2

University of the Frontier

Department of Mathematics and Statistics

Exercise Guide - Elementary Algebra

José Labrin

1
A) If a = 2, b = -3, c = - , evaluate the following expressions:
3
12a - 5c a+b 1 a+ b+c
4 + 6 a
a−b c b−c
1 1
2 + + c
a b
a+b a+5 ab
2 2 2
5 -b 7 − 1
3a +b +c c 2− b
c+b c + b 1- a

B) Simplify the following expressions:

82a2 b(3ab2-5ab + 8a2 3 7 −3 −2 1 −2 −3 14

11a2 b3 ab -a b+a b
7 3 3 9
3
9 a + 2b(0.5b - a)
4 12(2a−3) 2 (a + 3b - 5)(a + 3)

a2 a2 -4
10 +4 10 4 5
3 3 13 x y (0.5x - 0.3y + 0.2xy + 0.5x2 y 2 )
3

C) Develop the following notable products:

14(y−3) 2 21(-2x - 3y)2

15(8n−5p) 2 1 1
2
22 e+f
2 3
16(u - 4.5)2
23(x + 3y)(x - 3y)
17(4y−7z) 2
24(4a−b)(4a+b)
3
7
18y−
2 25(x2-6)(x2+ 6)

19(-7a + 6b)3 26(uv + 1)(uv - 1)

3 27(b−8)(b−9)
20(2c−) 3
4

1
2 CHAPTER 2. EXERCISE GUIDE - ELEMENTARY ALGEBRA

28(c + 6)(c - 3) 31(a2 x + 3)(a2 x−2)

29(2m + 5)(2m - 1) 32(5 + x)(3 + x)

30(pq + 3)(pq - 3) 33(m2-mn)(m2+ 7mn)

D) Solve the indicated operations and reduce the like terms

34(x−1)(x−6) + (x+7)(x−3) 42(0.1x - 0.2y)2-(0.2x + 0.4y)2

352(a + 1)2-3(a + 1)(a - 1)

43(a−2) 3(a−2)2

362(x + 5)(x - 4) - 3(2x + 4)(2x - 3)

447(3m−n) 2-(m+n)2-8m2

373(x−y) 2-2(2x + 3y)2

453xy(x2-2xy + y - 2xy(2x - 3y)
38(x + 2y)(x + 3y) - 3x(3x + 4y)
46(3x−5)(3x−4)−(2x+4)(2x−6)
a2 a2 -3-3 a -3 2
39 +3
3 3 3 47(3a−4) 2-(3a - 4)(3a + 4)

2 2 2
1 1 3 a minus2b 2 2 2
40 a−b− 48 x−3− x−3 x-2
2 3 2 3 3 3 3
3
1 -3x+ 1 1 -3x 2
41 + 3x 1 1
3 3 3 494 a-3+4 a+3
2 2

E) Take the necessary steps to write the following expressions in such a way that one or two appear.
squares of a binomial:

50u2-u 572y - 8x - 2x

514a2+b2 58x2-y2-6x + 8y

52a2 x2+bx 594x2+ 4y2+ 8x - 20

534p2-28pq 604x2+ 9y2+ 32x - 18y + 37

549x2+ 72x + 24y + 16 61 minus 6 times x2+ 4y2-36x + 16y + 46

553y2-9y - 5x - 2 629x2-4y2-36x + 32y + 8

56x2+y2-3x + 6y - 5 634x2-9y2+ 32x + 36y + 64

F) Group by common factor:

 3

64u2-u 707a2 xy3-14a2 x2 y 2

653(x2 )3-x5 71(a + 2b)(c + 3d) - (2a - b)(c + 3d)

664(x2 )3 x4-(2x)2 x3
72(4a−3b)a−(4a−3b)a 2+ (4a−3b)a3

67a2 x+a3 x2-4a2 x3

73a2+ab+ac+bc
683ax2-9a2 x2+ 6a3 x3

694ab2 c−8a2 b3 c 74a2+3b-ab-3a

G) Factor the following algebraic expressions:

75a2 b2-4 80x3+x2−x−1

76a4+ 2a2 b2+b4 81x3-5x2-x + 5

779−x2+ 2xy - y2 82x4-3x3+ 4x2-6x + 4

83(3x−6)(x 2-1 - (5x - 10)(x - 1) 2

78p3+ 8 + 6p2+ 12p

7916m2-8mn+n2-49 8427x3-1

H) Express it in the simplest form:

