TOPIC 1 :

NUMBER SYSTEMS AND

EQUATIONS

1.1 Real Numbers

1.2 Indices
1.3 Surds
1.4 Logarithms
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 1.1 –Real Numbers
COURSE OUTLINE
a) Review natural numbers, whole numbers, integers, prime
numbers, rational numbers and irrational numbers.
b) Represent the relationship of number sets in a real number
system.

1. The set of real numbers has many subsets. Below is a

diagram of real numbers. You will see the terms natural,
whole, integers, rational, and irrational numbers which
are sets of real numbers.

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2. Natural Numbers, Counting Numbers
The letter (N) is the symbol used to represent natural
numbers. Natural numbers are also known as counting
numbers, and they begin with the number 1 and continue
to infinity (never ending), which is represented by three
dots (...).

N = 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7,...
3. Prime numbers are any natural number (other than 1)
that has exactly two factors, 1 and itself.

P =  2,3,5, 7,11,...
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4. Whole Numbers
The letter (W) is the symbol used to represent whole
numbers. Whole numbers are counting numbers from 0 to
infinity.

W = 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7,...

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5. Integers

The letter (Z) is the symbol used to represent integers.

An integer can be 0, a positive number to infinity, or a
negative number to negative infinity.

Z = ...,−4, − 3, − 2, − 1, 0, 1, 2, 3, 4,...

Z + =  1, 2, 3, 4,...

Z = ...,−4, − 3, − 2, − 1
−

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6. Positive Numbers, Negative Numbers
Real numbers whose graphs are to the right of 0 are
called positive numbers. Real numbers whose graphs
appear to the left of 0 are called negative numbers.

The number 0 is neither positive nor negative.

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7. Rational Numbers (Fractions)
The letter (Q) is the symbol that is used to represent
rational numbers. Rational numbers are sometimes called
fractions. They are numbers that can be written as the
quotient of two integers. They have decimal
representations that either terminate or do not terminate
but contain a repeating block of digits.

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 The difference between rational numbers
and irrational numbers.

Rational Number, Q Irrational Number, Q

- decimal representations -decimal representations
are : are :
→ terminating decimal → non-terminating decimal
3 6 → non-repeating
= 0.375 = 0.24
8 25
2
= 0.70710678..
→ repeating 2

2 3 = 1.73205...
= 0.285714285714... = 0.285714
7
9
 = 3.14159...
= 1.8000... = 1.80
5 e = 2.71828182845...
1
= 1.6666... = 1.6 9
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Real Numbers

N W  Z  Q
QQ =  10
 1.2 –Indices
COURSE OUTLINE
a) Define an index.
b) State and apply the rules of indices.
c) Solve equations involving indices.

8. Index indicates the number of times the base is used as

a factor.

n 4
a 5 5
a = base 5 = base 5 = base
n = index 4 = index 1 = index
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9.Rules of indices

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p =1
0
p −n
= n
p

p p = p
n m n+m
(p ) n m
= p nm
m

( pq)
 p pm
=p q
m m m   = m q0
q q

( p)
2
2
n−m
p p =p p =
n m 3 3 2 3
p or

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 2
 27  3
Example 1: Evaluate  
 64 
Solution:

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 2
24 x y  1 
2 4

−4  2 −1 
Example 2: Simplify
2x  x y 
Solution:

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 2n n
Example 3: Simplify 4n  8 16
3 4

Solution:

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 Example 4: Solve the following equations
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a. 3 x +1
= 81 b. 3 x +1
=9 x−4 c. 3 =
x
d. 3x = 3
3
Solution:

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Example 4:

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 Example 5: Solve 32 x +1 − 10 ( 3x ) + 3 = 0.

Solution:

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Example 5: Solution:

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 Example 6: Solve 25 x + 1 = 26 ( 5 x−1 ) .

Solution:

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Example 6: Solution:

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 1.3 –Surds
COURSE OUTLINE
a) Explain the meaning of surd and its conjugate.
b) Express surd in simplified form.
c) Perform algebraic operations on surds.
d) Solve equations involving surds.

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10. Any number of the form b (cannot be written as
fraction of integers) is called a surd.

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11. Conjugate: 2 −6 2 +6

6− 2 6+ 2

3− 2 3+ 2

− 5− 2 − 5+ 2
12. The properties of surd
a  b = ab
a a
=
b b
a c + b c = c (a + b ) 23
 Example 7: Simplify a.5 3 + 2 3 − 6 3

b. 5 3 + 2 2 − 3 3 + 2

c. 2 ( 2 +3 )
d. ( 2 −3 )( 2 +3 )
Solution(a): Solution(b):

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 Example 7: Simplify c. 2 ( 2 +3 ) d. ( 2 −3 )( 2 +3 )
Solution(c): Solution(d):

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13. Rationalising operations
To rationalise the denominator, we
Multiply the numerator and denominator by itself.

Multiply the numerator and denominator by it

conjugate.
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Example 8: Rationalise
5
Solution:

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 5
Example 9: Rationalise .
3− 2
Solution:

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 1 1
Example 10: Simplify +
3 +1 3 −1
Solution:

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 Solve equations involving surds
14. We have 5 steps to solve surd equation

STEP 1: Square both sides of the equation and

isolate any remaining surds.
STEP 2: Square the equation again to remove any
remaining surds.
STEP 3: Solve the resulting equation.

STEP 4: Check your answer.

STEP 5: Conclusion.
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 Example 11: Solve 5x + 1 + 1 = x.

Solution:

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 Example 12: Solve x + 25 − x = 1.

Solution:

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 Example 13: Solve 2x + 5 − 3 − 3 x = 2 − x .

Solution:

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 1.4 –Logarithms
COURSE OUTLINE
a) State and apply the laws of logarithms:
i. log a MN = log a M + log a N
M
ii. log a = log a M − log a N
N
iii. log a M N = N log a M ;and
log b M
iv. log a M = .
log b a
b) Solve equations involving logarithms.
c) Solve equations involving indices, surds and logarithms.

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15. If a x = b, then 16. To change the base of logarithm, we
log a x = log b can use
log b M
x log a = log b log a M =
log b log b a
x=
log a
x = log a b

17. Law of logarithms:

log a a = 1 log a MN = log a M + log a N

log a 1 = 0 M 
log a   = log a M − log a N
N 
a log a p = p
log a M N = N log a M
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 Example 14:
Evaluate the following logarithms without using calculator.
(
a. log 5 125 5 ) b. log 3 2
(18)
Solution(a): Solution(b):

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 Example 15: Solve log 2 ( x 2 + 2 ) = 1 + log 2( x + 5 )

Solution:

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 Example 16: Solve ln 2 + 2 ln( x − 2) = ln( x 2 + 17)

Solution:

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 Example 17: Solve log 4 x + log x 4 = 2.5

Solution:

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 Example 18: Solve 2 log x 3 = log 3 x − 1.

Solution:

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 Solve equations involving indices, surds and
logarithms

Example 19:
Solve 9 x = 8.Give your answer correct to three decimal places.

Solution:

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 Example 20: Solve 22 x + ( 2 x ) − 6 = 0.

Solution:

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 Example 21: Solve x 5e −3ln x + 4 x = 21.

Solution:

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 Example 22: Solve x − 3 x = 4.

Solution:

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 Example 23: Solve 3log10 x 3 − 2 log10 x − 2 log10 x 2 = 8.

Solution:

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 (
Example 24: Evaluate log a x + x2 −1 )( )
x − x2 −1 .

Solution:

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