MATH 2131

Rules of Logarithms

Since logarithmic functions are the inverse of an exponential functions, they must follow the laws of exponents. The three properties of logs listed below will be used to combine and solve expressions and equations in this section and the next. Each of these properties are derived from the laws of exponents.…

Operations with Radicals

Add and Subtract Radicals One reason to learn how to simplify radicals is to be able to combine them through addition and subtraction. Radicals are called similar if they have the same index and same radicand, such as $4\cdot\sqrt[3]{xy}$ and $7\cdot\sqrt[3]{xy}$. Taking the sum of these two terms would result…

Introduction to Radicals

A radical is mathematical way to represent fractional exponents. A radical consists of a radical sign, a quantity under the radical sign called the radicand, and the index of the radical. If an expression, let’s say a, is raised to the power of ½, that’s the same as taking the square…

Review of the Exponent Laws

Radicals (√, ∛, ∜, etc.) are an extension of the exponents laws you learned in Part 1 of this course. This section is solely dedicated to the exponent laws. The connection between radicals and exponents is made in the next section, though it’s highly advised that you review these first as they’re easily…

Multiply and Divide Complex Numbers

Multiplying Complex Numbers Imaginary and complex numbers are multiplied the same way you multiply polynomials, with the addition of what you learned in the previous lesson about i when raised to varying exponents. Examples are shown below: Similarly, this idea can be expanded to imaginary numbers found within larger algebraic…

Complex Numbers in Polar Form

All the complex numbers you’ve dealt with this unit have been in rectangular form (a + bi). Polar form complex numbers are written in terms of r (radius length) and an angle (θ). The numbers a and b are related to r and θ by the formulas below: null In the first video…

Introduction to Complex Numbers

Up to this point, we have avoided taking the square root of negative numbers, such as √(−1). We’ve simply dismissed the notion by saying an output does not exist, and rightfully so given the real number system we’ve been brought up with. In this section, we deal with them by introducing…

Combined Variation Word Problems

This section caters exclusively to word problems involving combined variation. As introduced in the previous section, combined variation is when there is both a direct (multiplication) and inverse (division) variation that occurs together. Be sure to watch all three parts as they examine different scenarios commonly found in textbooks, all of…

Joint and Combined Variation

When y varies directly as both x and w, we say that y varies jointly as x and w. When you first looked at direct variation, you focused mainly on a single dependent and independent variable (i.e. y and x, respectively). This time the equation directly depends one 2 or…

Inverse Variation

The phrase “y varies inversely as x” or “y is inversely proportional to x” means that as x gets bigger, y gets smaller, and vice versa. Inversely proportional terms can mathematically be represented as: null Notice how x is under a constant k. ? Don’t confuse inverse variation with inverse functions. An inverse function…

Direct Variation

Direct variation is when the dependent variable, y, varies according to the independent variable, x. The most generic direct variation equation is y = 1·x. If you plot this equation, you will get a diagonal line cross the origin. To generalize any direction variation equation, use the following template: null…