Dr. Abd-Allah Nassr, Dr. Abdelmonem Hamdan, Dr.Mohamed Shehata and Mr. Hisam Eltaweel.

General Mathematics (101 Math)

 Algebraic expressions are formed by using constants and variables and the
algebraic operations of addition, subtraction, multiplication, division, raising to
powers, and taking roots. Some examples are
x 5 2 1
x  5 , x 4  5x 2  1 , x  y  5 , 2
3 3
,  2x  y  , 1
x  2x  5 1
1
x
 Polynomials: An algebraic expression involving only the operations of addition, subtraction,
multiplication, and raising to natural number powers is called a polynomial. (Note that
raising to a natural number power is repeated multiplication.) Some examples are
x 4  5x 2  1 , 7 x3 y 4 z  2 xy 3 z 7  6 , 5 x6  3 xy 4  3x 2 y 5
 Degree of a Polynomials: In a polynomial, a variable cannot appear in a
denominator, as an exponent, or within a radical.
1- A polynomial in one variable x is constructed by adding or subtracting
constants and terms of the form axn where a is a real number and n is a
natural number.
2- A polynomial in two variables x and y is constructed by adding and
subtracting constants and terms of the form where a is a real number and m
and n are natural numbers.
3- A polynomials in three or more variables are defined in a similar manner.
Polynomials can be classified according to their degree. If a term in a
polynomial has only one variable as a factor, then the degree of that term is
the power of the variable. If two or more variables are present in a term as
factors, then the degree of the term is the sum of the powers of the variables.
The degree of a polynomial is the degree of the nonzero term with the highest
degree in the polynomial.
4- Any nonzero constant is defined to be a polynomial of degree 0.
5- The number 0 is also a polynomial but is not assigned a degree.

EXAMPLE 1 Write Polynomials or Nonpolynomials. If so, give its degree.

(1) x 2  3 x  2 ( ) 3 ( )
(2 ) 5 x 2  5 x 
4

(3) 5 x 2  6 xy  4 y 2 ( ) (4) 4 x 3 y 2  5 xy 2 z 5 ( )

3 ( ) x2  3x  2 ( )
( 5) 3x  5 ( 6)
x x4

( 7) x2  3x  1 ( ) (8) x 3 y  4 xy 2  6 ( )

Solution: (In the lecture).

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 Dr. Abd-Allah Nassr, Dr. Abdelmonem Hamdan, Dr.Mohamed Shehata and Mr. Hisam Eltaweel. General Mathematics (101 Math)

Addition and subtraction of polynomials can be thought of in terms of removing

parentheses and combining like terms. Horizontal and vertical arrangements are
illustrated in the next two examples.

EXAMPLE 2 Adding Polynomials

Add: x4  3x3  x2 ,  x3  2 x2  3x and 3x2  4 x  5.
Solution:
(1) Add horizontally:

  x 4  3x 3  x 2     x3  2 x 2  3 x    3x 2  4 x  5  x 4  3x3  x 2  x3  2 x 2  3 x  3x 2  4 x  5

 x 4   3 x 3  x 3    x 2  2 x 2  3 x 2    3 x  4 x   5
 x 4  4 x3  2 x 2  x  5

(2) Add vertically:

x 4  3x3  x 2
 x3  2 x 2  3x
3x 2  4 x  5
x 4  4 x3  2 x 2  x  5

EXAMPLE 3: Subtracting Polynomials

Subtract: 4 x2  3x  5 from x2  8.
Solution:

(1) Subtract horizontally: (2) Subtract vertically:

  x 2  8    4 x 2  3x  5   x 2  8  4 x 2  3x  5  x2 8
 3x 2  3x  13 4 x 2  3 x  5
 (Change signs and add)
3 x 2  3 x  13

EXAMPLE 4 Multiplying Polynomials


Multiply:  2 x  3 3x 2  2 x  3 
Solution: (see text book page 24).

