Algebra 2 – Things to Remember!

Exponents: Complex Numbers: Logarithms Properties of Logs:

x0  1
x m • x n  x m n
x m
 x mn
n
x  y y
( xy ) n  x n • y n
Factoring:
Look to see if there is a GCF (greatest
common factor) first. ab  ac  a (b  c)
x 2  a 2  ( x  a )( x  a)
( x  a) 2  x 2  2ax  a 2
( x  a) 2  x 2  2ax  a 2
Factor by Grouping:
xm  m
1 1  i a  i a ; a  0 y  log b x  x  b y log b b  1 log b 1  0
x i  1
2
i  i 2  1 divide exponent
14
ln x  log e x natural log log b (mn)  log b m  log b n
( x )  x n• m
n m
by 4, use remainder, solve. e = 2.71828…
(a  bi ) conjugate (a  bi ) m
x
n
x n log x  log10 x common log log b    log b m  log b n
   n (a  bi )(a  bi )  a 2  b 2 Change of base formula: n
log a log b (m r )  r log b m
a  bi  a 2  b 2 absolute value=magnitude log b a 
log b Domain: log b x is x  0
Exponentials e x  exp( x) Quadratic Equations: ax 2  bx  c  0 (Set = 0.)
Solve by factoring, completing the square, quadratic formula.
b x  b y  x  y (b  0 and b  1)
b 2  4ac  0 two real unequal roots
If the bases are the same, set the
b  b  4ac
2
exponents equal and solve. x b 2  4ac  0 repeated real roots
2a
b 2  4ac  0 two complex roots
Solving exponential equations:
1. Isolate exponential expression. Square root property: If x 2  m, then x   m
2. Take log or ln of both sides. Completing the square: x2  2 x  5  0
3. Solve for the variable. 1. If other than one, divide by coefficient of x2
2. Move constant term to other side x 2  2 x  5
ln( x) and e x are inverse functions 3. Take half of coefficient of x, square it, add to both sides
x2  2x  1  5  1
ln e x  x eln x  x
4. Factor perfect square on left side. ( x  1) 2  6
ln e  1 eln 4  4
5. Use square root property to solve and get two answers. x  1  6
e 2ln 3  eln 3  9
2

b c
Variation: always involves the constant of Absolute Value: a  0 Sum of roots: r1  r2   Product of roots: r1 r2 
proportionality, k. Find k, and then proceed. a a
Direct variation: y  kx  a; a  0 Inequalities: x  x  12  0 Change to =, factor, locate
2
a 
k  a; a  0 critical points on number line, check each section.
Inverse variation: y  (x + 4)(x - 3) = 0
x m  b  m  b or m  b
Varies jointly: y  kxj x = -4; x = 3
m  b  b  m  b
Combo: Sales vary directly ka
with advertising and inversely y m  b  m  b or m  b
c
with candy cost. ANSWER: -4 < x < 3 or [-4, 3] (in interval notation)

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Radicals: Remember to use fractional exponents. Working with Rationals ( Fractions): Solving Rational Equations:

 x
1 m
m Simplify: Get rid of the denominators by mult. all terms by
a
xx a
x  n xm 
n n
remember to look for a factoring of -1: common denominator.
a na 3 x  1 1( 3 x  1 ) 22

3

2
n
an  a n
ab  n a  n b    1
n
b nb 1  3x 1  3x 2x  9x  5 2x 1 x  5
2

Simplify: look for perfect powers. Add: Get the common denominator. multiply all by 2 x 2  9 x  5 and get
x12 y17  x12 y16 y  x 6 y 8 y
Factor first if possible: 22  3( x  5)  2(2 x  1)
Multiply and Divide: Factor First
22  3x  15  4 x  2
3
72 x 9 y 8 z 3  3 89 x 9 y 6 y 2 z 3  2 x3 y 2 z 3 9 y 2 Rational Inequalities 37  3x  4 x  2
Use conjugates to rationalize denominators: x 2  2 x  15
 0 The critical values 35  7 x
5 2 3 10  5 3 x2
   10  5 3 5 x
2 3 2 3 42 3 2 3  9 from factoring the numerator are -3, 5.
Great! But the only problem is that
Equations: isolate the radical; square both sides The denominator is zero at x = 2.
x = 5 does not CHECK!!!! There is no solution.
to eliminate radical; combine; solve. Place on number line, and test sections.
Extraneous root.
2 x  5 x  3  0  (2 x  3) 2  (5 x ) 2 Motto: Always CHECK ANSWERS.
4 x 2  12 x  9  25 x  solve : x  9; x  1/ 4
Sequences Equations of Circles: x 2  y 2  r 2 center origin
CHECK ANSWERS. Answer only x = 9.
Arithmetic: an  a1  (n  1)d ( x  h) 2  ( y  k ) 2  r 2 center at (h,k)
Functions: A function is a set of ordered pairs in which n(a1  an ) x 2  y 2  Cx  Dy  E  0 general form
Sn 
each x-element has only ONE y-element associated with it. 2
n 1
Complex Fractions:
Geometric: an  a1 r Remember that the fraction bar means divide:
Vertical Line Test: is this graph a function?
Domain: x-values used; Range: y-values used a1 (1  r n ) Method 1: Get common denominator top and bottom
Sn  2 4 2  4x
Onto: all elements in B used. 1 r  1
x2 x  x2  2  4 x  4 x  2  2  4 x  x
2
1-to-1: no element in B used more than once. Recursive: Example:  1
Composition: ( f  g )( x)  f ( g ( x)) a1  4; an  2an 1 4 2 4x  2 x2 x2 x2 4x  2
 2
Inverse functions f & g: f ( g ( x))  g ( f ( x))  x x x x2
Horizontal line test: will inverse be a function? Method 2: Mult. all terms by common denominator for
all.
Transformations: Binomial Theorem: 2 4 2 4
 x2  2  x2 
 f ( x) over x-axis; f ( x) over y-axis n
n x 2
x  x x  2  4 x  1
(a  b) n    a n  k b k 4x  2
f ( x  a) horizontal shift; f ( x)  a vertical shift k 0  k 
4 2
 2
4
x2   x2  2
2
f (ax) stretch horizontal; af ( x) stretch vertical x x x x

