Arithmetic and Algebra

May 2022

1 Introduction and Algebra

Arithmetic and Algebra are foundational subjects to the understanding of math-
ematics. Arithmetic was the first math that humanity came up it. It system-
atizes the basic operations of addition, subtraction, multiplication, division,
exponents, and the extraction of roots. After many millennia, the subject of
algebra grew. It was in the Middle East where it truly flourished. Algebra is a
generalization of Arithmetic and allows us to manipulate quantities, even when
the specific values are not fully known.

2 Topics
1. Arithmetic: Natural numbers, integers, rational numbers, and real num-
bers; counting, addition, subtraction, multiplication, division, exponenti-
ation, and extraction of roots; equality and inequalities; and functions.
2. Algebra: Solving linear equations, function manipulation, quadratic equa-
tion, absolute value equations, systems of equations.

3 Arithmetic
3.1 Operations with integers
Instructions: Please complete the following exercises:
1. 4 + 25 + 6 =
2. −4 + 25 − 6 =

1
 3. −5 · (−4) =
4. 14/(−7) =
5. 2 + 5 · 6 =
6. 44/11 + 3 =
7. 43 − 40 + 7 · 2 =
8. (15/(2 + 3))3
42 +32
9. 52 =
10. 6 + 52 − (5 − 7)3 =

3.2 Inequalities:
Instructions: Choose the larger number.
1. −2 or 0
2. |−2| or −1
3. (−2)3 or 5
4. (5 − 6)4 or 0
5. 53 or 35

3.3 Functions
Instructions: Compute the following functions for the values -2, -1, 0, 1, and
2.
1. f (x) = x + 4
2. g(x) = x2
3. h(x) = −4x + 1
60
4. k(x) = x+3
60
5. l(x) = 1+x2

6. m(x) = f (x) + h(x), where f and h are define above.

x2 +x
7. n(x) = 2

8. p(x) = (n(x))3 , where n is defined above.

9. q(x) = 2x + 3x
10. r(x) = (x + 5)0
4 Algebra
4.1 Solving equations
Instructions: Find the value or values of x.
1. 2x + 5 = 15
2. −5y + 8 = −12
3x+1
3. x+2 =5
1
4. x + 3 = x−3

5. x2 − x = 1
x2 +3x+1
6. x+2 =x−2

7. x2 + 2x + 1 = 0
8. x3 + 2x2 + x = 0
9. −x2 + 5x + 1 = 0
10. x3 = 3

4.2 Systems of Linear equations

Instructions: Solve the following systems of linear equations.
1.
2x + y = 1,
4x + 3y = 7

2.
−2x − y = 9,
y = 2x + 5

3.
4x + 6y = 8,
2x + 3y = 5

4.
4x + 6y = 8,
2x + 3y = 4

5.
2(x + y) = 5(x − y),
y = 6x − 7