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Guide #2

TOPIC: INTRODUCTION TO ALGEBRA

2.1 Introduction to Algebra
2.1.1 What is Algebra?
2.1.2 Parts of an Algebraic Expression
2.1.3 Classification by Terms
2.1.4 Classification by Degree
2.2 Operations with Algebraic Expressions
2.2.1 Addition of like terms
2.2.2 Exponent laws
2.2.3 Distributive property
2.2.4 Binomial multiplication (FOIL)

2.1 Introduction to Algebra

The word “algebra” comes from the 9th-century Arabic book Hisâb al-Jabr w’al-Muqabala, written
by al-Khowarizmi. The title of the book refers to transposing and combining terms, two processes
used in solving equations. In Latin translations, the title was shortened to Aljabr, from which the
word “algebra” comes from. The author’s name made its way into the English language in the form
of the word algorithm.

Algebra is the branch of Mathematics that uses letters to represent a numeric value in a
mathematical operation. Therefore, an algebraic expression is any operation that involves letters
and numbers.

The following is an example of an algebraic expression (one term), with its components:

Exponent

3
Coefficient
4a
Variable

Coefficient: Is a number that multiplies a variable or variables.

Variable: Is a letter that represents a/any number.

Exponent: Is a number indicating the amount of times that a term is used as a factor to be
multiplied by itself.

Algebraic expressions can be classified in two ways: by term or by degree.

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Classification by term

By observing the algebraic expression, it is possible to determine how many terms it has based on
the operations of addition and subtraction.

Example 1:

 If the expression has two operations, then it has three terms and can be classified as a
trinomial.

2
3 a + 2b−5
2
3 a + 2b−5
* If there is no addition or subtraction operation, then the expression is a monomial

2
Monomial 2a b

Binomial 4 x 2 +3 x
2
Trinomial 5 m −2 m+8
4 3
Polynomial x + 2 x −5 x+3

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Classify the following expressions by terms.

3
1. 3 x +2 x −9 __________________________________

2. 6 x 2+2 x−7 y+8 z−6 ____________________________

2
3. 5 y z ____________________________________________

3 2
4. 4 a +2a _______________________________________

2 3
5. 11 p r+5 p−4 r +r ______________________________

3 4
6. 8 a b ___________________________________________

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Classification by degree

Monomial Examples:
3 2
4 x yz 6th degree
2x 1st degree
2
−5a b 3rd degree

When an expression has two or more terms, the term with the highest degree dictates the degree of
the whole expression.
Example:
4th 5th 3rd

3 2 3 2
3a b +2 a b +7 a b 5th degree expression

Classify the following expressions by degree:

2 3
1. 4p r _______________________________________

3 2
2. 2x +5 y ____________________________________

3. 11a2 b 4 c ______________________________________

5 2 5 4 4
4. 6 a b −2 a b+ 8 a b+7 a + 3 ab __________________

2
5. 5wy z _______________________________________

4 2 2 5
6. 3 d +7 d e −2e ______________________________

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2.2 Operations with Algebraic Expressions

2.2.1 Addition of like terms.

Like terms are algebraic expressions that are identical except for the coefficient: they have the same
variables and the same exponents.

Example:

3 2 3 2
3 a + 2 a −9 a + 4 a −5 a

In the expression, it is visible that some of the terms have the same variables with the same
exponents. Those can be simplified:

3 2 3 2 3 2
3 a +2 a −10 a + 4 a −5 a = −7 a +6 a −5 a

When simplifying like terms, the order of the terms should be in ascending alphabetical order for
the variables and descending order for the exponents.

How can the following variables be organized alphabetically?

Example 1:

ACD, BA, ABD, BE, ACF, B, AC

The correct order would be: ABD, AC, ACD, ACF, B, BA, BE

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Once organized alphabetically, the terms must be ordered by exponent in descending form.

Example 2:

2 4 3 5
ab , ac ,ab , ab ,ac , a
3 2 5 4
The order would be: a , ab , ab , ab , ac , ac

The variables are organized in ascending order, while the exponents in descending order.