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Trigonometry – Radians and Degrees Trig Functions
 o a o
Things to Remember! Change to radians multiply by sin   ; cos  ; tan 
180 h h a
180 h h a
Change to degrees multiply by csc   ; sec  ; cot 
Arc Length of a Circle =  r (in radians)  o a o
Special Right Triangles Quadrantal angles – 0, 90, 180, 270 Reciprocal Functions
1 1 1
sin   ; cos  ; tan 
30º-60º-90º triangle CoFunctions: examples csc  sec  cot 
side opposite 30º = ½ hypotenuse sin   cos(90º  ) ; tan   cot(90º  ) csc  
1
; sec 
1
; cot 
1
side opposite 60º = ½ hypotenuse 3 sin  cos  tan 
Inverse notation:
arcsin(x) = sin-1(x) sin  cos 
tan   cot  
arccos(x) = cos-1(x) cos  sin 
arctan(x) = tan-1(x)
45º-45º-90º triangle Trig Graphs
hypotenuse = leg 2 sin x cos x
leg = ½ hypotenuse 2

Law of Sines: uses 2 sides and 2 angles

sin A sin B sin C
  Has an ambiguous case.
a b c sinusoidal curve = any curve expressed as
y = A sin(B(x – C)) + D
Law of Cosines: uses 3 sides and 1 angle
c 2  a 2  b 2  2ab cos C amplitude (A) = ½ | max – min| (think height)

Area of triangle: A = ½ ab sin C period = horizontal length of 1 complete cycle

Area of parallelogram: A = ab sin C
frequency (B) = number of cycles in 2  (period)

Pythagorean Identities: horizontal shift (C) – movement left/right

sin 2   cos 2   1 tan 2   1  sec 2 
vertical shift (D) – movement up/down
1  cot 2   csc2 

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Statistics and Probability – Probability
Normal Distribution and Standard Deviation Permutation: without replacement
Things to Remember! and order matters
n!
n Pr 
Statistics: (n  r )!
x1  x2  ...  xn 1 n Combination: without replacement
mean  x    xi and order does not matter
n n i 1
median = middle number in ordered data  n  n Pr n!
n Cr     
mode = value occurring most often  r  r ! r !(n  r )!

range = difference between largest and smallest Empirical Probability

# of times event E occurs
mean absolute deviation (MAD): P( E ) 
total # of observed occurrences
1 n
population MAD   xi  x Binomial Probability
n i 1 r nr Theoretical Probability
n Cr • p • q “exactly” r times
n( E ) # of outcomes in E
variance: n P( E )  
n
or   • p r • (1  p ) n  r n( S ) total # of outcomes in S
1 r
population variance  ( x) 2    xi  x 
2

n i 1 [TI Calculator: binompdf(n, p, r)] P(A and B) = P(A)•P(B)

for independent events
standard deviation: When computing "at least" and "at most" P(A and B) = P(A)•P(B| A)
population standard deviation = probabilities, it is necessary to consider, in for dependent events
addition to the given probability,
1 n
x   xi  x 
2
• all probabilities larger than the given P(A’ ) = 1 – P(A)
n i 1
probability ("at least")
[TI Calculator: 1 – binomcdf(n, p, r-1)] P(A or B) = P(A) + P(B) – P(A and B)
for not mutually exclusive
Sx = sample standard deviation • all probabilities smaller than the given
probability ("at most")
 x = population standard deviation [TI Calculator: binomcdf(n, p, r)]
P(A or B) = P(A) + P(B)
for mutually exclusive

P( A and B)
P ( B | A)  (conditional)
P( A)

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