Chapter 1 - A Review of Basic Algebra MAT 1103 Fundamentals of Mathematics

1.1 Exponents and Radicals

Exponents are simply a way to abbreviate writing out a long multiplication problem. In the exponential
expression bn , b is called the base and n is called the exponent or power. The expression bn is called the nth
power of b.

1) Exponent Rules

Exponent Rules Example 1 Example 2

23  25 = x3  x 4 =
a.

(3 )
7 2
= (x )
6 7
=
b.

(4  5)3 = (3a )4 =
c.

4
 x 
2
9  3  =
n   =
a an 2 y 
d.   = n
b b

2 −3 = x −5 =

e.

1
−n
= xn 1
=
1
=
Or x 2 −4 t −2

27 x8
= =
25 x3
f.

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Chapter 1 - A Review of Basic Algebra MAT 1103 Fundamentals of Mathematics

2) BODMAS: Evaluate from left to right

Example 3: Simplify without negative exponents (in positive exponents only).

3x 4 y 2
a. b.
x 7y

2
 x −7 y 5 
c. d.  7 − 4 
x y 

1.2 Rational Exponents and Radicals

1
1) Rational exponent , a n
- Read as nth root of a.
1
- a n is not a real number if a  0 and n is even number.

Example 1:
1 1
a. 16 2 b. (−8) 3

1
1 1
c. ( )4 d. (−1) 2
81

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Chapter 1 - A Review of Basic Algebra MAT 1103 Fundamentals of Mathematics

2) Exponent rules
Exponent Rules Example 2 Example 3 Example 4
Simplify: 2
x3 2
(−27) 3 (− )3
m 1 1 3 1000
a. a n = (a n ) m = (a m ) n 25 2

Remove the negative 1 1

−
m
1 exponents: −
3 4
b. a n
= 81 4 ( 27x 3 ) − 3
m 2
−
an 32 5

m
1
or
m
= a n ,a  0
−
n
a

1
3) Radical expression, n
a = an
1
- n
a and a n are not a real number if a  0 and n is even number.

Example 5:

a. 64 b. 5
− 32

27
c. 3 −
1000

4) Simplifying and Combing Radicals

a. If all expression represent real numbers
n
a n a
n
ab = n a n b and
n
= ,b  0
b b

Example 6: Simplify the followings

a. 27 b. 12x 5

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Chapter 1 - A Review of Basic Algebra MAT 1103 Fundamentals of Mathematics

3
c. 24z 7

5) Like or similar radicals

a. Radical expressions with the same index and radicand.

b. Combine using distributive property.

Example 7: combine 3 2 + 2 2

6) Radicals with same index but different radicands

a. Change them to same radicand before combining them.

Example 8:

a. 27 − 12 b.
3
16 + 3 54

c. 2 81a 4 + a3 24a
3

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Chapter 1 - A Review of Basic Algebra MAT 1103 Fundamentals of Mathematics

1.3 Polynomials

1) Monomial
a. Number or product of a number and 1 or more variables with integer exponents
b. The number is called coefficient of the variables.

2) Polynomials
a. A monomial or sum of monomials.
b. Each monomial in polynomials is called a term.
c. Binomial: polynomial with 2 terms
d. Trinomial: polynomial with 3 terms
Example 1
Monomials Binomials Trinomials

3x 2 4 x 3 − 3x 2 x2 + 7x − 4
25xy − 2x3 − 4 y 2 12 x 3 y 2 − 8xy − 24
a 2b 3c

3) Degree of
a. monomial
- Sum of the exponents of its variable
- All nonzero constants have degree of ___ .
b. Polynomial
- Degree of the term of monomial with the highest degree.
4) Like Term
Terms with same variables and same exponents.

