Intermediate Algebra for College Students (7th Edition)

Published by Pearson
ISBN 10: 0-13417-894-7
ISBN 13: 978-0-13417-894-3

Chapter 6 - Section 6.2 - Adding and Subtracting Rational Expressions - Exercise Set - Page 429: 93

Answer

It makes sense

Work Step by Step

Suppose we have to determine: $$E=\dfrac{f(x)}{h(x)}-\dfrac{g(x)}{h(x)}=\dfrac{f(x)-g(x)}{h(x)},$$ where $g(x)=a_nx^n+a_{n-1}x^{n-1}+\dots+a_1x+a_0$. As usually the coefficients $a_k$ have different signs, in order to prevent mistakes caused by wrong signs when subtracting $g(x)$, it is a good idea, instead of subtracting each term directly, to write: $$\begin{align*} E&=\dfrac{f(x)-(a_nx^n+a_{n-1}x^{n-1}+\dots+a_1x+a_0)}{h(x)}\\ &=\dfrac{f(x)-a_nx^n-a_{n-1}x^{n-1}-\dots-a_1x-a_0}{h(x)} \end{align*}$$ because this way we can distribute the negative sign to each term without the risk of making mistakes. For example: $$\begin{align*} E&=\dfrac{10x^4}{2x+3}-\dfrac{7x^3-3x^2+4x-1}{2x+3}\\ &=\dfrac{10x^4-(7x^3-3x^2+4x-1)}{2x+3}\\ &=\dfrac{10x^4-7x^3+3x^2-4x+1}{2x+3} \end{align*}$$ So the statement makes sense.
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