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Dr. Abd-Allah Nassr, Dr. Abdelmonem Hamdan, Dr.Mohamed Shehata and Mr. Hisam Eltaweel. General Mathematics (101 Math)


EXAMPLE 5: Multiply:  2 x  3 2 x 2  2 x  2 . 
Solution:
(1) Multiply horizontally: (2) Multiply vertically:
 2 x  3  2 x 2  2 x  2   2 x  2 x 2  2 x  2   3  2 x 2  2 x  2  2 x2  2 x  2
 4 x3  4 x2  4 x  6 x2  6 x  6 2x  3
 4 x3  2 x 2  10 x  6 4 x3  4 x 2  4 x
 6 x2  6 x  6
4 x 3  2 x 2  10 x  6

EXAMPLE: “Multiplying Polynomials” Multiply:

(1)  2 x  3 y  5 x  2 y  (2)  3a  3b  3a  2b 
2 2
(3)  5 x  3 (4)  m  2n 
2 2
(5)  6x  y  (6)  2u  3v 

(7)  m  4n  m  4n  (8)  2 xy  3 2 xy  3

Solution: (In the Lecture).

( A)  a  b  a  b   a 2  b2 ;  2 x  3 y  2 x  3 y   4 x2  9 y 2
2 2
( B)  a  b   a 2  2ab  b2 ;  2x  3y   4 x 2  12 xy  9 y 2

2 2
(C )  a  b   a 2  2ab  b2 ;  2x  3 y   4 x 2  12 xy  9 y 2

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Dr. Abd-Allah Nassr, Dr. Abdelmonem Hamdan, Dr.Mohamed Shehata and Mr. Hisam Eltaweel. General Mathematics (101 Math)

(I) Write Polynomials or Nonpolynomials. If so, give its degree.

(1) xy  4 x  y ( ) 1 ( )
(2) 2 z 3  5 z 
5
3 ( ) y5  6 y  7 ( )
(3) 5x2  5 (4)
x y5

(5) x3  5 x  7 ( ) (6) x 2 y  6 x 3 y 2  4 ( )

(II) Multiply:

(1)  2 x  3 2 x 2  x  5 
(2)  3m  3n  5m  n 

(3)  xy  3 xy  3

(4)  m  4n  m  4n 
2
(5)  3x  5 y 
2
(6)  5n  m 

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 Dr. Abd-Allah Nassr, Dr. Abdelmonem Hamdan, Dr.Mohamed Shehata and Mr. Hisam Eltaweel. General Mathematics (101 Math)

DEFINITION: “Prime Polynomials”

A polynomial of degree greater than 0 is said to be prime relative to a given set
of numbers if:
(1) all of its coefficients are from that set of numbers;
(2) it cannot be written as a product of two polynomials (excluding constant
polynomials that
are factors of 1) having coefficients from that set of numbers.
x2  2 is prime
x2  9 is not prime, since x 2  9   x  3 x  3
[Note: The set of numbers most frequently used in factoring polynomials is the set of integers.]

EXAMPLE: Factor out, relative to the integers, all factors common to all terms:
( A) 2 x 3 y  8 x 2 y 2  6 xy 3 (C ) 3x3 y  6 x 2 y 2  3xy 3
( B) 2 x  3x  2   7  3x  2  ( D) 3 y  2 y  5  2  2 y  5
Solution: (solution (A) and (B) see text book page 26).
 
(C ) 3x3 y  6 x 2 y 2  3xy 3   3xy  x 2   3xy  2 xy    3xy  y 2  
  3xy   x  2 xy  y  .
2 2

( D) 3 y  2 y  5  2  2 y  5   2 y  5 3 y  2  .

EXAMPLE: Factor completely, relative to the integers, by grouping:

( A) 3x 2  6 x  4 x  8 ( D) 2 x 2  6 x  5 x  15
( B) wy  wz  2 xy  2 xz ( E ) 2 pr  ps  6qr  3qs
(C ) 3ac  bd  3ad  bc ( F ) 6wy  xz  2 xy  3wz
Solution: (solution (A) , (B) and (C) see text book page 26).

