document.write( "<A HREF=/cgi-bin/jump-to-question.mpl?question=865423>Question 865423</A>: <I><SPAN STYLE=\"word-break: break-all;\"> Can you please help me with this math problem? x^2-5x-4 / 4x^2-4<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "                                                x^2-1   4x^2-8x+4\r<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "Thank you very much for your time. </SPAN>\n" );
document.write( "</I><HR><TABLE width=100%><TR><TD><B><A HREF=http://www.algebra.com/>Algebra.Com's</A> Answer #521684 by </B><A HREF=/tutors/aboutme.mpl?userid=jim_thompson5910><B>jim_thompson5910(35256)</B></A><img src=\"/images/stars/stars-13.gif\" alt=\"\" >&nbsp;<A HREF=/tutors/aboutme.mpl?userid=jim_thompson5910><IMG SRC=http://www.algebra.com/images/aboutme-small.gif BORDER=0 alt=\"About Me\" VALIGN=MIDDLE></A>&nbsp;<IMG SRC=http://www.algebra.com/images/nopicture.jpg><BR>You can <A HREF=\"/cgi-bin/embed-solution.mpl?show=1&solution=521684\">put this solution on YOUR website!</A><BR><SPAN STYLE=\"word-break: break-all;\"> <IMG STYLE=\"max-width:80%;\" SRC=/cgi-bin/plot-formula.mpl?expression=%28%28x%5E2-5x-4%29%2F%28x%5E2-1%29%29%2F%28%284x%5E2-4%29%2F%284x%5E2-8x%2B4%29%29 ALIGN=MIDDLE  ALT=\"%28%28x%5E2-5x-4%29%2F%28x%5E2-1%29%29%2F%28%284x%5E2-4%29%2F%284x%5E2-8x%2B4%29%29\"   DISABLED_style= \"max-width:90%; height:auto;\" > Start with the given expression.\r<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "<IMG STYLE=\"max-width:80%;\" SRC=/cgi-bin/plot-formula.mpl?expression=%28%28x%5E2-5x-4%29%2F%28x%5E2-1%29%29%2A%28%284x%5E2-8x%2B4%29%2F%284x%5E2-4%29%29 ALIGN=MIDDLE  ALT=\"%28%28x%5E2-5x-4%29%2F%28x%5E2-1%29%29%2A%28%284x%5E2-8x%2B4%29%2F%284x%5E2-4%29%29\"   DISABLED_style= \"max-width:90%; height:auto;\" > Multiply the first fraction by the reciprocal of the second.\r<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "<IMG STYLE=\"max-width:80%;\" SRC=/cgi-bin/plot-formula.mpl?expression=%28%28x%5E2-5x-4%29%2F%28%28x-1%29%28x%2B1%29%29%29%2A%28%284x%5E2-8x%2B4%29%2F%284x%5E2-4%29%29 ALIGN=MIDDLE   DISABLED_style= \"max-width:90%; height:auto;\" > Factor <IMG STYLE=\"max-width:80%;\" SRC=/cgi-bin/plot-formula.mpl?expression=x%5E2-1 ALIGN=MIDDLE  ALT=\"x%5E2-1\"   DISABLED_style= \"max-width:90%; height:auto;\" >\r<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "<IMG STYLE=\"max-width:80%;\" SRC=/cgi-bin/plot-formula.mpl?expression=%28%28x%5E2-5x-4%29%2F%28%28x-1%29%28x%2B1%29%29%29%2A%28%284%2A%28x-1%29%28x-1%29%29%2F%284x%5E2-4%29%29 ALIGN=MIDDLE   DISABLED_style= \"max-width:90%; height:auto;\" > Factor <IMG STYLE=\"max-width:80%;\" SRC=/cgi-bin/plot-formula.mpl?expression=4x%5E2-8x%2B4 ALIGN=MIDDLE  ALT=\"4x%5E2-8x%2B4\"   DISABLED_style= \"max-width:90%; height:auto;\" >\r<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "<IMG STYLE=\"max-width:80%;\" SRC=/cgi-bin/plot-formula.mpl?expression=%28%28x%5E2-5x-4%29%2F%28%28x-1%29%28x%2B1%29%29%29%2A%28%284%2A%28x-1%29%28x-1%29%29%2F%284%28x-1%29%28x%2B1%29%29%29 ALIGN=MIDDLE   DISABLED_style= \"max-width:90%; height:auto;\" > Factor <IMG STYLE=\"max-width:80%;\" SRC=/cgi-bin/plot-formula.mpl?expression=4x%5E2-4 ALIGN=MIDDLE  ALT=\"4x%5E2-4\"   DISABLED_style= \"max-width:90%; height:auto;\" >\r<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "<IMG STYLE=\"max-width:80%;\" SRC=/cgi-bin/plot-formula.mpl?expression=%28%28x%5E2-5x-4%29%2F%28%28x-1%29%28x%2B1%29%29%29%2A%28%284%2Ahighlight%28%28x-1%29%29%28x-1%29%29%2F%284%2Ahighlight%28%28x-1%29%29%28x%2B1%29%29%29 ALIGN=MIDDLE   DISABLED_style= \"max-width:90%; height:auto;\" > Highlight a set of common terms (one term in the numerator, an equal term in the denominator)\r<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "<IMG STYLE=\"max-width:80%;\" SRC=/cgi-bin/plot-formula.mpl?expression=%28%28x%5E2-5x-4%29%2F%28%28x-1%29%28x%2B1%29%29%29%2A%28%284%2Across%28%28x-1%29%29%28x-1%29%29%2F%284%2Across%28%28x-1%29%29%28x%2B1%29%29%29 ALIGN=MIDDLE   DISABLED_style= \"max-width:90%; height:auto;\" > Cancel that pair of common terms\r<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "<IMG STYLE=\"max-width:80%;\" SRC=/cgi-bin/plot-formula.mpl?expression=%28%28x%5E2-5x-4%29%2F%28%28x-1%29%28x%2B1%29%29%29%2A%28%284%28x-1%29%29%2F%284%28x%2B1%29%29%29 ALIGN=MIDDLE   DISABLED_style= \"max-width:90%; height:auto;\" > Remove those cancellations.