Lesson 1

FNDMATH

Lecture 1
Algebraic Expressions
Integer Exponents
Addition/Subtraction of Algebraic Expressions
Multiplication/Division of Algebraic Expressions

CONSTANTS AND VARIABLES

CONSTANT
• Any symbol whether it be a number or a
letter which is used to represent a fixed
value
VARIABLE
• A single letter may represent a set of real
numbers the values of which depend upon
the situation or problem being analyzed
• The value of the letter is not fixed

FNDMATH 1
Lesson 1

ALGEBRAIC EXPRESSIONS
• An expression involving constants/or variables
with all or some of the four algebraic operation
of addition, subtraction, multiplication and
division

• example
2 xy 2 x3
Monomial

ALGEBRAIC EXPRESSIONS
TERM
• Each monomial in an expression

BINOMIAL
• An expression is composed only of two terms

MULTINOMIAL
• An expression is composed of more than two terms

FNDMATH 2
Lesson 1

DEGREE OF MULTINOMIAL
DEGREE OF A TERM
• With respect to a literal factor is the exponent of
that literal factor in the term

3x2 y3z
x = 2nd degree
y = 3rd degree
z = 1st degree

POWERS AND EXPONENTS

2 x3 y2  2  x3  y2
Factors of expressions
POWER
• Composed of a base and an exponent

EXPONENT
• Small number written at the upper right hand
corner of the base
• It indicates how many times the base occurs as a
factor

FNDMATH 3
Lesson 1

POWERS AND EXPONENTS

For every b , n  R (n, a positive integer)

b n  b  b  b  b  b  b . . .b
bn is read as “nth power of b” or
“b raised to the nth power”

x 2 x y  x yz   2xxx y yz
 2 x3 y2z

RULES FOR POSITIVE INTEGRAL EXPONENTS

1. For every a , m , n  R (m, n a positive integer)

a m  a n  a mn

1 . 2 x 2 y   3 x y 4

2. 4 w 2 z 3  2 wz  5 w3 z 2 

FNDMATH 4
Lesson 1

RULES FOR POSITIVE INTEGRAL EXPONENTS

2. For every a,m,n  R (m > n ) (a ≠ 0)

am
n
 a mn
a

27 x5z6w 7
1.
12 x2z 4w

RULES FOR POSITIVE INTEGRAL EXPONENTS

3. For every a,b,m  R (m> 0 )

a b 
m
 a mbm

1 . 3 a b c 
3

10

FNDMATH 5
Lesson 1

RULES FOR POSITIVE INTEGRAL EXPONENTS

4. For every a,b,m  R (m> 0 ); (b ≠ 0)

m
 a  am
   m
 b  b

7
 x 
1 . 
 yz 

11

RULES FOR POSITIVE INTEGRAL EXPONENTS

5. For every a,m,n  R (m,n > 0 )

a 
n
m
 a mn

1 .  2 x 2 y 3 z 
3

12

FNDMATH 6
Lesson 1

EXAMPLES
Simplify the following expressions using the rules on positive
integer exponents. All exponents in the answers must be
positive

1. 25 x2 y 24 x5 y2 15 x2 y 4
6.
25x3 y
 3  r s 2t 4   3  r 4 s t 5
4 4
2.
3w 2v 2
7.
3. 4 3 n 1  8 5 n 1  1 2 w 5v 7

2 a n 6 a m   3 2 
2 2
4. x3 y5
8.
16 x5 y3
m
5. x  x 5m  x 2m
 3 a b c   4 a b c 
2 4 2 3

9.
2 4 a b c 
2 5 2 3

13

 3  rs 2t 4   3  r 4 s t 5 4 3 n 1  8 5 n 1
4 4
2. 3.

15x2 y4
6 a 
2
4. 2a n m 6.
25 x3 y

14

14

FNDMATH 7
Lesson 1

 3 2 
2
x3y5
8.
16 x5 y3

 3 a b c   4 a b c 
2 4 2 3

9.
2 4 a b c 
2 5 2 3

15

15

ADDITION AND SUBTRACTION OF ALGEBRAIC EXPRESSIONS

MONOMIALS
• Addition and subtraction of monomials can be done only if
the monomials to be added are similar.
• To add or subtract similar terms, use the reverse of the
distributive rule to factor out the common literal parts and
then add or subtract their numerical parts

Example: (ADD)

1. x2y  3x2y  9x2 y 5x2 y5z

 3x2 y5z
 7 x2 y5z

16

FNDMATH 8
Lesson 1

ADDITION AND SUBTRACTION OF ALGEBRAIC EXPRESSIONS

MONOMIALS
Example: (SUBTRACT)

3.  1 0 a 2b 4. 4x2 y  2 y 5x  x  3  6x  2x2 

  3a 2b

17

ADDITION AND SUBTRACTION OF ALGEBRAIC EXPRESSIONS

MULTINOMIAL
• If the multinomial to be added or to be subtracted do not
contain any similar terms, no combination of terms among
the multinomial can be done.
• Combination is made easier if similar terms are arranged
first, and then, the terms in each column are added or
subtracted

