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Student’s Copy
Grade 7 Session 3: Algebra

Basics of Algebra II

I. Systems of equations

The last topic in this session involves solving not just one but a set of equations. Techniques often require
substitution or adding (multiples of) one equation to (multiples of) the other. Note that in some cases, there
can be no solutions, or even (infinitely) many solutions to the equations.

Examples:
𝑥 + 𝑦 = 100
1. Solve for the values of 𝑥, 𝑦 that satisfy the equations .
2𝑥 − 𝑦 = 20

2. Solve for the values of variables 𝑎, 𝑏, 𝑐, 𝑑, 𝑒 in the system:

−𝑎 + 𝑏 + 𝑐 + 𝑑 + 𝑒 = 1 (Eq 1)
𝑎−𝑏+𝑐+𝑑+𝑒 =2 (Eq 2)
𝑎+𝑏−𝑐+𝑑+𝑒 =3 (Eq 3)
𝑎+𝑏+𝑐−𝑑+𝑒 =4 (Eq 4)
𝑎+𝑏+𝑐+𝑑−𝑒 =5 (Eq 5)

II. Exponents, Radicals, and absolute values

Exponents
We have already seen that 𝑥 ⋅ 𝑥 = 𝑥 2 , but here we recall and extend some laws of exponents that may be useful in
our calculations. Suppose 𝑥, 𝑦, 𝑎, 𝑏, 𝑐 are real numbers.
a. 𝑥 0 = 1 if 𝑥 ≠ 0
b. 𝑥 −𝑎 = 1/𝑥 𝑎
c. 𝑥 𝑎 ⋅ 𝑥 𝑏 = 𝑥 𝑎+𝑏 ; 𝑥 𝑎 ÷ 𝑥 𝑏 = 𝑥 𝑎−𝑏
d. (𝑥 𝑎 )𝑏 = 𝑥 𝑎𝑏
𝑥 𝑎 𝑥𝑎
e. (𝑥𝑦)𝑎 = 𝑥 𝑎 𝑦 𝑎 ; ( ) = 𝑎 if 𝑦 ≠ 0
𝑦 𝑦
Examples:
3. Simplify the following expressions so that there are no negative exponents and no parenthesis:
a. (𝑥 −1 𝑦)2 ÷ 𝑥 2 b. (𝑥 2 𝑦 0 𝑧 −1 )3 ⋅ 𝑥 −2 𝑧 2
4. Find all real values of 𝑥 such that 𝑥 ⋅ 𝑥 2 ⋅ 𝑥 3 ⋅ 𝑥 4 = 1024

Radicals
These exponents intuitively make sense if they are integers, but how do we make sense when they are fractional?
We illustrate this to make it a bit more intuitive: for example 𝑥 1/3 ⋅ 𝑥 1/3 ⋅ 𝑥 1/3 = 𝑥 by using property C from above.
This shows that 𝑥 1/3 is the number which, when cubed, gives 𝑥. This fractional exponents often appear as radicals:
𝑏
𝑥 𝑎/𝑏 = √𝑥 𝑎 . The laws of radicals reflect the laws of exponents also, although with a restriction when 𝑏 is even:
𝑏
that the number √𝑥 𝑎 is real only when the expression under the radical sign is non-negative.
𝑏 𝑏
i. 𝑏√𝑥𝑦 = √𝑥 ⋅ 𝑏√𝑦; 𝑏√𝑥/𝑦 = √𝑥 / 𝑏√𝑦
𝑏 𝑏 𝑎
ii. √𝑥 𝑎 = ( √𝑥 )
𝑏 𝑎 𝑎𝑏
iii. √ √𝑥 = √𝑥

We must also be careful when adding exponents as we can only add them if the indices and the radicands are the
same. Lastly, we do not normally consider an expression as simplified if the denominator has a radical expression.
To avoid this, we can “rationalize” the denominator by multiplying an expression to both the numerator and
denominator such that the denominator simplifies into one without a radical sign.

