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Mathematics for Business: Lecture Notes -1

Dr. Cansu Unver Erbas

1. Introduction to Algebra
In Mathematics numbers are classified into one of three types: positive, negative or zero. When using
the four operations in math (addition, subtraction, multiplication and division) rule varies for negative
numbers. As such, negative number is interpreted based on the case. For instance, -4 on the
temperature on a thermometer scale measured in degrees centigrade is interpreted a degree of 4 below
freezing (=zero). On the other hand, -£100,000 signifies a loss of/ or a debt of a £100.000 of firms or
personal finance, and so on. (Discuss similar cases). Perhaps, the easiest way to illustrate the three
types of integer is a number line (see. Figure 1.1).

Figure 1.1 Number Line

The line continues left and right forever.

The rules for the multiplication of negative numbers are:

NEGATIVE x NEGATIVE =POSITIVE

NEGATIVE x POSITIVE = NEGATIVE

It does not matter in which order two numbers are multiplied, so

POSITIVE x NEGATIVE = NEGATIVE

The rules produce:

(-7) x (-5) = 35

(-3) x (4) = -12

(6) x (-3) =-18

respectively. The same rules apply for division, since division is the same sort of operation as
multiplication. Thus, exactly the same rules operate when one number is divided by another. For
instance,

(-30)  (-10)= 3

(-45)  (9)= -5

(52)  (-13) =-4

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To avoid complexity when multiplying or dividing multiple numbers, it is perhaps simplest to ignore
the signs to begin with and just to work the answers out. The final result is negative if the total
number of minus signs is odd and positive if the total number is even.

Example (1) : Evaluate

3x(2) x(1) x(4) x(5)

a) (-2)x(-3)x (4)x (-1)= b) =
(6) x 2

Solution (1) :

a) Ignoring the signs gives

2x3x4x1=24
There are an odd number of minus signs (in fact, three) so the answer is -24
b) Ignoring the signs gives
3x 2 x1x 4 x5 120
= =10
6 x2 12
There are an even number of minus signs (in fact, four) so the answer is 10

Practice Problem (1): Evaluate

a)5x(-6)= b) (-1)x(-2)= c)(-50)  10=

2 x(1) x(3) x(6)

d)(-5)  (-1)= e)2x(-1)x(-3)x6 = f) =
(2) x3x6

To add or subtract negative numbers it helps to think in terms of “money/debt”:

Assume you have £100 in your pocket, but £200 debt, than you have £ 100 debt left. The money you
have has a positive sign, whereas the debt you have has a negative sign. So if you have more money
than your debt, you will have some of your money left; but if your debt is more than the money you
have you will left off with some of your debt. For example:

100 – 200 = -100 (your debt is greater than your money)

-50 + 150 = 100 (your money is greater than your debt)

-130 – 30 = -160 (you have debt and then more debt, your debt gets even more)

Example (2) : Evaluate

a) -3+4= b) -2-8= c)-1-4-5= d)-4-5+6+1= e)-1+7-3+4=

Solution (2)

a) 1 b)-10 c)-10 d)-2 e)7

On the other hand, assume a and b are positive numbers, a-(-b) is taken to be a+b. This follows from
the rule for multiplying two negative numbers, since -(-b)= (-1)x(-b) = b

Example (3): Evaluate

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a) 3-(-4)= b)-2-(-6)= c) –(-5)+3= d)-(-2)-6= e)-(-1)-(-7)=

Solution (3):

a) 3+4=7 b)-2+6=4 c)5+3=8 d)2-6=-4 e)1+7=8

Practice Problem (2): Evaluate

a) 40-(-32)+5= b)-(-4)+(-7)-(-3)= c)-12+4-(-5)= d)5-15+3-(-4)=

Expressions
In algebra, letters are used to represent numbers. In pure mathematics, the most common letters used
are x and y. However, in applications it is helpful to choose letters that are more meaningful, so we
might use Q for quantity and I for investment. An algebraic expression is then simply a combination
of these letters, brackets and other mathematical symbols such as + or -. For example, the expression

n
 r 
P 1  
 100 

Can be used to work out how money in a saving account grows over a period of time. The letters P, r
and n represents the original sum invested (called the principal- hence the use of the letter P) , the rate
of interest and the number of years respectively. To work it all out, you not only need to replace these
letters by actual numbers, but also need to understand the various conventions that go with algebraic
expressions such as this.

