1. Algebraic Methods Flashcards
2 part partial fractions
Multiply A,B by the opposite denominator and find A,B
Partial fraction methods
- Substitute the x to make brackets 0 to allow you to find A,B
OR - Equate each coefficient equally and use simultaneous equations
2 part repeated factors
A B
——— + ————
factor factor^2
3 part repeated factors
Multiply A,B,C each by what their respective denominators must be to make it the same as the overall denominator
Improper fractions
The degree of the numerator is higher than the degree of the denominator
Reducing to quotient and remainder
Divide the numerator by the denominator for the quotient
Answer = quotient + remainder/denominator
Quotient and partial fractions
Divide for the quotient and convert the remainder into partial fractions
Proof by Contradiction
- Start by assuming the original statement is false
- Use logical steps to show that this contradiction leads to something impossible
- You can assume that your assumption was incorrect and the original value true
Proving root 2 is irrational by contradiction
Start by assuming root 2 is rational and can be written as a/b, where a,b are integers and a/b is in its simplest form
Show that a,b must be even as both of their squares are even (show a is even then write b^2 in terms of a^2)
Therefore a/b must not be in its simplest form - contradiction
Proving there are infinitely many primes
Start by assuming there are a finite number of primes, p1,p2,p3…pn
Let P = p1 x p2 x p3 x … x pn + 1
If P is prime it is bigger than any on the list
If P is not prime it must have a prime factor which is a factor of p1 x p2 x … x pn and 1, contradiction