Inequalities

• An inequality is a statement that two quantities

or expressions are not equal, for example 2x +
3 > 11.
• If a true statement is obtained when a number
b is substituted for x , then b is a solution of
the inequality.
Example
Example
Solving a Rational Inequality
 Absolute Value
• The following properties follow from the
definition of absolute value:
 Unions and Intersections
• We often use the union and intersection
symbols to combine sets.
• The inequality |x| > 3 is equivalent to
x < -3 or x > 3 .
That is, the solution of the inequality is the
union of the intervals (-∞, -3) and (3, ∞) ,
written   , 3   3,   .
 Unions (cont’d)
• Similarly, the set of elements common to the
two sets (-∞, 3) and (-3, ∞) is the
intersection of these sets, written
  ,3   3,   ,
which is the set (-3, 3) .
Example
 x x2
2
Solve the inequality : 2 0
x  x3
3 1

2x  3 x  2
2- x
 2
x x
2

Solve the equation : 3x  1  x  4  1

 Assignment I
• If a sum of money P (the principal) is invested at a simple interest rate r
(expressed as a decimal), then the simple interest I at the end of t years is
I = P r t.
• An investment firm has $100,000 to invest for a client and decides
to invest it in two stocks, A and B.
– The simple interest for A is 15%, but the client does not wish to invest more
than $50,000 in this stock.
– The simple interest for B is 10%.

Determine whether there is a way of investing the money so that the

annual interest is
a) $12,000
b) $13,000
 Rectangular Coordinate Systems

• System of assigning an ordered pair (a, b) of real

numbers to each point in a plane.
• Based on two perpendicular coordinate lines called the
x- and y-axes.
– Their intersection is the origin.
– They divide the plane into quadrants I-IV.
• Each point P in the plane corresponds to an ordered
pair (a, b) , as shown next:
 Diagrams
Quadrants Sample coordinates
 Distance Formula
• We can use the Pythagorean theorem to find
the distance d(P1 , P2) between any two points
P1(x1 , y1) and P2(x2 , y2) in a coordinate
plane.
• The diagram on the next slide shows that

 d  P1 , P2     d  P1 , P3     d  P3 , P2  
2 2 2

 x2  x1  y2  y1 .
2 2
 Distance Formula (cont’d)
• Taking square roots gives

d  P1 , P2   x2  x1  y2  y1 ,
2 2

the distance formula

for points in the
plane.
Applying the Distance Formula
Further Example
Solution (cont’d)
 Midpoint Formula
• Goal: A formula giving the midpoint M of
the line segment from P1(x1 , y1) to P2(x2 , y2) ,
as shown:
• Using plane geometry
we can show M is
located at
 x1  x2 , y1  y2  .
 
 2 2 
Example
Example (cont’d)