Quandaries and Queries
  

 

Who is asking: Student
Level: Secondary

Question:

// = the main fraction line

1.) a+1/a-1 + a-1/a+1 // a+1/a-1 - a-1/a+1

2.) 2/a(squared)-3a+2 + 2/a(squared)-a-2 // 2/a(squared)-1 + 2/ a(squared)+4a+3

 

 

Hi,

I'll help you get started by looking at the first problem. The numerator is

 a+1/a-1 +  a-1/a+1 A common denominator is (a-1)(a+1) so this can be written  (a+1)(a+1)/(a-1)(a+1) +  (a-1)(a-1)/(a+1)(a-1)

= [(a+1)2 + (a-1)2] /(a-1)(a+1)

Likewise the denominator can be written

 [(a+1)2 - (a-1)2] /(a-1)(a+1)

Thus the fraction in problem 1 reduces to

 [(a+1)2 + (a-1)2] /[(a+1)2 - (a-1)2]

Penny
 
 

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