College Algebra (10th Edition)

Published by Pearson
ISBN 10: 0321979478
ISBN 13: 978-0-32197-947-6

Chapter 8 - Section 8.5 - Partial Fraction Decomposition - 8.5 Assess Your Understanding - Page 608: 14

Answer

$\displaystyle \frac{3x}{(x+2)(x-1)}=\frac{2}{x+2}+\frac{1}{x-1} $

Work Step by Step

This is Case 1: Q has only nonrepeated linear factors. $\displaystyle \frac{3x}{(x+2)(x-1)}=\frac{A}{x+2}+\frac{B}{x-1} $ ... write the RHs with a common denominator $ \displaystyle \frac{3x}{(x+2)(x-1)}=\frac{A(x-1)+B(x+2)}{(x+2)(x-1)}$ ... equate the numerators $3x=Ax-A+Bx+2B$ $3x=(A+B)x+ (-A+2B)$ ... equate the coefficients of the polynomials on the LHS and RHS: $\left\{\begin{array}{llll} 3 & =A & +B & \\ 0 & =-A & +2B & \end{array}\right.$ Add the two equations, $3=3B$ $B=1$ Back-substitute into the second equation $0=-A+2(1)$ $A=2$ $\displaystyle \frac{3x}{(x+2)(x-1)}=\frac{2}{x+2}+\frac{1}{x-1} $
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