<p>Operational amplifiers (op amps) and linear integrated circuits (ICs) are encountered in nearly all electronic systems. A staggering array of different types of general-purpose op amps and more specialized linear ICs is available today. These devices are sophisticated and flexible, and yet they are generally quite inexpensive. These factors make such devices attractive to circuit de- signers in many areas. Even systems that are primarily digital in nature, such as microcomputers and digital test equipment, often contain many linear ICs. This text is primarily intended for use in an introductory course on op amps and linear ICs in electronics and electrical engineering technology programs. In order to use this book most effectively, the reader should have had a course in basic dc and ac circuit analysis and a general understanding of semiconductor devices. Knowledge of algebra and trigonometry is also required. The book is structured in such a way that successive chapters use the information that was provided in preceding chapters. For example, circuits that rely on the operation of comparators are not introduced until compara- tors themselves have been covered. While many topics required a more structured approach, with one chapter building upon the preceding chapter, the text has a considerable amount of flexibility. For example, Chapters 4 through 7 could be covered in just about any order, without a loss in conti- nuity, because they introduce the applications of op amps and linear ICs. Each chapter concludes with a series of questions and problems. The degree of difficulty builds from problem to problem, with each chapter con- taining several problems that are rather difficult and will require a particularly good knowledge of the concepts that were presented. Worked-out examples are used extensively throughout the text.</p>