document.write( "Question 8211: How do I simplify this problem?\r
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document.write( "a^2 - 2ab + b^2 / a + b \n" );
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Algebra.Com's Answer #4545 by glabow(165)![]() ![]() ![]() You can put this solution on YOUR website! You do the division! This is called polynomial division. How many times will a+b go into a^2? a times, of course. a times a+b is a^2 + ab, so you subtract that from the polynomial to get -ab + b^2. How many times will a+b go into that? -b times. -b times a+b is -ab + b^2. You subtract that from -ab + b^2 and you get .... zero! a+b divides evenly into the original polynomial a-b times.\r \n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "Of course, you might have noticed that you can factor the original polynomial as (a+b) (a-b) = a^2 -2ab + b^2. Then you would have (a+b)(a-b)/(a+b) and you would \"cancel out\" (a+b). Same result, of course.\r \n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "It is worth learning polynomial division, however. \n" ); document.write( " |