Algebra Review

0.1 Monomial Factors

Factor as indicated:
(a) 3x4  4x3  x2  x2 (b) 2x  6x32  2x
(c) ex  xex  2x2ex  ex (d) x1  2  x  x1  x1
x x
(e)  6x2   (f) sin x  tan x  sin x
2 2
1 1
2x2  4x 2x 
(g)   

Solution:
(a) 3x4  4x3  x2  x23x2  4x  1
(b) 2x  6x32  2x1  3x
(c) ex  xex  2x2ex  ex1  x  2x2
(d) x1  2  x  x1  x11  2x  x2
x x
(e)  6x2  1  12x
2 2

(f) sin x  tan x  sin x 

sin x
cos x 
 sin x 1 
1
cos x
 sin x1  sec x

(g)
1

1

1
2x2  4x 2x x  2
0.2 Binomial Factors
Factor as indicated:
(a) x  12x  x  1  x  1
(b) 3x2  4x2  1  6x2  42  3x2  4
x2 1
(c) x2  1   
x2 1 x  1
2

(d) x  33x  2  2x  32x  22  x  32x  2

(e) 2x  132x12  2x  152x12  2x  132x12
Solution:
(a) x  12x  x  1  x  1x  1x  1
 x  1x2  x  1
(b) 3x2  4x2  1  6x2  42  3x2  4x2  1  2x2  4
 3x2  43x2  9
CONTINUED

1
2 Algebra Review

CONTINUED
x2
(c) x2  1   x2  112  x2x2  112
x  1
2

 x2  112x2  1  x2

1

x2  1

(d) x  33x  2  2x  32x  22  x  32x  2x  3  2x  2

 x  32x  2x  7
(e) 2x  132x12  2x  152x12  2x  132x12x  2x  1
 2x  132x123x  1

0.3 Factoring Quadratic Expressions

Factor as indicated:
(a) x2  3x  2   (b) x2  9  
(c) x2  5x  6   (d) x2  5x  6  
(e) 2x2  5x  3   (f) e2x  2  e2x  2
(g) x 4  7x 2  12   (h) 1  sin2 x  

Solution:
(a) x2  3x  2  x  2x  1
(b) x2  9  x  3x  3
(c) x2  5x  6  x  6x  1
(d) x2  5x  6  x  2x  3
(e) 2x2  5x  3  2x  1x  3
(f) e2x  2  e2x  ex  ex2
(g) x4  7x2  12  x2  3x2  4  x2  3x  2x  2
(h) 1  sin2 x  1  sin x1  sin x

0.4 Cancellation
Reduce each expression to lowest terms:
3x  9 x2 x  13x  2  3x  12
(a) (b) (c)
6x x12 x  14
x12  x13 x  1  x  132 1  sin x  cos x2
(d) (e) (f)
x16 x  1 2 sin x

Solution:
3x  9 3x  3 x  3
(a)  
6x 32x 2x
x2 x12x32
(b) 12
  x32
x x12

CONTINUED
 Section 0.5 Quadratic Formula 3

CONTINUED

x  13x  2  3x  12 x  12x  1x  2  3

(c) 
x  14 x  14
x2  x  1

x  12
x12  x13 x16x26  x16
(d)   x13  x16
x16 x16
x  1  x  132 x  11  x  1
(e)  x
x  1 x  1

1  sin x  cos x2 1  sin2 x  2 sin x cos x  cos2 x

(f) 
2 sin x 2 sin x
1  sin2 x  cos2 x  2 sin x cos x

2 sin x
1  1  2 sin x cos x
  cos x
2 sin x

0.5 Quadratic Formula

Equation Solve for
(a) x2  4x  1  0 x
(b) 2x2  x  3  0 x
(c) cos2 x  3 cos x  2  0 cos x
(d) x2  xy  1  y2 0 x
(e) x4  4x2 20 x2

Solution:
4 16  4 4 20 4 25
(a) x     2 5
2 2 2
1 1  24 1 5
(b) x  
4 4
4 6 3
x  1 or x    
4 4 2
3 9  8 3 1
(c) cos x  
2 2
2 4
cos x    1 or cos x    2
2 2
y y2  41  y2 y y2  4  4y2
(d) x  
2 2
y 5y2  4

2
4 16  8 4 8 4 22
(e) x2     2 2
2 2 2
4 Algebra Review

0.6 Synthetic Division

Using synthetic division to factor as indicated:
(a) x3  4x2  2x  1  x  1 (b) 2x3  5x  7  x  1
(c) x4  3x3  x2  x  2  x  2 (d) 4x4  3x2  1  2x  1

