A work in progress . . .

Documents (see linked pdf files below) like this take a tremendous amount of time to develop and I am hopeful that you will find them useful. If you do find these document useful I hope you support me by making a donation at https://paypal.me/ronbannon. Yea, every cent helps.


Webster Wells (September 4, 1851---May 23, 1916) was a United States mathematician known primarily for his authorship of a series of mathematical textbooks. One of his textbooks, Advanced Course in Algebra---the college algebra of his period---was published in 1904 by D. C. Heath and Company, and is important for anyone interested in the history of how college algebra has morphed from a challenging college-level course for the best-and-brightest students into a remedial course that churns the money machine of higher education. At all too many schools, the current treatment of college algebra is mainly a dumbed-down version of what is taught in many middle-schools, whereas, Webster Wells' textbook is really an awakening of how far we have academically fallen, even our so-called elite students would be perplexed by Wells' carefully prepared problem sets.

My plan is to use Wells' Advanced Course in Algebra to present his material to anyone interested in seeing how a modern algebra teacher would approach his material. Other chapters may follow, but this endeavor may prove to be too time-consuming for me to finish in what remains of my lifetime---it's hell to get old. The linked files is not a verbatim copy of Wells' textbook, but it does mirror its content, however my text includes more detailed solutions to Wells' exercises. Books of this era were more directed towards showing examples, then giving a set of exercises that help reinforce what was done in the examples. Mind-memory is not unlike muscle-memory, and that is, practice is needed to develop the necessary skills to become an adept mathematician. Patterns lies within your grasp, and it is time to start reaching for the stars . . .

I am working as fast as I can. Basically retyping, in LaTeX, from the actual physical textbook. You can certainly find reproductions of this textbook, but there's nothing like having the real thing. Impeccably typeset, Well's work is a testament to his desire to meet the needs of those in search of an education.

A word of warning---you will find copies of this text for sale, but they are poor Xerox copies of the original textbook. If you're going to buy the original textbook, I suggest you look for one that's in good condition. Textbooks of this era were made by craftsmen and are generally still functional, but buyer beware. Again, I believe this textbook is culturally important and if you see a copy I strongly suggest you buy it!

Once completed, I plan to publish it as a textbook.

---Ron Bannon

• Chapter 1: Definitions . . .
• Chapter 2: Rational Numbers . . .
• Chapter 3: Algebraic Expressions . . .
• Chapter 4: Algebraic Expressions . . .
• Chapter 5: Algebraic Expressions . . .
• Chapter 6: Linear Equations . . .
• Chapter 7: Special Methods . . .
• Chapter 8: Factoring . . . 
• Chapter 9: Highest Common Factor . . .
• Chapter 10: Fractions . . .
• Chapter 11: 
• Chapter 12: 
• Chapter 13: 
• Chapter 14: 
• Chapter 15: 
• Chapter 16: 
• Chapter 17: 
• Chapter 18: 
• Chapter 19: 
• Chapter 20: 
• Chapter 21: 
• Chapter 22: 
• Chapter 23: 
• Chapter 24: 
• Chapter 25: 
• Chapter 26: 
• Chapter 27: 
• Chapter 28: 
• Chapter 29: 
• Chapter 30: 
• Chapter 31: 
• Chapter 32: 
• Chapter 33: 
• Chapter 34: 
• Chapter 35: 
• Chapter 36: 
• Chapter 37: 
• Chapter 38: 
• Chapter 39: 
• Chapter 40: 
• Cauchy's Proof