AMEP SC - Grade 7 Prepared by Emmanuel Plan and Le Thi Huong

Examples:
3 3
5. Simplify the following: a. √16𝑥 2 𝑦 ⋅ √4𝑥𝑦 2
1 1 √3−√2
6. Rationalize the following: a. 3 b. 1− c.
√2 √2 √3+√2

7. Solve for 𝑥 if 𝑥 = √1 + √1 + √1 + ⋯.

Absolute Value
The absolute value of a real number 𝑥 is its distance from 0 and is often written as |𝑥|. As such, it is always non-
negative. For example, |−3| = 3 and |5| = 5. Its formal definition as a function is as follows:
𝑥 if 𝑥 ≥ 0
𝑓(𝑥) = |𝑥| = {
−𝑥 if 𝑥 < 0
Or alternatively, |𝑥| = √𝑥 2 . Its generalization in higher dimensions is the modulus and translates to the distance of
a point from the origin.

Examples:
8. Evaluate the following: |1 − |2 − |3 − |4 − 5||||
9. Solve for all possible values of 𝑥 in |𝑥 − 2| = 3.

III. Equations and Inequalities

Examples: Solve for the real values of 𝑥 that satisfy the following:
10. 𝑥 + 1 = √𝑥 + 7
11. |𝑥 − 3| + |𝑥 − 1| = 5
12. a. |2𝑥 − 1| < 6 b. |5 − 𝑥| ≥ 1

Stretching exercises:
1. Simplify the following: 2. Solve for the values of 𝑥 that would satisfy
𝑎 0 𝑏−1 𝑐 2 𝑎−3 𝑏4 𝑐 −5 the equations:
a. 𝑎 6 𝑏−7 𝑐 8
3 1 a. √𝑥 + 7 = 𝑥 − 5
b. + b. |4 − 3𝑥| = 12
√3 √4+√3
1 c. |2𝑥 + 1| < 2019
c. |1 − ||3 − 1| − 2||
d. |1 − 𝑥| + |𝑥 + 1| = 2

Train your mind:

1. Solve for the real values of 𝑥 that would satisfy the equations:
a. √𝑥 − 1 + √𝑥 = √𝑥 + 1
b. |4 − |1 − 2𝑥|| = 3
c. |𝑥 + 1| − |𝑥 − 2| < 5
2. What is the least possible sum of |𝑥 − 1| + |𝑥 − 3| + |𝑥 − 5|? (Math League 1982)
3. Which of the following has the largest value: (SASMO 2016)
201644 201644 −1
a) b) c) 4,064,256 d) both a and c
201642 201642 −1
1 1 1
4. Simplify the expression: + + ⋯+ .
√1+√2 √2+√3 √2018+√2019
5. If √4 + 𝑥 + √10 − 𝑥 = 6, then what is the value of √(4 + 𝑥)(10 − 𝑥)? (Math League 1983)

Olympiad section:
1. Solve for the value of 𝑥 + √𝑦 given the following equation: (𝑥 + 5)2 + √𝑦 − 2025 = 0. (Adapted SASMO
2014)
1 1
2. If 𝑥 + √𝑥 2 − 1 + = 20 then 𝑥 2 + √𝑥 4 − 1 + = is (AHSME 42)
𝑥−√𝑥 2 −1 𝑥 2 +√𝑥 4 −1

Challenge yourself:
3 3
1. If 𝑥 = √20 + 14√2 + √20 − 14√2, what is the numerical value of 𝑥 3 − 6𝑥? (Math League 1986)
2. Solve the system: (Mathematical Olympiad Challenges, Andreescu, Gelca)

𝑥 2 − |𝑥| = |𝑦𝑧|
𝑦 2 − |𝑦| = |𝑧𝑥|
𝑧 2 − |𝑧| = |𝑥𝑦|
AMEP SC - Grade 7 Prepared by Emmanuel Plan and Le Thi Huong
References:
[1] Mathematical Olympiad Challenges by Andreescu, Gelca
[2] Competition books and booklets of SASMO, Math League, AHSME

AMEP SC - Grade 7 Prepared by Emmanuel Plan and Le Thi Huong