Algebraic Methods

Simplifying Fractions
Example 1 Pg 138 Ex 7A Q1

Simplify:

(a) (b) (c)

When simplifying an algebraic fraction, where possible, factorise the numerator and
denominator and then cancel common factors.
Pg 139 Ex 7A Q 2 & 3
Example 2

Simplify:

(a) (b)
Dividing Polynomials
A polynomial is a finite expression with positive whole number indices.

Example 3

Divide by ().
Example 4 Pg 141 Ex 7B Q1-7

(a) Divide by (), giving your answer in the form .

(b) Hence, factorise .
(c) Solve
Exam Question Time 1

Given that () is a factor of , find all the solutions of .

(5)
Remainders
Example 5 Pg142 Ex 7B Q8 →

Divide by ().
Something to get you started

Find the remainder when is divided by ()

The Factor Theorem
The factor theorem states that for a polynomial , () is a factor if .

Example 6

Use the factor theorem to show that is a factor of

Example 7 Pg 145 Ex 7C

Factorise
Exam Question Time 2

(a) Use the factor theorem to show that () is a factor of .

(2)
(b) Factorise completely.
(4)
Something to get you started

, where is a constant.

Given that ,

a) Find the value of ,

b) Factorise completely.
Mathematical Proof
The symbols ⇒ and ⇔ are used a lot.

‘p ⇒ q’ means ‘p implies q’. You can read it as if p is true then q is true,

e.g. ⇒

‘p ⇔ q’ means ‘p implies q and q implies p’. This means that p is true if and only if
q is true, e.g. ⇔

The symbol ≡ is the identity symbol. It means that two things are identically equal to
each other. So is true for all ( values of and .
 Any even number can be written as , where a is an integer.
Any odd number can be written as , where is an integer.

Example 8

Prove that the product of two odd numbers is odd.

Let the two odd numbers be and

( 2 𝑎+1 ) ( 2 𝑏+1 )=4 𝑎𝑏+2 𝑎+2 𝑏+1

¿ 2 ( 2 𝑎𝑏+ 𝑎+𝑏 ) +1
= odd
So odd x odd = odd
You can prove a mathematical statement is true by deduction. This means starting
from known facts or definitions, then using logical steps to reach the desired
conclusion.
A statement that has been
proven is called a theorem.
A statement that has yet to be
Example 9 proved is called a conjecture.

A definition of a rational number is ‘a number that can be written as a quotient of

two integers, where the denominator is non-zero’.
Use this definition to prove that the following statement is true:
“The product of two rational numbers is always a rational number”.

Let and be any two rational numbers.

By the definition of rational numbers you can write them in the form and , where
and are all integers, and and are non-zero.

The product of and is

and are the products of integers, so they must also be integers, and because and
are non-zero, must also be non-zero.

We’ve shown that is a quotient of two integers and has a non-zero denominator, so
by definition, is rational. Hence the original statement is tru.
In a mathematical proof you must
• State any information or assumptions you are using
• Show every step of your proof clearly
• Make sure that every step follows logically from the previous step
• Make sure you have covered all possible cases
• Write a statement of proof at the end of your working

To prove an identity you should

• Start with the expression on one side of the identity
• Manipulate that expression algebraically until it matches the other side
• Show every step of your algebraic working
Example 10

Prove that
Example 11 Pg 149 Ex 7D

Prove that for all values of .

Methods of Proof
We have seen that we can prove mathematical statements using proof by deduction
or algebraic methods.

Two other methods are proof by exhaustion and proof using a counter-example.

For proof by exhaustion, you break the statement into smaller cases and prove each
case separately.
 Example 12

Prove the following statement:

“For any integer , the value of is an odd integer

To prove the statement, split into two cases:

(i) is an even number, and (ii) is an odd number

(i) If is an even integer, then it can be written as , for some integer .

Substitute into the function:

is an integer ⇒ is an odd integer. So is odd when is even.

(ii) If is an odd integer, then it can be written as , for some integer .

Substitute into the function:

is an integer ⇒ is an odd integer.

So is odd when is odd.

is odd for any integer value of .

 Example 13 Pg 152 Ex 7E

Disprove the following statement:

“For any pair on integers and , if then

Let and

Then

but

and

so

So when and the first part of the statement holds, but the second part of the
statement doesn’t.

So the statement is not true.