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Improper Algebraic Fractions Simplified Revision Notes

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2.6.2 Improper Algebraic Fractions

An improper algebraic fraction is a fraction where the degree (the highest power of the variable) of the numerator is greater than or equal to the degree of the denominator. These fractions can be simplified by performing polynomial division to express them as a sum of a polynomial and a proper fraction.

Steps to Simplify Improper Algebraic Fractions

  1. Identify the Degree:
  • The degree of a polynomial is the highest power of the variable in the expression.
  • If the degree of the numerator is greater than or equal to the degree of the denominator, the fraction is improper.
  1. Divide the Polynomials:
  • Perform polynomial long division to divide the numerator by the denominator.
  1. Express the Fraction:
  • The result of the division gives a quotient (a polynomial) and a remainder.
  • The improper fraction can then be written as: Improper Fraction=Quotient+RemainderDenominator\text{Improper Fraction} = \text{Quotient} + \frac{\text{Remainder}}{\text{Denominator}}
  • The remainder over the denominator is a proper fraction.
infoNote

Example:

Simplify the improper algebraic fraction:

x3+2x2+3x+4x+1 \frac{x^3 + 2x^2 + 3x + 4}{x + 1}

Step 1: Polynomial Division

  • Divide  (x3) by (x) to get (x2).\ ( x^3 ) \ by \ ( x )\ to\ get \ ( x^2 ).
  • Multiply (x2) by (x+1) to get (x3+x2) \ ( x^2 )\ by \ ( x + 1 )\ to\ get\ ( x^3 + x^2 ).
  • Subtract  x3+x2\ x^3 + x^2 from  x3+2x2+3x+4\ x^3 + 2x^2 + 3x + 4 , which gives  x2+3x+4.\ x^2 + 3x + 4 .
  • Next, divide  x2\ x^2 by  x\ x to get  x.\ x .
  • Multiply  x\ x by  x+1\ x + 1 to get  x2+x\ x^2 + x .
  • Subtract  x2+x\ x^2 + x from  x2+3x+4\ x^2 + 3x + 4 , which gives  2x+4.\ 2x + 4 .
  • Finally, divide  2x\ 2x by  x\ x to get  2\ 2 .
  • Multiply  2\ 2 by  x+1\ x + 1 to get  2x+2.\ 2x + 2 .
  • Subtract  2x+2\ 2x + 2 from  2x+4\ 2x + 4 , leaving a remainder of  2\ 2 . Result: x3+2x2+3x+4x+1=x2+x+2+2x+1\frac{x^3 + 2x^2 + 3x + 4}{x + 1} = x^2 + x + 2 + \frac{2}{x + 1}

So, the simplified form of the improper fraction is:

x2+x+2+2x+1x^2 + x + 2 + \frac{2}{x + 1}

infoNote

Example Problem:

Simplify the improper algebraic fraction:

x2+3x+5x+1\frac{x^2 + 3x + 5}{x + 1}

Step-by-Step Solution:

Step 1: Perform polynomial division

To simplify the fraction x2+3x+5x+1\frac{x^2 + 3x + 5}{x + 1}, we need to divide the numerator x2+3x+5x^2 + 3x + 5 by the denominator x+1x + 1 using long division.

  1. Divide the leading term of the numerator by the leading term of the denominator:
x2x=x\frac{x^2}{x} = x

So, the first term of the quotient is xx

  1. Multiply xx by the denominator x+1x + 1:
x(x+1)=x2+xx(x + 1) = x^2 + x
  1. Subtract this from the original numerator:
(x2+3x+5)(x2+x)=2x+5(x^2 + 3x + 5) - (x^2 + x) = 2x + 5
  1. Divide the leading term of the new expression by the leading term of the denominator:
2xx=2\frac{2x}{x} = 2

So, the next term of the quotient is 22.

  1. Multiply 22 by the denominator x+1x + 1:
2(x+1)=2x+22(x + 1) = 2x + 2
  1. Subtract this from the remaining expression:
(2x+5)(2x+2)=3(2x + 5) - (2x + 2) = 3

Step 2: Write the result as a mixed expression

At this point, we've completed the division, and the remainder is 3. So, we can write the improper fraction as:

x2+3x+5x+1=x+2+3x+1\frac{x^2 + 3x + 5}{x + 1} = x + 2 + \frac{3}{x + 1}

Final Answer:

The simplified form of the improper algebraic fraction is:

x+2+3x+1x + 2 + \frac{3}{x + 1}

Summary:

When simplifying an improper algebraic fraction, you divide the numerator by the denominator, and the result is a polynomial (the quotient) plus a proper fraction (the remainder divided by the denominator).

Summary:

  • Improper fractions have a numerator with a degree equal to or greater than the denominator.
  • Polynomial division is used to simplify them into a polynomial plus a proper fraction.
  • The final form is a sum of the quotient (a polynomial) and the remainder over the original denominator.
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