Example 2: Identify the pairs of like terms from the following

uv , 3u 2 v , 5uv 2 , 11, 12uv 2 , 7uv , 2u 2 v , 89

5) Adding and Subtracting Polynomials

a. Addition
When the sign before the bracket is +, just remove the bracket

+ (a + b − c) =
b. Subtraction
When the sign before the bracket is -, change the sign of each term within the bracket

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Chapter 1 - A Review of Basic Algebra MAT 1103 Fundamentals of Mathematics

− (a + b − c) =
Example 3:

Add: (3x 3 y + 5x 2 − 2 y) + (2 x 3 y − 5x 2 + 3x) =

Subtract: (2 x
2
+ 3 y) − ( x 2 − 2 y 2 + 7) =

6) Multiplying Polynomials
a. Multiplying 2 monomials
- Use communicative property to rearrange the terms.
- Multiply the coefficients and then multiply the variables.

Example 4: Simplify

(3x 2 y 3 )(5xy) =

b. Multiplying a monomial and a polynomial

- Use distributive property.

Example 5: Expand

3xy 2 (2 xy + x 2 − 7 yz ) =

c. Multiplying 2 binomials
- Use the FOIL method – First terms, Outer terms, Inner terms, Last terms

Example 6: Expand

(3x − 4)(2 x + 5) ( 3 + x)(2 − 3x)

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Chapter 1 - A Review of Basic Algebra MAT 1103 Fundamentals of Mathematics

d. Special product formulas

( x + y) 2 = ( x + y)( x + y) = x 2 + 2 xy + y 2

( x − y) 2 = ( x − y)( x − y) = x 2 − 2 xy + y 2

( x + y)( x − y) = x 2 − y 2

Example 7: Expand

a. (3 x + 2 ) 2

b. (3 x − 2 ) 2

c. (3x + 2)(3x − 2)

7) Conjugate Binomials

a. Conjugate Binomials
- Binomials that are the same except for the sign between their terms. The conjugate of a + b is a - b,
and the conjugate of a – b is a + b.

Example 9: List the conjugate binomial of

x+ y : 7 +2 :

2x − y : 1− 3 :

b. Rationalizing Denominators

- Because ( x + y)( x − y) = x 2 − y 2 , we can rationalize the denominator of fraction such as

6 by multiplying both numerator and denominator using the conjugate of the denominator.
7 +2

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Chapter 1 - A Review of Basic Algebra MAT 1103 Fundamentals of Mathematics

Example 10: Rationalize the denominator

6 2
7 +2 1− 3

8) Dividing Polynomials
a. Divide a polynomial by monomial

- Write quotient as a fraction.

- Write fraction as a sum of separate fractions.
- Simplify each one.

Example 7: Simplify

8 x 3 y 2 + 12 x 2 y − 16 x 2 y 3
4 xy

b. Divide 2 polynomials

- Use long division.

- Set spaces for missing powers in dividend.

remainder
- Result = quotient +
divisor

Example 8:

2 x 2 + 11x − 30 6 x 2 − 11
a. b.
x+7 2x + 2

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Chapter 1 - A Review of Basic Algebra MAT 1103 Fundamentals of Mathematics

1.4 Factoring Polynomials

1) Factor out common monomials

- Pull out the common numbers, variables and exponents.

Example 1: Factor

a. 3 xy 2 + 6 x b. x 2 y 2 z 2 − xyz

c. x 3 + 3x 2 + 7 x

2) Factor by common grouping

- Applies to 4 terms

Example 2: Factor

a. x 2 + xy + 2 x + 2 y b. ax + bx + a + b

3) Factor the difference of 2 squares

- Notice each term is a perfect square.

Use property x − y = ( x + y )( x − y )
2 2
-

Example 3: Factor

a. 9x 2 − 4 b. 9a 2 − 16b 2 =

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Chapter 1 - A Review of Basic Algebra MAT 1103 Fundamentals of Mathematics

4) Factor the sum and difference of 2 cubes

- Notice each term is a perfect cube.

