Week 2

PART 1:
ALGEBRA

1
 • The Real Number System
• Integer Exponents
• Polynomial Expressions
Outline • Factoring Polynomials
• Rational Expressions

2
The Real Number System
• The Set of Real Numbers and its Subsets
• Properties of Real Numbers
• The Real Number Line
• Absolute Value
• Fundamental Operations on Real Numbers

3
The Set of Real Numbers (ℝ)
Non- -52
ℕ,1ℤ+ -8/5 -17
integer
2
Natural -1/2 -8 -52
Rational
18
Numbers 0 7/8 -8/5 -17
𝕎 Numbers ℚ
1 -1/2 -8
Whole Rational
2 0 -8/5
Numbers Numbers
18 7/8 − 2
-52 1
0
Zero
-17 2
ℝ
-1/2
0
-8
ℤ
18 Real Numbers
7/8
0 1
Integers
1 2
-52
ℤ- 2 −ℍ2
π
-17
Negative 18 π
Irrational
17
-8
Integers Numbers
17
18

4
 ℤ+

Subsets of • ℤ-

the Set of
Real
Numbers
 • Every real number can be written in
Rational vs. decimal form.
Irrational Number
• A rational number is either
terminating or a nonterminating but
repeating decimal.

• An irrational number is a
nonterminating and nonrepeating
decimal.
6
Rational 1
Numbers 1. 4
= 0.25
13
with 2. 5
= 2.6
Terminating 3.
1986
23
= 86.34782609
Decimals
Rational
Numbers with 1.
2
= 0.666666666 … = 0. 6ത
Nonterminating 3
442
but Repeating 2. − = −9.82222 … = −9.82ത
45
Decimals
 Express the following rational numbers as a
Rational ratio of two integers.
Numbers with
Nonterminating 1. 0.11111111 …
but Repeating 2. 0.58585858 …
Decimals 3. 0.00915915915 …
4. −9.82222 …
 Express the following rational numbers as a
Rational ratio of two integers.
Numbers with
Nonterminating 1. 0.11111111 …
but Repeating 2. 0.58585858 …
Decimals 3. 0.00915915915 …
4. −9.82222 …
 Express the following rational numbers as a
Rational ratio of two integers.
Numbers with
Nonterminating 1. 0.11111111 …
but Repeating 2. 0.58585858 …
Decimals 3. 0.00915915915 …
4. −9.82222 …
 Express the following rational numbers as a
Rational ratio of two integers.
Numbers with
Nonterminating 1. 0.11111111 …
but Repeating 2. 0.58585858 …
Decimals 3. 0.00915915915 …
4. −9.82222 …
 An irrational number is a nonterminating and
nonrepeating decimal.
Irrational
numbers 1. 𝜋 = 3.141592654 …
2. 𝑒 = 2.718281828459 …
3. 7 = 2.6557513 …
 • Let 𝑎, 𝑏, 𝑐 ∈ ℝ. The following basic properties of
real numbers hold for addition and
multiplication.

1. Closure
• 𝑎+𝑏 ∈ℝ
Properties of • 𝑎⋅𝑏 ∈ℝ
Real Numbers 2. Commutative
• 𝑎+𝑏 =𝑏+𝑎
• 𝑎⋅𝑏 =𝑏⋅𝑎
3. Associative
• 𝑎+ 𝑏+𝑐 = 𝑎+𝑏 +𝑐
• 𝑎⋅ 𝑏⋅𝑐 = 𝑎⋅𝑏 ⋅𝑐
 • Let 𝑎, 𝑏, 𝑐 ∈ ℝ. The following basic properties of
real numbers hold for addition and
multiplication.

4. Distributive
• 𝑎 𝑏 + 𝑐 = 𝑎𝑏 + 𝑎𝑐
5. Identity
Properties of • 𝑎+0=𝑎
Real Numbers • 𝟎 is the identity element for addition
• 𝑎⋅1=𝑎
• 𝟏 is the identity element for multiplication
6. Inverse
• 𝑎 + −𝑎 = 0
• −𝒂 is the additive inverse of 𝒂
1
• 𝑎 = 1, 𝑎 ≠ 0
𝑎
𝟏
• is the multiplicative inverse or reciprocal of 𝒂
𝒂
 • Let 𝑎, 𝑏, 𝑐 ∈ ℝ. The following operations are
defined as follows.

Subtraction • Subtraction
• 𝑎 − 𝑏 = 𝑎 + −𝑏
and Division
• Division
𝑎 1
• =𝑎⋅ , 𝑏≠0
𝑏 𝑏
 • Let 𝑎, 𝑏 ∈ ℝ

Properties of 1. − 𝑎 = −𝑎
Negative Real 2. − −𝑎 = 𝑎
3. −𝑎 𝑏 = − 𝑎𝑏 = 𝑎 −𝑏
Numbers 4. −𝑎 −𝑏 = 𝑎𝑏
5. − 𝑎 + 𝑏 = −𝑎 + (−𝑏)
 • Let 𝑎, 𝑏, 𝑐 ∈ ℝ. The following properties
of equality hold.

