Precalculus 1: Basic notions (Udemy.com)
A solid preparation for Calculus, with elements of Discrete Mathematics: logic, sets, functions, relations, and proofs
Created by: Hania Uscka-Wehlou
Last updated August 2026
What you will learn
- How to solve problems in chosen Precalculus topics (illustrated with 236 solved problems) and why these methods work.
- Repetition of chosen aspects of high school mathematics (basic notions as numbers, functions, sets, equations, and inequalities).
- The basic notions will be defined in a more abstract way, and you will get an insight into their place in Calculus and some other branches of university maths.
- By the end of this course you will be able to understand all the elements in the epsilon-delta definition of limit, both symbols and the content.
- Arithmetic with basic rules (associativity and commutativity of addition and multiplication, distributivity) illustrated for positive integers.
- Basic terminology for equations and inequalities, with examples of linear equations and inequalities, with and without absolute value.
Course Description
Precalculus 1: Basic notions
Mathematics from high school to university
[None of our courses are produced using AI; they are all real-human products.]
S1. Introduction to the course
You will learn: about this course: its content and the optimal way of studying.
S2. Magical letters and symbols
You will learn: Greek and Latin letters and their usage in mathematics; mathematical symbols you will learn during this course.
S3. Numbers and arithmetic
You will learn: about different kinds of numbers (natural numbers, integers, rational numbers, irrational numbers, real numbers) and their arithmetic.
S4. Absolute value and distances
You will learn: Cartesian coordinate system: the axes, the unit, the origin, the coordinates of points, coordinates after reflections about the axes and the origin; absolute value as the distance from a real number to zero; absolute value for measuring distances; distances in abstract metric spaces.
S5. Equations and inequalities
You will learn: different ways of looking at equations and inequalities (as something to be solved, or as something what describes certain sets), with focus on linear equations and inequalities containing absolute value. Solution sets as subsets of R or R^2.
S6. Functions
You will learn: about functions: various ways of defining functions; domain, range, graph; x- and y-intercepts; surjections, injections, bijections, inverse functions; increasing and decreasing (monotone) functions; bounded functions; arithmetic operations on functions; compositions of functions; odd and even functions; transformations of graphs.
S7. Logic
You will learn: the meaning of the symbols used in logic; conjunction, disjunction, implication, equivalence, negation; basic rules of logic (tautologies) and how to prove them; two kinds of quantifiers: existential and universal; necessary and sufficient conditions.
S8. Sets
You will learn: the basic terms and formulas from the Set Theory and the link to Logic; union, intersection, set difference, subset, complement; cardinality of a set; Inclusion-exclusion principle.
S9. Relations
You will learn: about binary relations generally, and specifically about RST (Reflexive-Symmetric-Transitive) relations, equivalence classes, and about order (partial order) relations.
S10. Functions as relations
You will learn: definition of a function as relation between sets: domain and co-domain; injections, surjections, bijections, inverse functions.
S11. Axioms, definitions, theorems, and proofs
You will learn: the meaning of words axiom, definition, theorem, lemma, proposition, corollary, proof; Various types of proofs with some examples: direct proof, proof by induction, indirect proof, proof by contradiction.
S12. Sequences and series; AP, GP, HP
You will learn: how to use the symbols Sigma and Pi; you will also get an introduction to sequences and series, with some examples; arithmetic, geometric, and harmonic progressions.
Make sure that you check with your professor what parts of the course you will need for your final exam. Such things vary from country to country, from university to university, and they can even vary from year to year at the same university.
A detailed description of the content of the course, with all the 237 videos and their titles, and with the texts of all the 236 problems solved during this course, is presented in the resource file
“001 List_of_all_Videos_and_Problems_Precalculus_1.pdf”
under Video 1 ("Introduction to the course"). This content is also presented in Video 1.
Instructor Details
- 4.9 Rating
1,477 Reviews
Hania Uscka-Wehlou
I am a multilingual mathematician with a passion for mathematics education. I always try to find the simplest possible explanations for mathematical concepts and theories, with illustrations whenever possible, and with geometrical motivations.
I worked as a senior lecturer in mathematics at Uppsala University (from August 2017 to August 2019) and at Mälardalen University (from August 2019 to May 2021) in Sweden, but I terminated my permanent employment to be able to create courses for Udemy full-time.
I am originally from Poland where I studied theoretical mathematics and got pedagogical qualifications at the Copernicus University in Toruń (1992-1997). Before that, I enjoyed a very rigorous mathematical education in a mathematical class in high school "Liceum IV" in Toruń, which gave me a very solid foundation for everything else I have learned and taught later.
In my courses I teach various branches of university mathematics that I have learned from absolutely excellent lectures of my dear professors from Toruń: Mirosław Uscki (b.1946), Zbigniew Bobiński (b.1940), Paweł Jarek (1933-2013), and Stanisław Balcerzyk (1932-2005).