18

FNDMATH 9
Lesson 1

ADDITION AND SUBTRACTION OF ALGEBRAIC EXPRESSIONS

MULTINOMIAL
Example: (ADD)
2
1. 3 x y  2 x 2 y  x y 2  3;  2 x y  5 xy  6 x  4 x 2 y;
7  2 xy 2  4 x  2 xy

Arrange in descending power of x

2 x 2 y  3 xy 2  2 x  4

19

MULTIPLICATION OF ALGEBRAIC EXPRESSIONS

MULTINOMIAL BY A MONOMIAL
• If the multinomial is to be multiplied by a monomial, the
distributive rule is used.
• The product is the sum of all the products formed by
multiplying each term of the multinomial by monomial
multiplier

EXAMPLE: 1. 2 x y 2 3 x 2  2 y  5 

20

FNDMATH 10
Lesson 1

MULTIPLICATION OF ALGEBRAIC EXPRESSIONS

MULTINOMIAL BY A MULTINOMIAL
• The distributive rule is once more used to multiply two
multinomial

EXAMPLE:
1. 2 x  3y  x 2  3 xy 

21

MULTIPLICATION OF ALGEBRAIC EXPRESSIONS

MULTINOMIAL BY MULTINOMIAL
EXAMPLE:
2 .  3 m 3  m 2  2 m  5  m 2
 5m  6

3m 3
 m 2
 2m  5
m 2
 5m  6
3m 5
 m 4
 2m 3
 5m 2

15m 4
 5m 3
 10m 2
 25m
18m 3
 6m 2
 12m  30
3m 5
 14m 4
 25m 3
 m 2
 37m  30

22

FNDMATH 11
Lesson 1

DIVISION OF ALGEBRAIC EXPRESSIONS

MONOMIAL BY A MONOMIAL
• Divide a monomial by another monomial use the
fundamental theorem fractions or rules of exponent.
• Zero exponent
• For each a  R a  0
a0  1

EXAMPLE:
16 x2 y 2 2  8 x 22
1. 
24 x2 y5 3  8 y 52
2x0 2
 3
or
3y 3y3

23

DIVISION OF ALGEBRAIC EXPRESSIONS

MUTLINOMIAL BY A MONOMIAL
• To divide a multinomial by a monomial use the distributive
rule and rules on exponent
EXAMPLE:
1
1.
6 x 2 y 3  12 xy  4 xy 2 
3 xy
6 x 2
y 3  12 xy  4 xy 2 
3 xy
6x2y3 12 xy 4 xy 2
  
3 xy 3 xy 3 xy
4
 2 xy 2  4  y
3

24

FNDMATH 12
Lesson 1

DIVISION OF ALGEBRAIC EXPRESSIONS

MUTLINOMIAL BY A MONOMIAL
Step 1:
Arrange the terms of the multinomial according to
descending powers of a literal factor common to both
dividend and divisor
Step 2:
Divide the first term of the dividend by the first term of
the divisor by applying rules on exponent during the
process and proceeding the arithmetic division
Step 3:
Repeat step 2 until the remainder is of a lower
degree(with respect to the chosen literal factor) than of
the divisor

25

DIVISION OF ALGEBRAIC EXPRESSIONS

MUTLINOMIAL BY A MULTINOMIAL
EXAMPLE: 1 . 4 x 3 y  8 x 2 y 2  x y 3  y 4
d iv id e b y
2x  y

26

FNDMATH 13
Lesson 1

EXERCISES:
Perform the indicated operations and simplify
2
y  2x2 y  4x2 y 7. Divide
1. Add: x
2. Subtract: 1 5 w v from 1 2 w v
 11x 2

y  5 x 3  3 y 3  10 xy 2 by

3. Add: 3 x  2 y  4 z 4 y  2 x  using powers of y as

basis*
2x  3y  3z
8. 1 6 x 3  4 x 2  1 9
4x  5 y  7 z
d iv id e by
4. Subtract: 5 x 3
 7x  3 from 4x  5
3x  x 2
 5
5. ( 2 x 2 y 3 ) (  3 y z 2 )

6. 4 x 2 y 3 ( 2 x y 3  3 x z 2
)

27

1. x2 y  2x2 y  4x2 y 2. Subtract: 5x3  7 x  3 from

3x  x2  5

3. 4 x 2 y 3 (2 xy 3  3 xz 2 ) 4. 16 x3  4 x2  19
d iv id e by
4x  5

28

28

FNDMATH 14
Lesson 1

4. 16 x3  4 x2  19
d iv id e by
4x  5

29

29

Challenging problem…
9 m 3n  3 2 m 3
 42m 6
 15n 2  6  n
d iv id e by
7m 3
 5n  3

30

30

FNDMATH 15