1. Reflexive Property
• 𝑎=𝑎
Properties of Equality of 2. Symmetric Property
Real Numbers • If 𝑎 = 𝑏, then 𝑏 = 𝑎
3. Transitive Property
• If 𝑎 = 𝑏 and 𝑏 = 𝑐, then 𝑎 = 𝑐
4. Substitution Property
• If 𝑎 = 𝑏, then 𝑎 can be replaced by 𝑏
in any statement involving 𝑎
 • Let 𝑎, 𝑏, 𝑐 ∈ ℝ. The following properties of order hold.
Properties of
Order 1. Trichotomy Property of Order
• Only one is true:
(Inequality) • 𝑎<𝑏
of Real • 𝑎>𝑏
• 𝑎=𝑏
Numbers 2. Transitive Property of Order
• If 𝑎 < 𝑏 and 𝑏 < 𝑐, then 𝑎 < 𝑐
3. Addition Property of Order
• If 𝑎 < 𝑏 then 𝑎 + 𝑐 < 𝑏 + 𝑐
4. Multiplication Property of Order
• If 𝑎 < 𝑏, and 𝑐 > 0, then 𝑎𝑐 < 𝑏𝑐
• If 𝑎 < 𝑏, and 𝑐 < 0, then 𝑎𝑐 > 𝑏𝑐
• Two important consequences of • The converse of these two rules
the substitution property are the is called the Cancellation Laws
following: for addition and multiplication,
respectively.
1. If 𝑎 = 𝑏, then 𝑎 + 𝑐 = 𝑏 + 𝑐
2. If 𝑎 = 𝑏, then 𝑎𝑐 = 𝑏𝑐 1. If 𝑎 + 𝑐 = 𝑏 + 𝑐, then 𝑎 = 𝑏
2. If 𝑎𝑐 = 𝑏𝑐, then 𝑎 = 𝑏, 𝑐 ≠ 0
The Real Number Line

-5/2 -2 -3/2 -1 -1/2 0 1/2 1 3/2 2 5/2

 Absolute Value
Definition
Let 𝑥 ∈ ℝ. The absolute value of 𝑥, written as |𝑥|,
is defined as:
• Let 𝑥, 𝑦 ∈ ℝ.
−𝑥 if 𝑥 < 0 • 𝑥 ≥0
𝑥 = ቐ 0 if 𝑥 = 0
• −𝑥 = 𝑥
𝑥 if 𝑥 > 0
• 𝑥𝑦 = 𝑥 ∙ 𝑦
The absolute value can also be interpreted as the 𝑥 𝑥
distance from the point corresponding to 0
• = ,𝑦 ≠ 0
𝑦 𝑦
(origin).

22
Distance Between Real
Numbers
• For 𝑎, 𝑏 ∈ ℝ,
• 𝑎−𝑏 ≥0
• 𝑎 − 𝑏 = 0 if and
Definition only if 𝑎 = 𝑏
• Triangle Inequality
• 𝑎 + 𝑏 ≤ 𝑎 + |𝑏|
Let a, b ∈ ℝ. The distance between a and b is:

𝑑 = a − b = |b − a|

23
 • The Real Number System
• Integer Exponents
• Polynomial Expressions
Outline • Factoring Polynomials
• Rational Expressions

24
Integer Exponents

Definition
Let 𝑎 ∈ ℝ, 𝑛 ∈ ℤ. The nth power of 𝑎, is written as 𝑎𝑛 .

• If 𝑛 > 0, then 𝑎𝑛 = 𝑎 ∙ 𝑎 ∙ 𝑎 ∙ ∙∙∙ ∙ 𝑎 (𝑛 times)

1
• If 𝑎 ≠ 0, then 𝑎0 = 1 and 𝑎−1 =
𝑎
1
• If 𝑛 > 0 and 𝑎 ≠ 0, then 𝑎−𝑛 =
𝑎𝑛

25
 Definition
Let 𝑎, 𝑏 ∈ ℝ and 𝑛, 𝑚 ∈ ℤ, then

Laws of • Product Law: 𝑎𝑛 ∙ 𝑎𝑚 = 𝑎𝑛+𝑚

Exponents • Power Raised to a Power Law: (𝑎𝑛 )𝑚 = 𝑎𝑛𝑚
• Power of a Product Law: 𝑎𝑏 𝑛 = 𝑎𝑛 𝑏 𝑛
𝑎𝑛
• Quotient Law: = 𝑎𝑛−𝑚 , 𝑎 ≠ 0
𝑎𝑚
𝑎 𝑛 𝑎𝑛
• Power of a Quotient Law: = , 𝑏≠0
𝑏 𝑏𝑛
• Simplify each of the following expressions.

22
1. 25
2. −2𝑥 3
3. 𝑥 6 𝑦 5 ⋅ 𝑥 3 𝑦 7
5
3𝑤 3 𝑧
4. 3𝑤 7 𝑧 4 2
𝑎9 4𝑏7 𝑐 3 𝑑 8
5. − 11 11 0
2𝑏 𝑐 𝑑 𝑎5
Any
questions?