My PhD thesis (2009) was at Uppsala University in Sweden, with the title: "Digital Lines, Sturmian Words, and Continued Fractions".
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Reviews
By Igor Vlaschitsky on 2/7/2026
The course provides good theoretical foundation, with practical examples demonstration. It even involves concepts from abstract algebra, propositional logic, proof techniques, other concepts from foundation in mathematics. This is what you most probably don’t meet in high school, but these concepts give you deeper understanding when you start learning more advanced courses. However, it requires some maturity is school maths from you. If you have problems with basic math like arithmetic calculations, solving equations etc., I would recommend to look for another, more basic course. But if your skills are good enough, the content will be useful and surprisingly interesting.
By Prabuvi on 1/29/2026
Honestly I failed in my school maths and could never take up maths as a core subject in my college, but willing to get into AI / ML field where maths is a must, this I opted for this path of learning maths from High school to phd level, I don't think anywhere on earth there is any trainer providing such tailored courses to aspirants like me, i literally felt it was designed only for me. While the length of the videos might seem to be way too big, but every second is worth, if you want to master maths to the root, that's how maths should be studied, not like how they teach in most of the schools, where passing exam is main objective and not building a solid foundation for solving real world problems. Couldn't be more thankful to Hania
By Roger G on 12/26/2025
Simply amazing, a 10 out of 10 course! If you really want to improve your mathematical skills, the classes of professor Uscka-Wehlou are the best choice out there. So, if you want to be able to reason and understand instead of memorize formulas, this course is for you. About the course This course introduces essential knowledge if you want to study high-level mathematics by starting from the beginning and explaining the why of things by gradually building up over a well-structured curriculum. From introductions to notations, sets, formulas and proofs, working through this course you will see the extreme care the professor took in the construction of this course, the lectures and also her broader curriculum. About rofessor Uscka-Wehlou The professor of this course is clearly an expert in the material she is teaching. She is able to present and introduce tough concepts clearly in a lovely manner. You will find that she is a detail-oriented, honest and passionate professor with a great interest in both mathematics and teaching, you will see this, for example, during the lectures and in the Q&A. Pracice a) You will find many lectures discussing problems based on previously introduced techniques, theories or explanations, which I recommend attempting on your own before watching the lecture. b) In the beginning of the course you find attachments with detailed explanations of all the listed topics with plenty of additional material so that you can practice on your own. Q&A The Q&A section in this course is of great quality. The professor takes great care of providing detailed explanations and is very honest in doing so. Additionally, there are some great posts by fellow students that you should read.
By Josa191 on 9/14/2025
This mathematics course on Udemy with the professor has proven to be one of the best investments in my education. The professor is extremely knowledgeable, and it is clear that every lecture is based on a deep understanding of mathematics and extensive teaching experience. Each topic is explained thoroughly, yet in a way that is easy to follow, which is very important for students with different levels of prior knowledge. What impressed me the most are her pedagogical skills. The professor not only delivers knowledge but also structures the material in a way that is logical and easy to grasp. Her teaching methods encourage active thinking, and through numerous examples and explanations, she further strengthens the understanding of key concepts. In this course, I learned many important things, such as absolute values, which are essential for understanding the delta-sigma definition of sequences. The course also covers topics related to functions (domain, codomain, injection, surjection), as well as material on proving mathematical statements. A strong emphasis is also placed on logic, sets, and relations, which helped me build solid foundations for further studies in mathematics. This course will be extremely helpful for students who will be taking calculus or linear algebra in the future. The amount of material is huge and requires time, dedication, and patience, but the professor also provides books and collections of exercises for solving problem-based tasks, which makes the learning process much easier. She is also always willing to answer students’ questions. Her responses are clear, quick, and concrete, which gives additional confidence during the learning process. What I especially like is the possibility of submitting your own solution steps and checking the correctness directly with the professor. This is a huge advantage because the student is not left alone with doubts but instead receives constructive feedback and guidance for further improvement. For all these reasons, I recommend this course to everyone who wants not only to learn mathematics but also to understand its logic and beauty. The professor is outstanding in both her professional expertise and pedagogical role, and her teaching approach motivates and creates a positive learning atmosphere. For me personally, this experience is a true example of how online education can be just as good, and sometimes even better, than traditional in-person lectures. I highly recommend this course to all students preparing for university who may not have enough high school background in mathematics. This is the right course for you! And not only this one — the professor has also prepared three additional sequels (Precalculus 2, 3, and 4), which allow for systematic and gradual progress toward higher-level mathematics.