In algebra when we multiply two numbers represented by letters we usually supress the multiplication
sign between them. The product of a and b would simply be written as ab without bothering to put the
multiplication sign between the symbols. Likewise when a number represented by Y is doubled we
write 2Y. Here are some examples:

PxQ is written as PQ

dx8 is written as 8d

nx6xt is written as 6nt

z xz is written z2

1 x t is written as t

In order to evaluate these expressions it is necessary to be given the numerical value of each letter.
Once this has been done you can work out the final value by performing the operations in the
following order:

Brackets first (B)

Indices second (I)

Division and Multiplication (DM)

Addition and Subtraction (AS)

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This is sometimes remembered using the acronym BIDMAS and it is essential that this ordering is
used for working out all mathematical calculations. For example, suppose you wish to evaluate each
of the following expressions when x= 2:

3x2 and (3x)2

Substituting x=2 into the first expression gives

3x2=3x22 (the multiplication sign is revealed when we switch from algebra to numbers)

=3x4

=12

whereas in the second expression we get

(3x)2=(3x2)2(again the multiplication sign is revealed)

=(6)2

=36

The two answers are not the same so the order indicated by BIDMAS does really matters.

Example 4: Evaluate

a) Find the value of 5x-2y when x=5 and y=1

b) Find the value of 3x2-5x+4 when x=4
c) Find the value of -3(P)2+3P+3 when P=3
d) Find the value of (4-A)-(-4A+7) when A=6

Solution 4:

a) 5x-2y=5x5-2x1 (substituting numbers)

=25-2 (multiplication has priority over subtraction)
=23
b) 3x -5x+4 =3x42-5x4+4 (substituting numbers)
2

=3x16-20+4 (indices have priority over multiplication and addition/subtraction)

=48-20+4 (multiplication has priority over addition/subtraction)
=32

c) -3(P)2+3P+3 =-3(3)2+3x3+3 (substituting numbers)

=-3x9+ 3x3 +3 (brackets has priority over multiplication and addition)
=-27+9+3 ((multiplication has priority over addition/subtraction)
=-15
d) (4-A)-(-4A+7) =(4-6)-(-4x6+7) (substituting numbers)
=(-2)- (-24+7) (brackets first)
=-2-(-17) (multiplication rules)
=-2+17 =15

Practice Problem 3: Evaluate each of the following by replacing the letters by the given numbers:

a) 3Q+4 when Q=4

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b) 2A2B+B when A=2 and B=3

c) x2y+2xy2 when x=-1 and y=3

Like terms are multiples of the same letters (or letters). For example, 3a, -4a, 6a, -a are all multiples
of a and so are like terms. If an algebraic expression contains like terms which are added or subtracted
together then it can be simplified to produce an equivalent shorter expression. For example:

a) a+4a-2a=3a
b) x2+3x2+7x2=11x2
c) -3Q+4Q+Q-2Q=0

Brackets
It is useful to be able to take an expression containing brackets and rewrite it as an equivalent
expression without brackets and vice versa. The process of removing brackets is called expanding
brackets or multiplying out brackets. This is based on the distributive law, which states that for any
three numbers x, y and z,

x(y+z)= xy+xz

For example:

a)5(2+4)=5x6=30 also, 5(2+4)=5x2+5x4=10+20=30

b)x(y+z+t)= xy+xz+xt

Example 5: Multiply out the brackets, simplifying your answers as far as possible.

a)3(x-4)=

b)(4-2a)a=

c)x+2y+3-(2x-2y+3)=

d)2x(3-x)+3x2=

Solution 5:

a) 3(x-4)=3x-12

b) (4-2a)a=4a-2a2

c) x+2y+3-(x-2y+3)= x+2y+3-2x+2y-3

= -x+4y (collecting alike terms)

d)2x(3-x)+3x2=6x-2x2+3x2

=6x+x2 (collecting alike terms)

Please print off Exercise 1.1 which is available at http://www.cag.edu.tr/cansu-unver-erbas-1/dersnotu