Algebra
Vimukthi Pathirana
MEng. (AIT), BSc Eng. (AIT)
Varialbes
• Algebra Deals with symbols and arithmetic operations across those
symbols
• Symbols do not have any fixed value. They are called variables
• Values that which keep changing.
• Ex: symbols such as x, y, z, p, q
Polynomials
• Single term or the sum of two or more terms containing variables
with whole number exponents
• 𝑎! 𝑥 ! + 𝑎!"#𝑥 !"# + 𝑎!"$𝑥 !"$ + ⋯ + 𝑎#𝑥 + 𝑎%
• Example
• 7𝑥 $ − 5𝑥 + 3
• 13𝑥 + 2
• 3x – 4 (algebaric expression)
Polynomials
• Exercise
1. −9𝑥 & + 7𝑥 $ − 5𝑥 + 3 + (13𝑥 & + 2𝑥 $ − 8𝑥 − 6)
2. 7𝑥 & − 8𝑥 $ + 9𝑥 − 6 − (2𝑥 & − 6𝑥 $ − 3𝑥 + 9)
Polynomials
• Multiply Binomials – FOIL method
• 𝑎𝑥 + 𝑏 𝑐𝑥 + 𝑑 = 𝑎𝑥. 𝑐𝑥 + 𝑎𝑥. 𝑑 + 𝑏. 𝑐𝑥 + 𝑏. 𝑑
Polynomials
• Product of sum and Difference
• 𝐴 + 𝐵 𝐴 − 𝐵 = 𝐴$ − 𝐵$
• Square of Binomial sum
• (𝐴 + 𝐵)$= 𝐴$ + 2𝐴𝐵 + 𝐵$
• Square of Binomial difference
• (𝐴 − 𝐵)$= 𝐴$ − 2𝐴𝐵 + 𝐵$
Polynomials
• Exercise
1. 3𝑥 + 4 (5𝑥 − 3)
2. 4𝑦 + 3 (4𝑦 − 3)
3. (5𝑎' + 6)(5𝑎' − 6)
Factoring Polynomials
• Expression of the highest degree that divides each term of the
polynomials
• Example
1. 18𝑥 & + 27𝑥 $
2. 𝑥 $ 𝑥 + 3 + 5(𝑥 + 3)
Factoring Polynomials
• Factoring by Grouping
𝑥 & + 4𝑥 $ + 3𝑥 + 12
Factoring Polynomials
• Factoring by Grouping
𝑥 & + 4𝑥 $ + 3𝑥 + 12
(𝑥 &+4𝑥 $) + 3𝑥 + 12
𝑥 $(𝑥 + 4) + 3(𝑥 + 4)
Factoring Polynomials
• Exercise
1. 𝑥 & − 3𝑥 $ − 𝑥 + 3
2. 𝑥 $ + 4𝑥 − 𝑦 $ − 4𝑦
3. 𝑥 $ − 16𝑦 $ − 6𝑥 + 9
Factoring Polynomials
• Factoring 𝑎𝑥 ! + 𝑏𝑥 + 𝑐
( 𝑥+ )( 𝑥 + ) = 𝑎𝑥 $ + 𝑏𝑥 + 𝑐
• Example
• 𝑥 $ + 3𝑥 − 18
Factoring Polynomials
• Exercise
1. 𝑥 $ + 5𝑥 + 6
2. 𝑥 $ − 𝑥 − 6
Equations
• Algebraic equation – contains and “=” sign
• 3𝑥 − 4 = 2
• Solving an Equation – means to find the value of the unknown
• 2𝑥 + 3 = 17
• Example: solving 3𝑥 − 4 = 2
• Means finding the value of x
Linear Equations
• One unknown quantity in its first degree
• a𝑥 + 𝑏 = 0
A linear equation in one variable 𝑥
• Solving a Linear Equation
• 2𝑥 + 3 = 17
Linear Equations
• Exercise
• 2 𝑥 − 3 − 17 = 13 − 3 𝑥 + 2
()$ ("#
• − = 2
' &
# # &
• = +
( * $(
Linear Equations
• Simultaneous equations
• When the equation contains more than one unknown quantities
• Example
• 𝑥 + 3𝑦 = 8
Infinite number of solutions
Simultaneous Equations
• When two equations are available connecting the same two unknown
values then a unique solution is possible
• Similarly, for 3 unknown quantities it is necessary to have 3 equations
in order to solve for a particular value of each of the unknown
quantities. And so on.