22m+3-3 (2m )2 xy−2-x−1

85 87
3 (2m+1 )2-22m+1 y −2+x−1 y −1

y −2+ 2x−1 y −1+x−2

86 y −3-x−3
x−1 y −2+x−2 y −1 88
x−2 y −3-x−3 y −2

I) Check in each case if the given fractions are equivalent:

x+2 1 3x 3
89 y 91 y
3x + 5 3 x2-x x -2

x2+x x + 1 3x - 3 1
90 y 92
x2 x y
9x2-9 3x + 3

J) Factor and simplify:

x2-3x x2-16
93 96
2x - 6 x2+ 8x + 16
x2-1 x2-9
94 97
(x−1)2 x4-81

x2+ 4x + 4 x2+ 3x
95 98
x2-4 x2+x−6
4 CHAPTER 2. EXERCISE GUIDE - ELEMENTARY ALGEBRA

x2+ 2x−3 x3+ 4x2+ 3x

99 100
x3-x2 x2+x−6

K) Perform the indicated operations and simplify:

1 3 1 x 3 x−1
101 + − 115 − −
3x2x x x2-x - 2x + 1 x2-3x +2

2 1 3 x 3 x+2
102 − + 116 − −
3x x22x2 x2x + 1 x2+x−2
3 x
103 − a2+ 6a + 9 a2+ 9
x x−1 117 ÷
a2-9 a4-81
1 1
104 −
x−1x+ 1 16−x4
118 ÷(32−8x2 )
4x + 8
4 1 1
105 -x÷ +
x x 2 36 3x
x+y x+y
119 ÷
x+2 x2-4 6 1
106 ·
(x + 2)2 x x-y x -y2
2

x2 2 1 2y y-13-y
107 · ÷ 120 − −
2 x x + 2 y−1 3y y

y y y
2 1 ÷x− 1 ·x 121 − −
108 + y - 2y2-3y + 2 y−1
x x+1 x+1

3 x+2 x+1 3+x 1 x2

109 + − -2x2 122 − −
3 - x - x - 3 9 - x2
x2 x x−2

x+y x −y x y 1 2y + 2 y -1
110 123 − +
− · − y 2-y y 2-1y + 1
x−y x +y y x

1 −+1 x+y 2xy x4-3x3

111 · 124
x y xy x+y x4-6x3+ 9x2

x+1 x 1 2x + 6 x+5 x minus 1

112 − -x 125 − +
x−1x+1 x x -3x x -4x + 3 2x - 6
2 2

1 1 x−1 x 1 x-1
113 + − 126 + +
x minus 1 times x minus 3 times x2-4x + 3 x2-x x -1x2-1

1 3 x+1 x−1 3(x−1) 2x

114 + 2 − 127 − +
x + 2 x−1x +x−2 x2+x x x+1

L) Simplify:
 5

x x2-y2 x2+ 2x + 1 4x2-4x

1281 + ÷ ·
y xy - y2 x2-1 x+1
132
2x2+ 14x + 20 x-5
÷
x3-50 + 2x2-25x2x3−20x3+ 50x
x2-3x-10 x2-4
3 2
·
129 x -2x -4x + 8 x 2- 5 x2-1 2x2-8x-10
x + 2 6x - 2x ·
· 133 x2+ 2x + 1 x−1
3−x2x2-4x 2x + 2 x+1
÷
x2+x - 2x3-4x2-7x + 10

9 + 6x + x23x2-x3 x−3 x-3 2

· 1+ -1
9 minus x2
3x2+x3 x+3 x+3 x+3
130 134 − +
2x - 4 2x2-8x + 8 3x x+3 x+3 3
÷ −
3 2 x-2 3−x x 3 x−3
+
4 8
x3+x2-6x x2-9
−
x2+x x3+ 6x2+ 9x
x2+ 6x + 5 x - 2 x3−2x 135 2
131 · + x -5x + 6
x2-5x + 4x2-4x2-4x
x2+x