By Ilir Sheraj on 7/26/2024
Definitely the best course on math out there! I took it to brush up my math knowledge because i want to go deeper into Algorithms, but then i came to learn so many new things in a deep and systematic way. The course is very well-organized, starting from fundamentals and building up to sometimes very advanced concepts that are explained in an excellent way, even giving future applications for many such concepts. The part i enjoyed the most are the proofs (a lot of them), something you hardly see in Universities anymore, especially in American system where we solve exercises like robots. Thanks Hania, you have done a superb job. Time to move to the next course :)
By Koko Mong on 4/15/2024
The review after first time to complete this course: No matter how great the teacher or textbook is, studying math is actually difficult, and not having someone to help you solve these difficulties is a very big difficulty for those who study alone. I was lazy during my school days and was a math give-up who couldn't keep up with math classes at school. But suddenly I wanted to study math. Due to circumstances, I had no choice but to study on my own, so I purchased appropriate textbooks and started studying from the basics, but even this was a difficult time for me. Then, by chance, I found this teacher and purchased and listened to this lecture. It was beyond my imagination. Her explanation method is an appropriate balance of intuition and logic, making it not boring, and even fun. Moreover, She sincerely answered each and every question that might have been bothersome, completely eradicating the disadvantages of self-studying. This teacher is my math lifesaver. thank you ------------------------------------------------------------------------ The review after second time to complete this course: first time i didn't absorb to this course fully. when something just make sense i just passed it. at that time, i didn't notetaking at all and i watched this course with 2x speed. But in the second watching I watchi this course from the beggining with normal speed, i did notetaking all the things in this course and i always tried to think intuitevly as to why all the things work and how they can work. This course is really good for making foundation that can make you available to think deeper to a problem that you are tackling. This is course is really well organized. i can feel her effort to make this course complete as much as possible. more and more absorb to this course you can feel more and more fun and good feeling about math. The more you chew on this process, the more delicious it becomes.
By Bradley Mayberry on 10/8/2023
I'm an adult learner. The pace and explanations are good. It is excellent that I can replay the parts I have difficulty with over and over until I understand the concepts presented.
By Ahmet Karahan on 6/3/2023
Excellent! This course is more than a pre-calculus course. It's pre discrete math, pre metric-spaces, maybe a little bit of pre topology and pre abstract- algebra. In summary, it is a pre-serious math course. Hania is the only instructor that I know in this platform, who presents mathematics in the most accurate and understandable way. One need to explain the math as it is. If you try to simplify it out of fear that students won't understand, the fun will be lost. Hania does this exactly as it should be done. Thank you Hania, and thank you Martin; for all "power of 2" courses you made.
By Nour Khater on 6/17/2022
First of all, I would like to thank Professor Hania for the hard work she put into the production of these lectures and I wish all the best for her in the future. For those thinking about taking this course, I'd say go ahead without thinking. This course is for students who want to refresh their prior knowledge or even gain new knowledge in the field of mathematics. This course not only highlights the prerequisites of calculus but also prepares anyone who takes it for further mathematics. In my opinion, one of the best parts in this course is the addition of discrete mathematics, logic, and proofs. This makes the course stand out and these topics are essential for your understanding of advanced mathematics in general. Some other lecturers (no one in specific) might only teach you the prerequisites without the topics I mentioned. Professor Hania is highly qualified she has a Ph.D in mathematics and you can check out her website by copying this link (http://www.wehlou.com/hania/cv.htm) she is known for explaining complex concepts in mathematics easily and even won a pedagogical award in her previous university (https://m.facebook.com/KSektionen/photos/ks-pedagogiska-pris-2018-gick-till-hania-uscka-wehlou-idag-fick-hon-ett-stort-ta/1937759259611607/). I'm not saying this as some kind of propaganda, but I've seen this with my own eyes. Professor Hania is one of those teachers that is passionate about the subject she teaches which makes it easier for the student to understand the concept. Another great thing about Professor Hania is her organization and execution of the lectures, she methodically organizes the topics and illustrates the concepts in a simple but beautiful way. She also recalls previous concepts from prior lectures and applies them to future ones. I won't forget to mention that whenever you ask a question about something in the lecture she replies in a matter of minutes and also replies very explicitly to your question and makes sure that you've understood it, and also never hesitate to DM her on udemy she will reply openly and will support you in your studies. Finally, I would like to say that I've gained a lot of knowledge from this course and I'm sure you will too if you really focus and make good use of the lectures.
By Richard Bonner on 2/6/2022
The bottom blocks in a pyramid are removed at the peril of the top, and the educational establishment has zealously been doing just that. The crying gap between the school graduate and mathematical analysis at university was first masked with something called calculus, and then, the gap always growing, with an additional repair putty by the apt name of pre-calculus, to be quietly injected between the devalued academia and the ruins of the common school. Had it not been for the able and enthusiastic colleagues, like Hania, masters at educational restoration, the neglected structure would have long collapsed. Indeed, Hania not only restores the foundations, but improves them, giving the traditional material a very much needed face-lift. Excelling university teachers seldom touch school mathematics, but when they do, the students get to see that a strangled school subject can in fact be hiding a door to wonderland.
Quality Score
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Overall Score : 98 / 100