\r<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "<IMG STYLE=\"max-width:80%;\" SRC=/cgi-bin/plot-formula.mpl?expression=%28%28x%5E2-5x-4%29%2F%28highlight%28%28x-1%29%29%28x%2B1%29%29%29%2A%28%284%2Ahighlight%28%28x-1%29%29%29%2F%284%28x%2B1%29%29%29 ALIGN=MIDDLE   DISABLED_style= \"max-width:90%; height:auto;\" > Highlight another set of common terms\r<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "<IMG STYLE=\"max-width:80%;\" SRC=/cgi-bin/plot-formula.mpl?expression=%28%28x%5E2-5x-4%29%2F%28cross%28%28x-1%29%29%28x%2B1%29%29%29%2A%28%284%2Across%28%28x-1%29%29%29%2F%284%28x%2B1%29%29%29 ALIGN=MIDDLE   DISABLED_style= \"max-width:90%; height:auto;\" > Cancel that pair of common terms\r<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "<IMG STYLE=\"max-width:80%;\" SRC=/cgi-bin/plot-formula.mpl?expression=%28%28x%5E2-5x-4%29%2F%28x%2B1%29%29%2A%284%2F%284%28x%2B1%29%29%29 ALIGN=MIDDLE  ALT=\"%28%28x%5E2-5x-4%29%2F%28x%2B1%29%29%2A%284%2F%284%28x%2B1%29%29%29\"   DISABLED_style= \"max-width:90%; height:auto;\" > Remove those cancellations.<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "<IMG STYLE=\"max-width:80%;\" SRC=/cgi-bin/plot-formula.mpl?expression=%28%28x%5E2-5x-4%29%2F%28x%2B1%29%29%2A%28highlight%284%29%2F%28highlight%284%29%28x%2B1%29%29%29 ALIGN=MIDDLE   DISABLED_style= \"max-width:90%; height:auto;\" > Highlight another set of common terms\r<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "<IMG STYLE=\"max-width:80%;\" SRC=/cgi-bin/plot-formula.mpl?expression=%28%28x%5E2-5x-4%29%2F%28x%2B1%29%29%2A%28cross%284%29%2F%28cross%284%29%28x%2B1%29%29%29 ALIGN=MIDDLE  ALT=\"%28%28x%5E2-5x-4%29%2F%28x%2B1%29%29%2A%28cross%284%29%2F%28cross%284%29%28x%2B1%29%29%29\"   DISABLED_style= \"max-width:90%; height:auto;\" > Cancel that pair of common terms\r<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "<IMG STYLE=\"max-width:80%;\" SRC=/cgi-bin/plot-formula.mpl?expression=%28%28x%5E2-5x-4%29%2F%28x%2B1%29%29%2A%281%2F%28x%2B1%29%29 ALIGN=MIDDLE  ALT=\"%28%28x%5E2-5x-4%29%2F%28x%2B1%29%29%2A%281%2F%28x%2B1%29%29\"   DISABLED_style= \"max-width:90%; height:auto;\" > Remove those cancellations.\r<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "<IMG STYLE=\"max-width:80%;\" SRC=/cgi-bin/plot-formula.mpl?expression=%28%28x%5E2-5x-4%29%2A1%29%2F%28%28x%2B1%29%28x%2B1%29%29 ALIGN=MIDDLE  ALT=\"%28%28x%5E2-5x-4%29%2A1%29%2F%28%28x%2B1%29%28x%2B1%29%29\"   DISABLED_style= \"max-width:90%; height:auto;\" > Multiply the fractions\r<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "<IMG STYLE=\"max-width:80%;\" SRC=/cgi-bin/plot-formula.mpl?expression=%28x%5E2-5x-4%29%2F%28x%5E2%2B2x%2B1%29 ALIGN=MIDDLE  ALT=\"%28x%5E2-5x-4%29%2F%28x%5E2%2B2x%2B1%29\"   DISABLED_style= \"max-width:90%; height:auto;\" > Expand and simplify\r<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "Final Answer\r<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "simplifies to \r<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "Optionally, you can have the denominator factored to have either <IMG STYLE=\"max-width:80%;\" SRC=/cgi-bin/plot-formula.mpl?expression=%28x%5E2-5x-4%29%2F%28%28x%2B1%29%28x%2B1%29%29 ALIGN=MIDDLE  ALT=\"%28x%5E2-5x-4%29%2F%28%28x%2B1%29%28x%2B1%29%29\"   DISABLED_style= \"max-width:90%; height:auto;\" > or <IMG STYLE=\"max-width:80%;\" SRC=/cgi-bin/plot-formula.mpl?expression=%28x%5E2-5x-4%29%2F%28%28x%2B1%29%5E2%29 ALIGN=MIDDLE  ALT=\"%28x%5E2-5x-4%29%2F%28%28x%2B1%29%5E2%29\"   DISABLED_style= \"max-width:90%; height:auto;\" > </SPAN>\n" );
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