Solutions, Exercise Guide N◦ 2 - Elementary Algebra

A)1 17 4−16 7 395

3 5 88

2−61 56

3 118 6−81
9

11+a233− b4
B) 8−10a3 b2+ 16a4 b2+ 6a3 b3 7

3a2 13ab 2-20a3+ 4 a 4+ 8 1 b − 8 1 a b +

12 - 135 + 162a - 27a
9− 4 − 8 +b2
12a3 b−147a2

10 a4 -16
9 13x553y 5-x4 y 6+x5 y 6+x623y 7 5
3

C)14y2-6y + 9 1716y2-56yz + 49z2

1564n2-80np + 25p2 21
18y3-y2+ 147
2 y− 4
343
8

16u2-9u + 20.25 19216b3-756ab2+ 882a2 b−343a3

6 CHAPTER 2. EXERCISE GUIDE - ELEMENTARY ALGEBRA

27 27 27b2-17b + 72
208c3-9c2+c− 8 64

214x2+ 12xy + 9y2 28c2+ 3c−18

22e214+ef+f 12
3
1
9 294m2+ 8m - 5

23x2-9y2 30p2 q 2-9

2416a2-b2 31a4 x2+a2 x−6

25x4-36 32x2+ 8x + 15

26u2 v 2-1 33m4+ 6m3 n−7m22

D)342x2-3x - 15 5 b2 465x2-23x + 44
40 minus 2a2+ab−
3 3

35−a2+ 4a + 5 41 minus 27x3-x+ 4

27
47−9a2+ 6a + 8
36 minus 10 times x2-4x -4 42−100x32− xy -y225
3
5

37 minus 5 times x2-30xy - 15y 2 43a3-5a2+ 8a - 4

48−32 x + 3
38 - 8x2-7xy + 6y2 4454m2-44mn + 6n2

a4 a2
39 9 − 3 + 6a - 36 453x3 y minus 6x2 y 2-4x2 y + 9xy249a2-10a + 48

E)50(u−)2− 1
2
1
4
553(y−) 2- 32 - 175x
4
604(4 + x)2+ 9(-1 + y)2-36

51(2a+b) 2-4ab 56(x−) 2(y32 + 3)2− 65

4
616(x + 3)2+ 4(y + 2)2+ 84
52(ax+ )2-b2ab2 572(y + 8) - (x + 4)2

629(x−2) 2-4(y-4)2+ 36
53(2p−7q) 2-49q2 58(x−3) 2-(y + 4)2+ 7

549(x + 4)2+ 8(3y - 16) 59(2x + 2)2

634(x + 4)2-9(y-2)2+ 36

F)64u(u−1) 683ax2 (2a2 x−3a+ 1) 72a(1−a+a 2 (4a - 3b)

65x5 (3x−1) 694ab2 c(1−2ab)

73(a+b)(a+c)
664x5 (x5Invalid input 70 minus 7a2 xy2 (2x−y)

67a2 x(1 + ax - 4x)2 ) 71 - (a - 3b)(c + 3d) 74(a−3)(a−b)

G)75(ab−2)(ab+2) 79(4m−n−7)(4m−n+7) 83 minus 2 times (x minus 4) times (x minus 2) times (x minus 1)

80(x−1)(x+1) 2
76(a2+b2 )2
84(3x−1)(9x 2+ 3x + 1
77 - (x - y - 3)(x - y + 3) 81(x−5)(x−1)(x+1)
78(p + 2)3 82(x−2)(x−1)(x 2+ 2)
 7

1 86x + y 88x2+xy+y2
H)85
2
87x - y

I)89 no equivalents 90 equivalents 91 no equivalents 92 equivalents

x x+2 x(x + 3)
J)93 95 97 99
2 x minus 2
x2
x+1 1
94 x−4 98 x(x + 1)
x−1 96 x2+ 9 100
x+4 x minus 2

5 -2x2-2x - 12 3x2-2x + 1 3y2-1

K)101 109 116 123
6x x−2 x−x3 y−y3
4x + 3 1104 117
102
6x2
x
4 years 124
-x2+ 3x−3) 111 x2+ 4 x−3
103 x+y 118
x(x−1) 32(x + 2)
3x + 1
2 112 2 x3-x-12
104 x 119 125
x2-1 x(x+y) 2x(x−3)(x−1)
1054 minus 2 times x 1
113
x−1 2(4y2-5y + 3
x−2 120
106 3y(y - 1) 3x + 1
x 3x + 4 126
114 x2-1
x +x−2
2 1210
107x(x + 2)
5 minus 3 times x
115 5x + 12
3x + 2 122 2-x
108 (x−2)(x+1) 9 minus x2 127
x2+x−1 x
L)1281 x4+x3-3x2+ 4x + 9 -18x
131 134
(x−4)(x−1)(x+2) (x−3)(x+3)2 )
1291 (x−5)2
132
25−9x2
x4+ 4x3-4x2−16x + 3
1301 1331 135
(x−3)(x−2)(x+3)