Solution:
(a) x3  4x2  2x  1 (b) 2x3  5x  7
1 1 4 2 1 1 2 0 5 7
1 3 1 2 2 7
1 3 1 0 2 2 7 0

x3  4x2  2x  1  x  1x2  3x  1 2x3  5x  7  x  12x2  2x  7

(c) x4  3x3  x2  x  2 (d) 4x4  3x2  1

1
2 1 3 1 1 2 2 4 0 3 0 1
2 2 2 2 2 1 2 1
1 1 1 1 0 4 2 4 2 0

x4  3x3  x2  x  2  x  2x3  x2  x  1
4x4  3x2  1  x   1
2
4x3  2x2  4x  2

 2x  12x3  x2  2x  1

0.7 Special Products

Factor completely (into linear or irreducible quadratic factors):
(a) x3  27 (b) x3  3x2  3x  1 (c) x3  6x2  12x  8
(d) x4  25 (e) x4  8x3  24x2  32x  16

Solution:
(a) x3  27  x  3x2  3x  9
(b) x3  3x2  3x  1  x  13
(c) x3  6x2  12x  8  x3  32x2  322x  23  x  23
(d) x4  25  x2  5x2  5  x2  5 x  5  x  5 
(e) x4  8x3  24x2  32x  16  x4  42x3  622x2  423x  24  x  24

0.8 Factoring by Grouping

Factor completely (into linear or irreducible quadratic factors):
(a) x3  4x2  2x  8 (b) x3  2x2  3x  6
(c) 5 cos2 x  5 sin2 x  sin x  cos x (d) cos2 x  4 cos x  4  tan2 x

Solution:
(a) x3  4x2  2x  8  x2x  4  2x  4
 x2  2x  4
  x  2  x  2 x  4
CONTINUED
 Section 0.10 Rationalizing 5

CONTINUED
(b) x3  2x2  3x  6  x2x  2  3x  2
 x2  3x  2
(c) 5 cos2 x  5 sin2 x  sin x  cos x  5cos2 x  sin2 x  sin x  cos x
 5cos x  sin xcos x  sin x  cos x  sin x
 cos x  sin x5cos x  sin x  1
(d) cos2 x  4 cos x  4  tan2 x  cos x  22  tan2 x
 cos x  2  tan xcos x  2  tan x

0.9 Simplifying

Rewrite each of the following in simplest form:

1
x2  1 
x  1x  3  x  12 x2  1
(a) (b)
x1 x2  1
x2  5x  6 1 1 2
(c) (d)  
x2  4x  4 x  1 x  1 x2  1
x2x 1
(e)  1  x2 
21  x2 1  x2

Solution:
x  1x  3  x  12 x2  2x  3  x2  2x  1 4
(a)  
x1 x1 x1
1 1
x2  1  x2  1  1
x2  1 x2  1 x2  1  1 x2
(b)   
x 1
2
x 1
2
x2  1x2  1 x  132
2

x2  5x  6 x  2x  3 x  3
(c)  
x2  4x  4 x  22 x2
1 1 2 x  1  x  1  2 4
(d)     2
x  1 x  1 x2  1 x2  1 x 1
x2x 1 x2 1  x2 1 2  2x2
(e)  1  x2     
21  x 2 1  x2 1  x2 1  x 2 1  x2 1  x2

21  x2
  21  x2
1  x2

0.10 Rationalizing
Remove the sum or difference from the denominator by multiplying the numerator and denominator by the conjugate of the
denominator.
1 x 2
(a) (b) (c)
1  cos x 1  x2  1 x  x2  1

Solution:

(a)
1
1  cos x

1

1  cos x 11  cos
cos x
x

1  cos x 1  cos x
 
1  cos2 x sin2 x
CONTINUED
6 Algebra Review

CONTINUED

  x11  x x11 
1 x 1
1  xx
 2
 2
(b) 2
 1 1  x 2
1 2

x 1  x2  1  1  x2  1
 
x2 x
2 x  x2  1 
 1 x  x
 x  2x x x 1
 2
(c)   2 x  x2  1 
2 2
1 x2  x2  1

0.11 Algebraic Errors to Avoid

Error Correct form Comments
a  x  b  a  x  b a  x  b  a  x  b Change all signs when distribution negative through
parentheses.
a  b2  a2  b2 a  b2  a2  2ab  b2 Dont forget middle term when squaring binomials.

12a 12b  21ab 12a 12b  41ab 12 occurs twice as a factor.

a a a a
  Leave as Dont add denominators when adding fractions.
xb x b xb
1 1 1 1 1 ab
    Use definition for adding fractions.
a b ab a b ab
x x
a
b

bx
a
a
b

x
a 1b  abx Multiply by reciprocal of the denominator.

1 1 1 1 1
 x
3x 3

3x 3
x Use definition for multiplying fractions.

1 1
1x  2  1x  2  2 Be careful when using a slash to denote division.
x2 x
x23  x5 x23  x2  3  x6 Multiply exponents when an exponential form is raised to a
power.
2x3  2x3 2x3  2x3 Exponents have priority over coefficients.
1 1
 x2  x3 Leave as Dont shift term-by-term from denominator to numerator.
x2  x3 x2  x3
5x  5x 5x  5x Radicals apply to every factor inside radical.
x2  a2  x  a Leave as x2  a2 Dont apply radicals term-by-term.
a  bx a  bx b
 1  bx 1 x Cancel common factor, not common terms.
a a a
a  ax a  ax
ax 1x Factor before canceling.
a a