Add the like terms and organize them in alphabetical and exponential order:

1. 4 x+9 x

2. 3a−6 a

3. −14 p+10 p

4. 5 r+9 p−3 r

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5. 2 a+11 b−6 a+b−5 a

6. 7 x+5 x−6 x −x−5 x

7. 11 m+5 b+3 n−7 m+2 b+n

8. 20 x+20 y +15 z+17 w+3 x +15 y +5 z

1 3 1 1
k− k + k 2 + k 2
9. 2 5 2 3

13 7 4
x− − x+
10. 8 5 3

2.2.2 Exponent laws

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Exponent Laws

Product law Power law Zero law Negative law

m n m +n n 0 1
x ⋅x =x ( x m ) =x mn x =1, x≠0 x−1=
x

Quotient Law Power of a Power of a Rational exponent

product law quotient law law
m
x m−n

()
m
( xy )n =x n y n
n n
=x x x
xn = n , y≠0
x =√ x m
n n
y y

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1.- Product law

m n m +n
x ⋅x =x
x 3⋅x 6=x 9
2ab 2⋅3 a3 b=6a 4 b 3
5 xy⋅7 x3 y 2 z=35 x 4 y 3 z

2.- Power law

n
( x m ) =x mn
( x 3 )2=x 6
3
( 2 a2 b ) =8a6 b3
( 3 x 2 y 5 )2=9 x 4 y 10

3.- Zero exponent law

0
x =1, x≠0
x 0=1
2
( x 0 ) =1
2 x 0⋅3 x 2=6 x 2

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4.- Negative law

1
x−1=
x
x−3 x 3 x 0 1
x−3= ⋅ = =
1 x3 x3 x3
a−2 b3
=
b−3 a2
4
4 −2 −5 2 x
2x y z = 2 5
y z

5.- Quotient law

m
x
n
=x m−n
x
a 4 a⋅a⋅a⋅a
= =a2
a2 a⋅a
3 2
2x y 2⋅x⋅x⋅x⋅y⋅y x 2
= =
6 xy 4 6⋅x⋅y⋅y⋅y⋅y 3 y 2
5 a−3 b 2 c 5 5⋅a⋅a⋅b⋅b⋅b⋅b⋅c⋅c⋅c⋅c⋅c b4
= =
15 a−2 b−2 c 7 15⋅a⋅a⋅a⋅c⋅c⋅c⋅c⋅c⋅c⋅c 3 ac 2

6.- Power of a product law

( xy )n =x n y n
( 2 x2 y⋅3 x )2=36 x 6 y 2
2
( 3 a3 b⋅4 ab0 ) =144 a8 b 2
( 3 x 3 y 2⋅4 x 2⋅2 xy 4 )3 =13824 x 18 y 18
7.- Power of a quotient law

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()
x n xn
y
= n , y≠0
y

()
3
2 8
=
3 27

( )( )
2 2
x3 y x2 x4
= 4 = 8
xy 5 y y

( )( )
2 2
5 a 2 bc 2 b3 b6
= =
35 a3 b−2 c 2 7 a 49 a 2

Exercises:

Simplify the following expressions, applying the distributive property:

1. 5 ( 3 x +4 )=

2. 6 ( 2 x −3 )=

3. 2 (5 x +4 )−3=

4. 7 ( 3 x −2 )+12 x=

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5. −4 ( 8 x −6 )=

6. −3 x ( 4 x−5 )=

7.

8. 5 ( 3 y −2 )−( 7 y +2 )=

2.2.4 Binomial multiplication (FOIL)

Examples
Last
First F O I L

1. ( 3 x+2 ) ( 4 x+5 ) 2
=12 x +15 x+ 8 x +10 Simplify like terms
2
=12 x +23 x+10
Inside
Outside

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2. ( 3 x+4 ) ( 5 x−3 ) =15 x 2−9 x+20 x−12 Simplify like terms

¿15 x 2 +11 x−12

Exercises. Calculate:

1. ( x+7 )( x +3 ) =

2. ( x−5 ) ( x+3 )=

3. ( x−1 ) ( x +2 )=

4.

5. ( 4 x2 +5 x )( 2 x 2−6 x ) =

6. ( 9 x 2−3 )( x 2 +4 )=

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Guide #2  Introduction to Algebra 14