Math
Algebra
A good knowledge of algebra is essential in all upper level mathematics and science courses. Here are a few important facts from algebra to refresh your memory.
Operations
The definition of subtract is a – b = a + (-b). In other words 6 – (-2) = 6 + 2 since 2 is the opposite of -2. Changing the subtract operation to add can make a difficult expression much easier to handle.
The definition of divide is 
. In other words if I want to divide both sides of an equation by 2, I could instead multiply by ½. The result would be the same. See example below.
Distributive property
This property is used to expand expressions and to factor.
a(b + c) = ab + ac
For example:
(a) |
3x(2x – 4y) = 6x2– 12xy |
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(b) |
(x – 1)(x + 4) Here a = (x –1) |
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(x – 1) x + (x – 1)4 |
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Now apply the distributive property again. | ||
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x2– x + 4x – 4 |
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x2– 3x – 4 |
Exponents: The three main properties of exponents are
Property |
Example |
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Recall that 
