TROY UNIVERSITY PROGRAM AT HUST

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REVIEW
MTH112, PRE-CALCULUS ALGEBRA

DR. DOAN DUY TRUNG

OUTLINE
• Real numbers
• Polynomials
• Factoring Polynomials
• Synthetic Division
• Rational Expressions
• nth Roots, Rational Exponents

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Sets and Real numbers

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Sets
• A set is a well-defined collection of distinct objects. The objects
of a set are called its elements.
• If a set has no elements, it is called the empty set, or null set, and
is denoted by the symbol ∅
• Examples:
– The set of digits of the collection numbers 0;1;2;3;4;5;6;7;8 and 9. We
denote 𝐷 = 0; 1; 2; 3; 4; 5; 6; 7; 8; 9
– The set of all students at HUST
–

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Notation of Sets
• Roster method: the braces { }
• Set-builder notation:

• Examples:
– 𝐸 = 𝑥 𝑥 𝑖𝑠 𝑎𝑛 𝑒𝑣𝑒𝑛 𝑑𝑖𝑔𝑖𝑡 = 0; 2; 4; 6; 8
– 𝐸 = 𝑥 𝑥 𝑖𝑠 𝑎𝑛 𝑜𝑑𝑑 𝑑𝑖𝑔𝑖𝑡 = {1; 3; 5; 7; 9}

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Intersection and union
• If A and B are sets, the intersection of A with B, denoted 𝐴 ∩ 𝐵 is
the set consisting of elements that belong to both A and B.
• The union of A with B, denoted 𝐴 ∪ 𝐵 is the set consisting of
elements that belong to either A or B, or both.
• Example:
– Let 𝐴 = 1; 3; 5; 8 , 𝐵 = {3; 5; 7} and 𝐶 = 2; 4; 6; 8 . Find 𝐴 ∩ 𝐵, 𝐴 ∪ 𝐵, 𝐵 ∩ (𝐴 ∪
𝐶)

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Complement
• A universal set U, the set consisting of all the elements that we wish to
consider. Once a universal set has been designated, we can consider
elements of the universal set not found in a given set.

• If A is a set, the complement of A, denoted 𝐴ҧ is the set consisting of all

the elements in the universal set that are not in A

• It follows from the definition of complement that 𝐴 ∪ 𝐴ҧ = 𝑈 and 𝐴 ∩ 𝐴ҧ =

∅

• Example: If the universal set is 𝑈 = 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9 and if 𝐴 = {1,3,5,7,9},

then 𝐴ҧ = {2,4,6,8}

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Venn diagram

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Classify Numbers
• The counting numbers, or natural numbers, are the numbers in
the set {1,2,3,4, … }.
• The whole numbers are the numbers in the set 0,1,2,3,4, … , that
is, the counting numbers together with 0.
• The integers are the set of numbers {… . , −3, −2, −1,0,1,2,3, … . }.
•

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Classify Numbers
• A rational number is a number that can be expressed as a
𝑎
quotient of two integers. The integer a is called the numerator,
𝑏
and the integer b, which cannot be 0, is called the denominator.
The rational numbers are the numbers in the set {𝑥|𝑥 =
𝑎
, where a, b are integers and 𝑏 ≠ 0}
𝑏

• Rational numbers may be represented as decimals

3 5 2
ഥ
• Examples: = 0.75 = 2.5, − = −0.666 … = −0.6
4 2 3

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Classify numbers
• Some decimals do not fit into either of these categories. Such
decimals represent irrational numbers.
𝑎
• irrational numbers cannot be written in the form where 𝑎, 𝑏 are
𝑏
integers and 𝑏 ≠ 0
• The set of real numbers is the union of the set of rational numbers
with the set of irrational numbers.

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Classify numbers

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Approximations
• Every decimal may be represented by a real number (either rational or
irrational), and every real number may be represented by a decimal.
Using symbol ≈
• Example: 2 ≈ 1.4142, 𝜋 ≈ 3.1416.
• Truncation: Drop all the digits that follow the specified final digit in the
decimal.
• Rounding: Identify the specified final digit in the decimal. If the next
digit is 5 or more, add 1 to the final digit; if the next digit is 4 or less,
leave the final digit as it is. Then truncate following the final digit.

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Approximations
• Example: Approximating 20.98752 to Two decimal places by
– Truncating: 20.98
– Rounding 20.99

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Operations

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Work with Properties of Real
Numbers
• The reflexive property states that a number always equals itself;
that is, 𝑎 = 𝑎
• The symmetric property states that if 𝑎 = 𝑏 then 𝑏 = 𝑎
• The transitive property states that if 𝑎 = 𝑏 and 𝑏 = 𝑐 then 𝑎 = 𝑐
• The principle of substitution states that if 𝑎 = 𝑏 then we may
substitute b for a in any expression containing a.