Simultaneous Equations
• Two methods of solving simultaneous equations analytically are:
• By Substitution
• By Elimination
• Example: solve the following equation for x and y, (a) by substitution
and (b) by elimination
𝑥 + 2𝑦 = −1 (1)
4𝑥 − 3𝑦 = 18 (2)
Simultaneous Equations
• Exercise
1. 2𝑥 + 4𝑦 = 14 𝑎𝑛𝑑 4𝑥 − 4𝑦 = 4
2. 6𝑎 + 𝑏 = 18 𝑎𝑛𝑑 4𝑎 + 𝑏 = 14
3. 3ℎ + 2𝑖 = 8 𝑎𝑛𝑑 2ℎ + 5𝑖 = −2
Quadratic Equations
• Quadratic equation is one in which the highest power of the unknown
quantity is 2
• Example: 𝑥 ! − 3𝑥 + 1 = 0
Quadratic Equations
• There are 4 methods of solving quadratic equations
1. By Factorization (where possible)
2. By ‘completing the square’
3. By using the ‘quadratic formula’
4. Graphically
Quadratic Equations
1. By Factorization
• Example: 𝑥 + 1 𝑥 − 3 = 𝑥 ! − 3𝑥 + 𝑥 − 3 = 𝑥 ! − 2𝑥 − 3
• The reverse process of moving from 𝑥 ! − 2𝑥 − 3 to 𝑥 + 1 𝑥 − 3
• If possible, it is the simplest method of solving
Quadratic Equations
2. By completing the square
• Process of rearranging one side of a quadratic equation into a perfect
square before solving
• 𝑥 ! or (𝑥 + 2)! or (𝑥 − 3)! , called perfect squares
Quadratic Equations
• Example
& $
𝑥$ + 3𝑥 becomes perfectly square by adding $
& $ & $
𝑥$ + 3𝑥 + = 𝑥 +
$ $
Quadratic Equations
• Exercise
• 𝑥 $ − 6𝑥 + 8 = 0
• 𝑥 $ + 4𝑥 − 12 = 0
• 𝑥 $ + 12𝑥 = −32
• 𝑥 $ + 6𝑥 + 4 = 0
• 𝑥 $ + 2𝑥 − 63 = 0
Quadratic Equations
3. By using quadratic formula
• If the general form of a quadratic equation be given by,
𝑎𝑥 ! + 𝑏𝑥 + 𝑐 = 0
Then,
−𝑏 ± 𝑏 ! − 4𝑎𝑐
𝑥=
2𝑎
Plynomial Equations
By factoring
Example: 𝑥 " + 𝑥 ! = 4𝑥 + 4
Types of Equations
1. Linear Equations ✓ 𝑥 + 3𝑦 = 8
2. Quadratic Equations ✓ 𝑥 ! − 2𝑥 − 3 = 0
3. Polynomial Equations ✓ 𝑥 " + 𝑥 ! = 4𝑥 + 4
4. Radical Equations 𝑎 + 10 = 26
5. Exponential Equations 8! = 32
" # #
6. Rational Equations !
−$=!
Equations involving Absolute Value
Rewriting an Absolute value equation without absolute value bars
Example: 2𝑥 − 3 = 11
Equations involving Absolute Value
• Exercise
• 𝑥 =𝑎
(
• =3
5
• −2𝑥 + 7 = 25
• 3 𝑥+2 +3=5
