Class: Grade 9

Teacher: Lama Al Bitar

Chapter 11: Algebraic expressions
Monomials and Polynomials:
Recall that 𝑎𝑥 𝑛 is a monomial in 𝑥, where: 𝑎 is the coefficient, 𝑥 is the variable and n is the
degree.
• Two monomials are similar if they only differ by their coefficients.
Example: 11𝑥 3 and 45𝑥 3
• Recall that: the sum of two monomials or more in 𝑥 is a polynomial in 𝑥.
Example: 9𝑥 3 + 2𝑥 2 − 5𝑥 is a polynomial of degree 3.

Reduced polynomial:
A polynomial is said to be reduced if it doesn’t contain similar monomials.
Example: the polynomial 𝑃(𝑥) = 8𝑥 5 − 5𝑥 4 + 9𝑥 2 − 4𝑥 5 + 𝑥 3 + 2𝑥 4 + 4𝑥 2 can be written in
the form 𝑃(𝑥) = 4𝑥 5 − 3𝑥 4 + 𝑥 3 + 13𝑥 2 which is a reduced polynomial.

Operation on Polynomials:
Sum and Difference of Two Polynomials
Example:
Given the two polynomials: 𝑃(𝑥) = 3𝑥 4 − 3𝑥 2 + 4𝑥 − 9 and 𝑄(𝑥) = 2𝑥 4 + 5𝑥 2 − 3.
Calculate 𝑃(𝑥) + 𝑄(𝑥) and 𝑃(𝑥) − 𝑄(𝑥).
Solution:
𝑃(𝑥) + 𝑄(𝑥) = 3𝑥 4 − 3𝑥 2 + 4𝑥 − 9 + 2𝑥 4 + 5𝑥 2 − 3 = 5𝑥 4 + 2𝑥 2 + 4𝑥 − 12

𝑃(𝑥) − 𝑄(𝑥) = 3𝑥 4 − 3𝑥 2 + 4𝑥 − 9 − 2𝑥 4 − 5𝑥 2 + 3 = 𝑥 4 − 8𝑥 2 + 4𝑥 − 6

Product of Two Polynomials:

Example:
Given the two polynomials:
𝑃(𝑥) = 2𝑥 2 − 𝑥 and 𝑄(𝑥) = 𝑥 2 − 3𝑥 + 2.
Calculate 𝑃(𝑥) × 𝑄(𝑥).
Solution:
𝑃(𝑥) × 𝑄(𝑥) =(2𝑥 2 − 𝑥)(𝑥 2 − 3𝑥 + 2)
= 2𝑥 4 − 6𝑥 3 + 4𝑥 2 − 𝑥 3 + 3𝑥 2 − 2𝑥
= 2𝑥 4 − 7𝑥 3 + 7𝑥 2 − 2𝑥
Identical Polynomials:
Two polynomials are identical if their coefficients corresponding to monomials of the same
degree are equal.
Example:
Determine a, b and c so that the following polynomials are identical.
𝑃(𝑥) = (𝑎 + 3)𝑥 3 + (3𝑏 − 1)𝑥 + 4 and 𝑄(𝑥) = 𝑥 3 − 5𝑥 + 2𝑐 + 1

Solution:
𝑎 + 3 = 1, so 𝑎 = 1 − 3 = −2
−4 3
3𝑏 − 1 = −5, so 3𝑏 = −4, then 𝑏 = and 2𝑐 + 1 = 4, so 2𝑐 = 3, then 𝑐 = .
5 2

Recall:
A polynomial is identical to zero if all its coefficients are zero.
Example:
Determine m, n and q so that the polynomial 𝑃(𝑥) = (𝑚 + 2)𝑥 3 + (𝑛 − 6)𝑥 + 𝑞 − 3 is
identical to zero.

Solution:
𝑚 + 2 = 0, so 𝑚 = −2; 𝑛 − 6 = 0, so 𝑛 = 6 and 𝑞 − 3 = 0, so 𝑞 = 3.

Root of a polynomial:
A real number 𝑎 is a root of a polynomial if 𝑃(𝑎) = 0.
Example:
1 is a root of the polynomial 𝑃(𝑥) = 𝑥 3 − 7𝑥 + 6, since 𝑃(1) = (1)3 − 7 + 6 = 0.

Remarkable Identities:
• (𝑎 + 𝑏)2 = 𝑎2 + 2𝑎𝑏 + 𝑏 2
• (𝑎 − 𝑏)2 = 𝑎2 − 2𝑎𝑏 + 𝑏 2
• (𝑎 − 𝑏)(𝑎 + 𝑏) = 𝑎2 − 𝑏 2

Rational Algebraic Expressions and Equations:

The domain of definition of an expression 𝐹(𝑥) is the set of all values of 𝑥 which 𝐹(𝑥) exists.
𝑃(𝑥)
𝐹(𝑥) = is defined for 𝑄(𝑥) ≠ 0.
𝑄(𝑥)

Example:
2𝑥−3
The expression 𝐹(𝑥) = is defined if 𝑥 + 2 ≠ 0 which gives 𝑥 ≠ −2.
𝑥+2

We say that the domain of definition of 𝐹(𝑥) is: 𝑅 − {−2}.

Equations:
𝑥 2 −16
How to solve the equation: = 0?
(𝑥+4)(5𝑥+1)

- First: Determine the domain of definition of the expression.

−1
(𝑥 + 4) ≠ 0 and (5𝑥 + 1) ≠ 0 which gives 𝑥 ≠ −4 and 𝑥 ≠ .
5
2
- Second: Factorize 𝑥 − 16 = (𝑥 − 4)(𝑥 + 4).
𝑥−4
- Third: Simplify the expression to get: =0
5𝑥+1
- Fourth: Solve the above equation to get the solution 𝑥 = 4.
−1
- Fifth: Verification; the solution 𝑥 = 4 is accepted, since it isn’t equal to −4 and .
5