CE543 | CE CORRELATION COURSE

CHAPTER 1
FUNDAMENTALS
OF ALGEBRA
MODULE 2
ADVANCED ALGEBRA
This module serves as a review for the BSCE graduating students in the
fundamental principles of algebra aligned with the scope and provisions of the
civil engineering licensure examination to ensure that they will meet the necessary
technical and professional knowledge to face the board examination with
confidence and ease.

Objectives
• To provide a refresher course for the fundamental principles of algebra.

2.1 Series and Progression

• Arithmetic Progression
Last Term (nth term): 𝑎𝑛 = 𝑎1 + (𝑛 − 1)𝑑
𝑎𝑛 = 𝑎𝑚 + (𝑛 − 𝑚)𝑑
𝑛
Sum of all terms: 𝑆 = (𝑎1 + 𝑎𝑛 )
2
𝑛
𝑆 = [2𝑎1 + (𝑛 − 1)𝑑]
2
𝑎1 +𝑎2 +⋯+𝑎𝑛
Arithmetic Mean: 𝐴𝑀 =
𝑛

Elements: 𝑎1 = first term 𝑑= common difference

𝑎𝑛 = nth term 𝑛= number of terms
𝑎𝑚 = any term before 𝑎𝑛
E2-1 Find the 7th term of an AP. If the 3rd term is 10 and the 10th term is -4.

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• Geometric Progression
Last Term (nth term): 𝑎𝑛 = 𝑎1 𝑟 𝑛−1
𝑎𝑛 = 𝑎𝑚 𝑟 𝑛−𝑚
𝑎1 (𝑟 𝑛 −1)
Sum of all terms: 𝑆= ; when r>1
𝑟−1
𝑎1 (1−𝑟 𝑛 )
𝑆= ; when r<1
1−𝑟

Sum of Infinite Geometric Progression:

𝑎1
𝑆𝐼𝐺𝑃 =
1−𝑟

Geometric Mean:
𝑛
𝐺𝑀 = √𝑥1 (𝑥2 ) … (𝑥𝑛 )

E2-2 Insert three geometric means between 5 and 20.

• Harmonic Progression
A sequence of numbers in which their reciprocals forms an Arithmetic
Progression
2𝑥𝑦
Harmonic Mean: 𝐻𝑀 =
𝑥+𝑦

E2-3 Insert four means, between 3/7 and 3/19.

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• Relationship among AM, GM, and HM:

𝐺𝑀2 = 𝐴𝑀(𝐻𝑀)

2.2 Descartes Rule of Sign

If f(x) is a polynomial with real coefficients, the number of positive roots of

equation f(x) = 0 cannot exceed the number of variations of sign in f(x), and
in any case, differs from the number of variations by an even integer.
E2-4 Determine the maximum and possible number of positive and negative
roots of the equation f(x)=x6-2x5+3x4-2x3+x2+5x+3

E2-5 Determine the nature of roots of f(x)=x6-4x5+5x4-3x3+2x2+x

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2.3 Worded Problems

Sum of two numbers:

Difference of two numbers:

Four times a number:

Product of two numbers:

Five more:

Four less:

Square of a number:

Square root of a number:

Seven times the difference of two numbers:

• Age Problems
E2-6 Marlon is 25 years younger than his father. However, his father will be twice
his age in 10 years. How old is his father?

E2-7 Mary is 24 years old. Mary is twice as old as Ann was when Mary was as old
as Ann is now. How old is Ann?

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• Work Problems
1
𝑟𝑎𝑡𝑒 =
𝑡𝑖𝑚𝑒 𝑡𝑜 𝑓𝑖𝑛𝑖𝑠ℎ 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑤𝑜𝑟𝑘
𝑊𝑜𝑟𝑘 𝑑𝑜𝑛𝑒 = 𝑟𝑎𝑡𝑒(𝑡𝑖𝑚𝑒)
E2-8 If A can do a job in 4 hours and B can do the same job in 8 hours, working
together from start; (a) what part of the job have they done in 2 hours, and
(b) how many hours can they finish the job?

E2-9 A job could be done by eleven workers in 15 days. Five workers started the
job. They were reinforced with four more workers at the beginning of the 6th
day. Find the total number of days it took them to finish the job.

• Mixture Problems
E2-10 How many grams of gold must be added with 500 grams of an alloy
containing 30% gold and 70% silver in order to produce another alloy
analyzing 40% gold and 60% silver?

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• Digit Problems
Let: h = hundred’s digit
t = ten’s digit
u = unit’s digit
The number is: 100h + 10t + u
The reverse number is: 100u + 10t + h
The sum of digits is: h + t + u
E2-11 The ten’s digit of a certain two-digit number exceeds the unit’s digit by four
and is one less than twice the unit’s digit. Find the number

• Motion Problems
For Uniform Motion or Constant Speed:
𝑠 = 𝑣𝑡
Where: s = distance, v = velocity, t = time
E2-12 A man can row his canoe at a constant rate of 5 mph in still water. He rows
upstream for 15 minutes and then rows downstream, returning to his starting
point in another 12 minutes. What is the rate of the current in miles per hour?

• Clock Problems
If the minute hand moves a distance of x, the hour hand moves x/12.
If the second hand moves a distance of x, the minute hand moves x/60
and the hour hand moves x/720.

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E2-13 How many minutes after 2 o’clock will the hands of the clock be
perpendicular for the first time?

• Newton’s Law of Cooling

Newton’s law of cooling states that the temperature of a body changes at a
rate that is proportional to the difference of temperature between the outside
medium and the body itself.

𝑑𝜇
= 𝑘 (𝜇 − 𝜇𝑜 )
𝑑𝑡

E2-14 A thermometer which has been at the reading of 70𝜊 𝐹 inside a house is
placed outside where the air temperature is 10𝜊 𝐹. Three minutes later, it is found
that the temperature reading is 25𝜊 𝐹. What is the reading at various later time?

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• Chemical Conversion: Growth and Decay

𝑑𝑄
= 𝑘(𝑄) —› 𝑄 = 𝑄𝑜 𝑒 𝑘𝑡
𝑑𝑡

E2- 15 If initially there are 50 g of a radioactive substance and after 3 days there
are only 10 g remaining, what percentage of the original amount remains
after 4 days?

• Population Growth
𝑑𝑃
= 𝑘(𝑃) —› 𝑃 = 𝑃𝑜 𝑒 𝑘𝑡
𝑑𝑡

E2-16 A certain culture initially contains 10,000 bacteria and increases by 20%
every hour. Determine the number of bacteria after 10hrs.

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