In American mathematics education, precalculus (or Algebra 3 in some areas), an advanced form of secondary school algebra, is a foundational mathematical discipline. It is also called Introduction to Analysis. In many schools, precalculus is actually two separate courses: Algebra and Trigonometry. Precalculus prepares students for calculus the same way as pre-algebra prepares students for Algebra I. While pre-algebra teaches students many different fundamental algebra topics, precalculus does not involve calculus, but explores topics that will be applied in calculus. Some precalculus courses might differ with others in terms of content. For example, an honors level course might spend more time on topics such as conic sections, vectors, and other topics needed for calculus. A lower level class might focus on topics used in a wider selection of higher mathematical areas, such as matrices, which are used in business.
In detail, precalculus deals with: