Excerpt from "Intermediate Algebra" ©2014 AoPS Inc.

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INDEX

Index

[x], 529 Arithmetic Mean-Geometric Mean Inequality, 384–

, 572 391
\, 29 arithmetic sequence, 286–292
\, 29 arithmetic series, 292–298
[, 28 arithmetico-geometric series, 567–571
1, 3 ARML, vii
dxe, 529–539 Art of Problem Solving, v, 672, 702
bxc, 529–539 asymptote, 147, 477
|,Q201 horizontal, 477
P , 313–331 oblique, 484
, 313–331 slant, 484
{ai }, sequence notation, 313 vertical, 477
{x}, fractional part, 529–539 average, 385
axis of symmetry
Abel Prize, 507 of a parabola, 107, 109
Abel Summation, 368
Abel, Niels, 229, 507 base, 413, 417
absolute value, 517–529 base case, 350
Abu Ja’far Muhammad ibn Musa al-Khwarizmi, 37 binomial, 162
algebraic number, 238 binomial coefficient, 359
AM, 384 Binomial Theorem, 358–365
AM-GM Inequality, 384–391 brute force, 338–343
AMC, vii Buniakowsky, 396
American Mathematics Competitions, see AMC
American Regions Math League, see ARML camel, magic, 382, 443
Argand plane, 67 Cardano, Girolamo, 78, 229
Argand, Jean-Robert, 67 Catalan numbers, 337
argument, 417 Cauchy Functional Equation, 627
arithmetic mean, 384, 581–593 Cauchy, Augustin Louis, 389
Cauchy-Schwarz Inequality, 340, 392–399

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INDEX

proof of, 394 degenerate hyperbola, 152

ceiling function, 529–539 degree, 162, 189, 261
cellular automaton, xvii delta, 572
center dependent, 17, 19
of a circle, 126 Descartes’ Rule of Signs, 260
of a hyperbola, 142 Descartes, René, 54
of an ellipse, 129 determinant, 22
Chebyshev’s Inequality, 412 di↵erence of cubes, 271
chord, 129 di↵erence of squares, 82, 271
circle, 126–129 Diophantine equation, 263
center, 126 directrix, 107
standard form, 127 discontinuous, 511
Clay Mathematics Institute, 507 discriminant, 96–99, 102
closed form, 295, 544 diverge, 308
codomain, 615 divergent series, 309
coefficient, 162, 189 division
common divisor, polynomial, 655 of polynomials, 166–189
common factor, polynomial, 658 synthetic, 177–185
common logarithm, 445 divisor, 169
completing the square, 88–96 domain, 24
complex number, 54–77 double root, 96, 200
complex plane, 61–65, 70–74 double sum, 325–331
graphing, 61–65, 70–74 dummy variable, 24, 313
history, 78
imaginary part, 54 e, 444–450
magnitude, 63 eccentricity, 134, 149
real part, 54 elimination, 9–13
complex plane, 61–65, 70–74 ellipse, 129–142
composition (of functions), 39–43 area of, 142
conic section, 106–161 center, 129
conjugate, 58 chord, 129
conjugate pair, 58 degenerate, 141
consistent system, 16 eccentricity, 134
constant term, 79 focus, 129
continuous, 202, 511 major axis, 129
contradiction, 231 minor axis, 129
converge, 309 standard form, 136
convergent series, 309 equality condition, 379
Cook, Matthew, xviii equation
Cramer’s Rule, 23 linear, 1–23
cubic, 162 quadratic, 79–105
general solution of, 229 Euler, Leonhard, 54, 78, 445
cyclic function, 621–627 even function, 492–497
order, 623 exponent, 413
exponent law, 424
degenerate ellipse, 141 exponential decay, 415, 444–450

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INDEX

exponential function, 413 Fundamental Theorem of Algebra, 196, 215–225

exponential growth, 414
extraneous, 4, 457 Gauss, Carl, 268, 293
generation, xvii
factor, 193, 225 geometric mean, 384, 581–593
Factor Theorem, 193–198, 277–282 geometric progression, 298
factoring geometric sequence, 298–301
xn + yn , 271 geometric series, 302–312
xn yn , 270 GM, 384
grouping, 261–268 graph of a function, 32–39
quadratics, 79–84 greatest integer function, 529
factorization grouping, 261–268
over the complex numbers, 236
over the integers, 236 Hölder Inequality, 399
over the rationals, 236 half-life, 445
over the reals, 236 Hamilton, Lord William Rowan, 78
Ferrari, Ludovico, 229 harmonic mean, 581–593
Fibonacci sequence, 544 harmonic progression, 335
Fields Medal, 507 harmonic sequence, 335
finite di↵erence, 571–576 harmonic series, 335
floor function, 529–539 Harvard-MIT Math Tournament, see HMMT
focus Hermite’s Identity, 543
of a hyperbola, 142 Hippasus, 230
of a parabola, 107 HM, 581–593
of an ellipse, 129 HMMT, vii
fractional part, 529–539 hole, 480, 512
function, 24–53 homogeneous equation, 641
composition, 39–43 homogenization, 641
cyclic, 621–627 horizontal asymptote, 477
decreasing, 497–503 horizontal line test, 47
even, 492–497 hyperbola, 142–156
graphing, 32–39 center, 142
increasing, 497–503 eccentricity, 149
inverse, 43–49 focus, 142
invertible, 46 rectangular, 153
monotonic, 497–503 standard form, 145, 150
odd, 492–497 vertex, 142
piecewise defined, 508–516 i, 54
rational, 476–491 identity, 338–370
real, 25 Identity Theorem, 219–225
real-valued, 25 if and only if, 67
transformation, 36–39 Im, 61
functional equation, 611–630 imaginary axis, 61
cyclic function, 621–627 imaginary number, 54
separation, 619–621 imaginary part, 54
substitution, 615–619 inconsistent system, 16

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INDEX

independent, 17, 19 identity, 424–440

indeterminate series, 308 natural, 444–450
index, 313
indirect proof, 232, 256 magic camel, 382, 443
induction, 348–358 magnitude, 63
inductive assumption, 351 major axis, 129
inductive hypothesis, 351 Mandelbrot Competition, vii
inductive step, 351 matrix, 22
inequality, 371–412 maximization, 400–406
AM-GM, 384–391 quadratic, 121–126
Arithmetic Mean-Geometric Mean, 384–391 mean
Cauchy-Schwarz, 392–399 arithmetic, 384
Hölder Inequality, 399 geometric, 384
Mean Inequality Chain, 581–593 harmonic, 581
nonstrict, 3 quadratic, 581
polynomial, 205, 211 Mean Inequality Chain, 581–593
quadratic, 99–102 Method of Undetermined Coefficients, 644–648
Rearrangement Inequality, 593–600 Millennium Problems, 507
strict, 3 minimization, 400–406
Trivial Inequality, 378–384 quadratic, 121–126
inequality chain, 3 Minkowski’s Inequality, 412
infinite geometric series, 302, 305 minor axis, 129
intersection, 29 monic polynomial, 165
interval, 3 monomial, 162
inverse function, 43–49 monotonic, 497–503
irrational number, 206, 231 monotonically increasing, 413
isolation, 1–6 multiple root, 200
multiplicity, 196, 200
Lagrange’s Identity, 340 multivariable polynomial, 261–285
latus rectum, 118
leading term, 165 natural logarithm, 444–450
least integer function, 529 Nesbitt’s Inequality, 610
Legendre, Adrien-Marie, 226 nested sum, 325–331
Lie, Sophus, 507 New York State Math League, vii
limit, 307 Nobel Prize, 507
linear, 162 nonreal, 54
linear algebra, 17 nonstrict inequality, 3
linear combination, 17 nonzero polynomial, 162
linear term, 79 number
links, vi algebraic, 238
ln, 445 complex, 54
locus, 106 irrational, 231
logarithm, 413–455 nonreal, 54
argument, 417 rational, 230
base, 417 transcendental, 238
common, 445 NYSML, vii

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INDEX

oblique asymptote, 484 proof by contradiction, 231

odd function, 492–497 proof by induction, 348–358
optimization, 400–406 Pythagoras, 230
order (of a cyclic function), 623
ordered pair, 7 Q, 230
origin, 61 QM, 581–593
QM-AM, 584
parabola, 107–126 QM-AM-GM-HM Inequality, 585
axis of symmetry, 107 quadratic, 79–105, 162
directrix, 107 completing the square, 88–96
focus, 107 discriminant, 96–99
latus rectum, 118 factoring, 79–84
standard form, 113 inequality, 99–102
vertex, 107 maximization, 121–126
partial fraction decomposition, 556 minimization, 121–126
partial sum, 307 sum and product of roots, 84–88
Pascal’s Identity, 360 quadratic formula, 93
period, 548 quadratic mean, 581–593
periodic sequence, 547 Quadratic Mean-Arithmetic Mean Inequality, 584
permutation, 652 quadratic term, 79
Q
, 313–331 quartic, 162
piecewise defined function, 508–516 general solution of, 229
polynomial, 162–191, 631–665 quotient, 169
common divisor, 655
common factors, 658 R, 3
division, 166–189 radical conjugate, 233, 470–473
finite di↵erence, 572 radioactive decay, 445
graphing, 215–219 radius, 126
Identity Theorem, 219–225 range, 25
inequality, 205, 211 ratio, 343–348
integer root, 198–206 rational function, 476–491
monic, 165 rational number, 206, 230
multivariable, 261–285 Rational Root Theorem, 206–212
product of roots, 244–253 rationalize the denominator, 470
rational root, 206–212 Re, 61
Remainder Theorem, 185–189 real axis, 61
roots and coefficients, 244–253 real function, 25
roots of, 193–260 real number, 54
sum of roots, 244–253 real part, 54
synthetic division, 177–185 Rearrangement Inequality, 593–600, 607
Vieta, 244–253 rectangular hyperbola, 153
polynomial function, 162 recurrence relation, 544
Power Mean Inequality, 591 recursion, 544–551
problem solving, iii recursive formula, 544
product redundant, 17, 19
nested, 325–331 remainder, 169

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INDEX

Remainder Theorem, 185–189 sum of cubes, 272

resources, v summation
RMS, 581 double, 325–331
root, 79, 193 nested,
P 325–331
root mean square, 581 , 313–331
Rubinstein-Salzedo, Simon, 264 summation notation, 313
Ruffini’s rule, 177 symmetric, 87, 280
Ruffini, Paolo, 177, 229 symmetric expression, 250
Rule 110, xvii symmetric sum, 246, 658–665
symmetry, 631–637
Schur’s Inequality, 412 synthetic division, 177–185
Schwarz, 392 system of equations, 6–19
sequence, 286 consistent, 16
arithmetic, 286–292 dependent, 17
geometric, 298–301 inconsistent, 16
harmonic, 335 independent, 17
notation, 313 linear, 10
periodic, 547 nonlinear, 12
series, 286
arithmetic, 292–298 tangent, 121
arithmetico-geometric, 567–571 Tartaglia, Nicolo Fontana, 229
convergent, 309 telescoping series, 552–560
divergent, 309 term, 162, 189
geometric, 302–312 transcendental number, 238
harmonic, 335 translation, 112
polynomial, 561–566 trinomial, 162
telescoping, 552–560 Trivial Inequality, 378–384
Serre, Jean-Pierre, 507 Turing complete, xviii
shift the index
recursion, 550 undetermined coefficient, 644–648
union, 29
P summation, 321 upper bound (of roots), 214
, 313–331
sigma, 313 USA Mathematical Talent Search, see USAMTS
Simon’s Favorite Factoring Trick, 263 USAMTS, vii
slant asymptote, 484
variable
Sophie Germain’s Identity, 268
dummy, 24
square root, 548
vertex
squaring the circle, 238
of a hyperbola, 142
standard form
of a parabola, 107
of a circle, 127
vertical asymptote, 477
of a hyperbola, 145, 150
vertical line test, 36
of a parabola, 113, 114
Vieta’s Formulas, 84–88, 244–253
of an ellipse, 136
von Lindemann, Ferdinand, 238
strict inequality, 3
substitution, 6–9, 638–644 Weierstrass, Karl, 526
functional equation, 615–619 without loss of generality, 598

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INDEX

WLOG, 598
Wolfram, Stephen, xviii

x-intercept, 32

y-intercept, 32

Z, 230
z, 58
zero (of a polynomial), 193
zero (of a quadratic), 79
zero polynomial, 162

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