- Use x 3 + y 3 = ( x + y )( x 2 − xy + y 2 )

x 3 − y 3 = ( x − y)( x 2 + xy + y 2 )

Example 4: Factor

a. x3 − 8 b. 27 x 3 + 64 y 3

5) Factoring quadratic expression in ax 2 + bx + c = 0

Key formulas x 2 + 2 xy + y 2 = ( x + y) 2

x 2 − 2 xy + y 2 = ( x − y) 2
Example 5: Factor

a. x 2 − 6x + 9 b. 4 x 2 + 20 x + 25 =

b. When formulas in (5a) cannot be used:

- Use cross or A-C methods.

Example 6: Factor

a. x2 − x − 6 b. 2 x 2 + 7 x − 15

c. − 6 x 2 − 15xy − 6 y 2 =

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Chapter 1 - A Review of Basic Algebra MAT 1103 Fundamentals of Mathematics

Memorize

x 2 − y 2 = ( x + y)( x − y)

x 3 + y 3 = ( x + y)( x 2 − xy + y 2 )

x 3 − y 3 = ( x − y)( x 2 + xy + y 2 )

x 2 + 2 xy + y 2 = ( x + y) 2

x 2 − 2 xy + y 2 = ( x − y) 2

Double check ax 2 + bx + c = 0 with calculator

1) Model fx-570MS 2) Model fx-570ES

a. Mode: EQN a. Mode: 5 (EQN)
b. Unknowns: Next b. 3: aX2 + bX + c = 0
c. Degree: 2 c. Key in values of a, b, c
d. Key in values of a, b, c

The answers are given in x1, x2. Therefore, ax 2 + bx + c = (x – x1) (x – x2)

Go back to normal mode using Mode = COMP

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Chapter 1 - A Review of Basic Algebra MAT 1103 Fundamentals of Mathematics

1.5 Factor Theorem

Example 1: Let P( x) = 2 x + 9 x + 7 . Find

2

a. P(-1) b. Divide P(x) by x+1

c. Factor P(x).

- What do you observed in (1a) - (1c)?

1) Factor Theorem:

If P(x) is a polynomial, r is any number, then

• If P(r) = 0, then x - r is a factor of P(x)

• If x - r is a factor of P(x), then P(r)= 0

2) Factor theorem is useful

✓ Easy test if x + r is a factor of P(x).

✓ If yes, help us to find the other factors of higher degree polynomials quickly.

Example 2: Determine whether x + 2 is a factor of P( x) = 2 x3 + 3x 2 −3x − 2 . If so, find the other factors by long
division.

P(−2) = Long division

Example 3: Let P( x) = x 3 − 1 . Show that P(1) = 0 and use this fact to help factor x 3 − 1 .

P(1) = Long division

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Chapter 1 - A Review of Basic Algebra MAT 1103 Fundamentals of Mathematics

1.6 Algebraic Fraction

1) Simplifying factions

- Factor both numerator and denominator.

- Cancel the factors common to both numerator and denominator.

x2 − 9
Example 1: Simplify .
x 2 − 3x

2) Multiplying fractions

Example 2: Simplify

x 2 − x − 2 x 2 + 2x − 3 x2 − 9 x −1
a.  b. 
x2 −1 x−2 x 2 − x x 2 − 3x

3) Dividing fractions

- Turn the fraction after “  ” upside down then factor and cancel.

Example 3: Simplify

a 2 − a a 2 − 2a x 2 − 2 x − 3 x 2 + 2 x − 15
a.  2 b.  2
a+2 a −4 x2 − 4 x + 3x − 10

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Chapter 1 - A Review of Basic Algebra MAT 1103 Fundamentals of Mathematics

4) Adding and subtracting fractions

- When the denominators are same, just add the numerators.

Example 4: Simplify

1 3 2 x + 5 3x + 20
a. + b. +
5 5 x+5 x+5

- When the denominators are different, use the lowest common denominator.

Example 5: Simplify

2 3 1 2 4y 2
a. + b. + c. −
5 4 ab bc y −1 y +1
2

1 2 x−2 x+3
d. + 2 e. − 2
x − 4 x − 4x + 4
2
x − 1 x + 3x + 2
2

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