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Some properties
• Commutative Properties

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Some properties
• Associative Properties

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Some properties
• Distributive Property

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Some properties
1
• For each nonzero real number a, there is a real number called
𝑎
the multiplicative inverse of a, having the following property:
• Multiplicative Inverse Property

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Difference & Quotient
• The difference also read “a less b” or “a minus b,” is defined as
𝑎 − 𝑏 = 𝑎 + (−𝑏)
𝒂
• If b is a nonzero real number, the quotient also read as “a
𝒃
𝑎 1
divided by b” or “the ratio of a to b,” is defined as = 𝑎. if 𝑏 ≠ 0
𝑏 𝑏

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Some properties
• Multiplication by Zero: 𝑎. 0 = 0
0 𝑎
• Division Properties: = 0, = 1 if 𝑎 ≠ 0
𝑎 𝑎

• Rules signs

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Some properties
• Zero-product Property: If 𝑎𝑏 = 0, then 𝑎 = 0 or 𝑏 = 0, or both
• Arithmetic of Quotients

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Least common multiples (LCM)
• The LCM of two numbers is the smallest number that each has as
a common multiple.
• Example: LCM(15,12)=60

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Polynomial
• Recognize monomials
• Know Formulas for Special Products
• Divide Polynomials Using Division

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Recognize Monomials
• A monomial in one variable is the product of a constant and a
variable raised to a nonnegative integer power. A monomial is of
the form 𝑎𝑥 𝑘 , where a is a constant, x is a variable, and is an
integer. The constant a is called the coefficient of the monomial.
If 𝑎 ≠ 0, then k is called the degree of the monomial.
• Example: 9𝑥 6 , Coefficient: 9, Degree 6

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Recognize Polynomials
• The sum or difference of two monomials having different degrees is
called a binomial. Example: 𝑥 2 − 2
• The sum or difference of three monomials with three different degrees
is called a trinomial. Example: 𝑥 3 − 3𝑥 + 5
• A polynomial in one variable is an algebraic expression of the form
𝑎𝑛 𝑥 𝑛 + 𝑎𝑛−1 𝑥 𝑛−1 + ⋯ + 𝑎1 𝑥 + 𝑎0 ,
where 𝑎𝑛 , 𝑎𝑛−1 , … , 𝑎1 , 𝑎0 are constants called the coefficient of the
polynomial, 𝑛 is an integer and 𝑥 is a variable. If 𝑎𝑛 ≠ 0, it is called the
leading coefficient, 𝑎𝑛 𝑥 𝑛 is called the leading term.

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Know Formulas for Special Products

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Know Formulas for Special Products

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Divide Polynomials Using Division
• Example: Find the quotient and the remainder when 3𝑥 3 + 4𝑥 2 +
𝑥 + 7 is divided by 𝑥 2 + 1

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Factoring Polynomials
• Factor the Difference of Two Squares and the Sum and
Difference of Two Cubes
• Factor Perfect Squares
• Factor a Second-Degree Polynomial
• Factor by Grouping
• Factor a Second-Degree Polynomial
• Complete the Square

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Factor the Difference of Two Squares and the
Sum and Difference of Two Cubes
• Difference of Two Squares: 𝑥 2 − 𝑎2 = (𝑥 − 𝑎)(𝑥 + 𝑎)
• Perfect Squares: 𝑥 2 + 2𝑎𝑥 + 𝑎2 = 𝑥 + 𝑎 2

• 𝑥 2 − 2𝑎𝑥 + 𝑎2 = 𝑥 − 𝑎 2

• Sum of two cubes: 𝑥 3 + 𝑎3 = 𝑥 + 𝑎 𝑥 2 − 𝑎𝑥 + 𝑎2

• Difference of Two Cubes: 𝑥 3 − 𝑎3 = 𝑥 − 𝑎 𝑥 2 + 𝑎𝑥 + 𝑎2

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Factor Perfect Squares
• Factor completely:
𝑥 2 + 6𝑥 + 9
25𝑥 2 + 30𝑥 + 9

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Factor a Second-Degree Polynomial

• Factor completely: 𝑥 2 + 7𝑥 + 10

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Factor by Grouping
• Sometimes a common factor does not occur in every term of the
polynomial, but in each of several groups of terms that together
make up the polynomial. When this happens, the common
factor can be factored out of each group by means of the
Distributive Property. This technique is called factoring by
grouping
• Factor completely by grouping: 𝑥 2 + 2 𝑥 + 𝑥 2 + 2 . 3

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Factor a Second-Degree Polynomial

• Factor completely: 2𝑥 2 + 5𝑥 + 3

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nth Roots; Rational Exponents
• Work with nth Roots
• Simplify Radicals
• Rationalize Denominators
• Simplify Expressions with Rational Exponents

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Work with nth Roots
• The principal nth root of a real number a, 𝒏 ≥ 𝟐 an integer,
symbolized by 𝑛 𝑎 is defined as follows:
𝑛
𝑎 = 𝑏 means 𝑎 = 𝑏 𝑛
• In general, if 𝑛 ≥ 2 is an integer and 𝑎 is a real number, we have
𝑛
𝑎𝑛 = 𝑎 if 𝑛 ≥ 3 is odd
𝑛
𝑎𝑛 = |𝑎| if 𝑛 ≥ 2 is even

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Simplify Radicals

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Rationalize Denominators
• When radicals occur in quotients, it is customary to rewrite the
quotient so that the new denominator contains no radicals. This
process is referred to as rationalizing the denominator.

• Rationalize the denominator of each expression:

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Simplify Expressions with Rational
Exponents
• If 𝑎 is a real number and 𝑛 > 2 is an integer, then 𝑎1/𝑛 = 𝑛
𝑎
• If 𝑎 is a real number and 𝑚 and 𝑛 are integers containing no
𝑛
common factors with 𝑛 ≥ 2, then 𝑎𝑚/𝑛 = 𝑎𝑚 = 𝑛 𝑎 𝑚 (provided
that 𝑛 𝑎 exists.

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