LESSON 2 RADICALS/RATIONAL EXPONENTS/COMPLEX NUMBERS

LESSON OUTLINE:
1. Roots
2. Rational Exponents
3. Rules for Rational Exponents
4. Radical Notation
5. The Product and Quotient Rules for Radicals
6. Simplified Form and Rationalizing the Denominator
7. Operations with Radical Expressions
8. Complex Numbers

Roots

Definition of an nth root:

If n is a positive integer and a n=b , then a is called an nth root of b. If a 2=b, then a is a
square root of b. lf a 3=b , then a is the cube root of b.

Definition of an exponent 1/n:

1
If n is a positive even integer and a is positive, then a n denotes the positive real nth root
of a and is called the principal nth root of a.
1
If n is a positive odd integer and a is any real number, then a n denotes the real nth root
of a.
1
If n is a positive integer, then 0 n =0.

EXAMPLE 1 Evaluating expressions involving exponent 1/n

1 1 1 1
a. 9 2 b. 27 3 c. (−27) 3 d. (−9) 2

Solution:
1 1
a. The expression 9 2 represents the positive real square root of 9. So 9 2 =3.
1
b. 27 3 =3 since 33=27.
1
c. (−27) 3 =−3 since (−3)3=−27.
 d. Not a real number.

Rational Exponents

Definition of rational exponents:

If m and n are positive integers, then

m 1
a n =(a n ) m
1
provided that a n is a real number.

The root and the power indicated in a rational exponent can be evaluated in either order. . That
1 1 1 1
is,(a n )m =(a m)n provided a n is real. Note that a n is not real when a is negative and n is even. For
example,
2 2
1 2
2 1 1
8 =(8 ¿ ¿ ) =2 =4 ¿ or
3
3 3
8 =(8¿ ¿2) =64 =4 ¿
3
3

A negative rational exponent indicates reciprocal just as a negative integral exponent does. So
−3
1 1
16 4 = 3
= 3
1 1 1
16 4
(16¿¿ ) = 3 = ¿
4 2 8

EXAMPLE 2 Evaluating expressions with rational exponents

3 −5 2
a. 9 2 b. 16 4 c. (−8) 3

Solution:
3 1
a. 9 2 =(9 2 )3=33 =27
−5
1 1
16 4 = 5
= 5
b. 1 1 1
16 4
(16¿¿ ) = 5 = ¿
4 2 32
2
c. (−8) 3 =¿ ¿

Rules for Rational Exponents

Rules for Rational Exponents:

The following rules are valid for all real numbers a and b and rational numbers m and n,
provided that all indicated powers are real and no denominator is zero.

am m−n n
1. a m an=a m+n 2. n
=a 3. ( a m ) =amn
a

() ()
m m −m m
m m m a a a b
4. (ab) =a b 5. = m 6. =
b b b am
−m n
a b
7. −n = m
b a

EXAMPLE 3 Simplifying expressions with rational exponent

a. x 1/ 4 x3 / 4 b. (x y 2)1/ 4 c. ¿

Solutions:

a. x 1/ 4 x3 / 4=x 4 / 4 product rule

1
¿ x ∨simply x simplify the exponents

b. (x y 2)1/ 4 =( x )1 / 4 ¿ power of a product rule

1/ 4 2/ 4
¿x y power of a power rule
1/ 4 1/ 2
¿x y simplify the exponents

a. ¿ power of a quotient rule

9 /2 2
a b
¿ 6 power of a power rule
a

9 −3
¿a
−3/ 2
b
2
quotient rule ( −6= )
2 2
b2
¿ 3 /2 applying the principle of negative exponents
a

Radical Notation

Definition of radical:
 1
If n is a positive integer and a is a number for which a n is defined, then the expression √n a
is called a radical, and
1

√n a=a n
If n is equal to 2, we write √ a rather than √2 a.

The number a is called the radicand and n is the index of the radical.

EXAMPLE 4 Evaluating radicals

a. √ 100 b. √3 −27 c.
√
3 1
8

Solutions:

a. √ 100=(100)1/2 =10 , since 102=100

b. √3 −27=(−27)1 /3=−3, since (−3)3=−27

√ ()
3
3 1 1 1 /3 1 1
=
1
c. =( ) = , since
8 8 2 2 8

 Converting rational exponent, a m/ n, to radical expression:

If a is a real number and m and n are integers for which √n a is real, then
m
a n =( √ a) =√ a .
n m n m

EXAMPLE 5 Writing rational exponents as radicals

2 −1
a. 4 3 b. ¿ c. 3 x (x−1) 2

Solutions:
2
a. 4 3 = √3 4 2= √3 16
b. ¿
−1
2 1 3x
c. 3 x (x−1) =3 x ∙ 1
=
√ x−1
2
( x−1 )
The Product and Quotient Rules for Radicals

For any positive integer n and real numbers a and b where b ≠ 0,

1. √n ab=√n a ∙ √n b Product rule for radicals

√ √
n
n a a
2. =n Quotient rule for radicals
b √b

Provided that all of the roots are real.

EXAMPLE 6 Using the product and quotient rule for radicals

√ √
18
1 64 x
a. √−27 z
3 9
b.
4

81
c. 6

y6
Solutions:
9
a. √3 −27 z 9=√3 −27 ∙ √3 z 9 =−3 ∙ z 3=−3 z 3, since √3 z 9=z 3 =z 3

√ √1 14
4 1
b. =4 =
81 √ 81 3

√ √64 x √ 64 ∙ √ x 2 ∙ x = 2 x , since 6 18 186 3

18 6 18 6 6 18 3 3
6 64 x
c. = 6 6 = 6 6 = √ x =x =x
y
6
√y √y y y

Simplified Form and Rationalizing the Denominator

A radical of index n in simplified form has

1. no perfect nth powers as factors of the radicand,

2. no fractions inside the radical, and
3. no radicals in a denominator.

