PA RT

2

Into the Unknown

It’s nice to take a world tour, even in the world of numbers, but sometimes it can be a scary trip.
If you don’t know where you’re going, or you think you do but find yourself lost, you can feel
unsettled. Whether you’re in a foreign country or in the middle of solving a problem, realizing
that you’re lost is a frightening feeling. The best way to prevent that situation is good preparation,
so that’s what we aim to do.

In this part, you’ll prepare to deal with those situations in which one or more of the numbers
in your problem is unknown. You’ll look at ways to find those missing numbers, or if that’s not
possible, at least to organize the possibilities. Just as having a good map and a good plan will
keep you from getting lost, having a clear picture and knowing what steps to take will help you
through a problem. You’re about to draw the map that will let you find your way into algebra.