The grouping of algebraic terms using parentheses plays a major role in how an expression gets evaluated. Symbols of grouping used in mathematical expressions include parentheses ( ), brackets [ ], and braces { }, and they all serve the same common purpose, that is, the terms they enclose are to be treated as a single term. Apart from that, they give an expression a sense of hierarchy, allowing a group of terms to be nested within another group. For instance, the innermost group of terms are always placed inside parentheses − these terms get evaluated first. The group containing the first group and all other terms are contained is square brackets. And, if there’s a third group, all preceding groups are placed within curly brackets. The example shown below shows the three signs of segregation discussed:
null
Note that if the +6 wasn’t added to the equation, the curly brackets (braces) wouldn’t be required. The two videos below explore how these symbols are dealt with when it comes to multiplying and simplifying polynomials.