EXAMPLE 7 Simplified form and rationalizing the denominator

a. √ 72 b. √3 24 x 5 y 4 c.
√ 5
y
5

Solutions:

a. √ 72=√ 36 ∙ √2=6 √2 , since 36 and 2 are factors of 72 and √ 72 is not in simplified form.
Use product rule.
b. √3 24 x 5 y 4=√3 8 ∙3 ∙ x 3 ∙ x2 ∙ y 3 ∙ y=2 xy √3 3 x 2 y , since 8 and 3 are factors of 24 and 8 is a
perfect cube. Use product rule.
 c.
√ 5 √5
=
y5 √ y5
Quotient rule for radicals

¿ √5 ∙ √ y Multiply numerator and denominator by √ y

√ y5 √ y
¿√
5y
Product rule for radicals
√ y6
¿√
5y
Since ( y 3 )2= y 6
y3

Operations with Radical Expressions

Radical expressions with the same index can be added, subtracted, multiplied or divided
while radicals with different indices are not usually added or subtracted, but they can be
combined in certain cases.

EXAMPLE 8 Operations with radicals of the same index

a. √ 45+ √20 b. √3 81 x 2− √3 24 x 2 c. √3 2 v 2 ∙ √3 4 v d. √4 320 ÷ 4√ 4

Solutions:

a. √ 45+ √20=√ 9 ∙ √ 5+ √ 4 ∙ √ 5 Product rule for radicals

¿ 3 √5+ 2 √5 Simplify

¿ 5 √5 Add like terms

b. √3 81 x 2− √3 24 x 2= √3 27 ∙ √3 3 x 2− √3 8 ∙ √3 3 x 2 Product rule for radicals

¿ 3 √ 3 x −2 √ 3 x
3 2 3 2
Simplify

¿ √ 3 x2
3
Subtract like terms

c. √3 2 v 2 ∙ √3 4 v=√3 8 v 3 Product rule for radicals

¿ √8 ∙ √v
3 3 3
Perfect cube
¿2v Simplify

d.
4

¿ √ 80
4
4
√ 320 ÷ √ 4=
√4 320
4
Divide
Quotient rule for radicals

¿ √ 16 ∙ √ 5
4 4
Product rule for radicals
 ¿ 2 √5
4
Simplify

EXAMPLE 9 Combining radicals with different indices

Note: if m and n are positive integers for which all of the following roots are real, then

√ √ a= √ a.
m n mn

a. √ 5 ∙ √4 2 b. √3 3 z ∙ √4 z c. √ √4 5

Solutions:
1 1
a. √ 5 ∙ √4 2=5 2 ∙ 2 4 Rewrite radicals as rational exponents
2 1
¿ 54 ∙ 24 Write exponents with the least common denominator
¿ √ 52 ∙ 21
4
Rewrite in radical notation using the product rule
¿ √ 50
4
Simplify inside the radical

1 1
b. √3 3 z ∙ √4 z= ( 3 z ) 3 ∙ z 4 Rewrite radicals as rational exponents
4 3
12
¿ ( 3 z ) ∙ z 12 Write exponents with the least common denominator
¿ √( 3 z ) ∙ z 3
12 4
Rewrite in radical notation using the product rule
¿ √27 z 7
12
Simplify inside the radical

1 1
c. √ √ 5=(5 ¿ ¿ 14 ) =5 =√ 5 ¿
4 2 8 8

Complex Numbers

The Number i:

i is the unique number for which i=√−1 and i 2=−1.

Imaginary Number:

Any number that can be written in the form a+ bi, where a and b are real numbers and b ≠
0.
Complex Number:

Is a number that can be written in the form a + bi, where a and b are real numbers. The
union of the set of all imaginary numbers and the set of all real numbers is the set of complex
numbers.

To add or subtract complex numbers, add or subtract their real parts and then add or
subtract their imaginary parts.

To multiply complex numbers, multiply as though they are binomials.

To divide complex numbers, multiply the numerator and the denominator by the
conjugate of the denominator.

The complex numbers (a + bi) and (a - bi) are called complex conjugates.

EXAMPLE 10 Addition / Subtraction/ Multiplication/ Division involving complex numbers

( 5−2 i )
a. ( 5−2i )−( 6−i ) b. √−3 ∙ √−8 c. ( 5−2i ) ∙ ( 6−i ) d.
( 6−i )
Solutions:

a. ( 5−2i )−( 6−i )=5−2 i−6+i=−1−i

b. √−3 ∙ √−8=√−1∙ √ 3 ∙ √−1 ∙ √ 8

¿ i ∙ √ 3∙ i∙ 2 √ 2
¿ i ∙ 2 √6
2

¿(−1) ∙2 √ 6
¿−2 √ 6

c. ( 5−2i ) ∙ ( 6−i )=30−5i−12i+2 i2

¿ 30−17i+2(−1)
¿ 30−17i−2
¿ 28−17i

( 5−2 i ) ( 5−2i ) (6 +i )
d. = ∙ Multiply by complex conjugate
( 6−i ) ( 6−i ) (6 +i )
30+5i−12i−2 i 2 30−7 i−2(−1)
¿ 2
=
36+6 i−6i−i 36−(−1)
30−7 i+2 32−7 i
¿ =
36+1 37