving Variables
Section 43:
Percent Increase and Decrease
Section 44:
Introduction to the Coordinate Plane
Section 45:
Lines
Section 46:
More On Lines
Section 47:
Functions