( D) 2 x 2  6 x  5 x  15   2 x 2  6 x    5x  15
 2 x  x  3  5  x  3 
  x  3 2 x  5 .
( E ) 2 pr  ps  6qr  3qs   2 pr  ps    6qr  3qs 
 p  2r  s   3q  2r  s 
  2r  s  p  3q  .

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 Dr. Abd-Allah Nassr, Dr. Abdelmonem Hamdan, Dr.Mohamed Shehata and Mr. Hisam Eltaweel. General Mathematics (101 Math)

( F ) 6wy  xz  2 xy  3wz   6wy  2 xy    3wz  xz 

  2 y  3w  x    z  3w  x 
  3w  x  2 y  z 

EXAMPLE: Factor each polynomial, if possible, using integer coefficients:

( A) 2 x 2  3xy  2 y 2 ( B) x 2  3 x  4 (C ) 6 x 2  5 xy  4 y 2

( D) x 2  8 x  12 ( E) x2  2 x  5 ( F ) 4 x 2  15 xy  4 y 2
Solution: (solutions (A) , (B) and (C) see text book page 27).

( D) x 2  8x  12   x  2  x  6  :

x 12 x 12 x 4 x -4 x 2 x -2

x 1 x 1 x 3 x -3 x 6 x -6

x 2  13x  12 x 2  13x  12 x2  7 x  12 x2  7 x  12 x2  8x  12 x2  8x  12
(√)

( E ) x 2  2 x  5  is not factoring.

x 5 x 5

x 1 x 1

x2  6 x  5 x2  6 x  5
(×) (×)

( F ) 4 x 2  15 xy  4 y 2   4 x  y  x  4 y  :

x y x y y y
4x 4x

4x 4y 4x 4y x 4y x 4y

4 x2  4 y 2 4 x2  4 y 2 4 x 2  15xy  4 y 2 4 x 2  15xy  4 y 2
(√)

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Dr. Abd-Allah Nassr, Dr. Abdelmonem Hamdan, Dr.Mohamed Shehata and Mr. Hisam Eltaweel. General Mathematics (101 Math)

( A) u 2  v 2   u  v  u  v  ; Difference of Squares

2 Perfect Square
( B) u 2  2uv  v 2   u  v  ;
2 Perfect Square
(C ) u 2  2uv  v 2   u  v  ;

( D) u 3  v3   u  v   u 2  uv  v 2  Difference of Cubes

( E ) u 3  v3   u  v   u 2  uv  v 2  Sum of Cubes

EXAMPLE: Factor completely relative to the integers:

( A) x 2  6 xy  9 y 2 ( B) 9 x 2  4 y 2 (C ) 8m3  1 ( D) x 3  x3 z 3

( E ) 4m2  12mn  9n 2 ( F ) x 2  16 y 2 (G ) z 3  1 ( H ) m 3  n3
Solution: (solutions (A), (B), (C) and (D) see text book page 29).

2
( E ) 4m2  12mn  9n2   2m  3n  . (Perfect Square).

( F ) x 2  16 y 2   x  4 y  x  4 y  . (Difference of Squares).

(G) z 3  1   z  1  z 2  z  1 . (Difference of Cubes).

( H ) m3  n3   m  n   m2  mn  n2  . (Sum of Cubes).

(I) Factor out:

( A) 6 x 4  8 x3  2 x 2 ( B) 10 x3 y  20 x 2 y 2  15 xy 3

(C ) 5 x  x  1  3( x  1) ( D) x 2  2 x  3 x  6 ( E ) 2 x 2  6 x  5

( F ) 8xy  3xz  6 xy  4wz (G ) 2 x 2  6 x  5 x  15

(H ) 2x2  x  3 ( I ) x 2  5 xy  14 y 2

( J ) m2  m  20
(II) Factor completely relative to the integers:
(1) 4a 2  9b 2 (2) x 2  4 y 2

(3) a 2b 2  c 2 (4) a 2b 2  c 2

(5) r 3  t 3 (6) 27 x3  1

(7) z 3  1 (8) 8m3  n3

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