Difference of Two Squares

(a + b)(a - b) = a2 ab + ab + b2 = a2 - b2
(a + b)(a - b) = a2 - b2
Special Products
(a + b)2 = a2 + 2ab + b2
(a - b)2 = a2 - 2ab + b2
Quadratics
- An expression with three terms is called a trinomial.
- A trinomial with a highest power 2 is called a quadratic
- If x2 has a coefficient of 1, the quadratic trinomial is monic, e.g. x 2 +
5x + 6 is a monic quadratic trinomial
Factorising monic quadratic trinomials
(x + a)(x + b) = x2 + bx + ax + ab
= x2 + x(a + b) + ab
In order to factorise this (find a and b) we need two numbers that add to
give (a + b) and multiply together to give ab.
Factorising quadratic trinomials
(ax + b)(cx + d) = acx2 + bcx + adx + bd
= acx2 + x(bc + ad) + bd
In this case we are looking to find bc and ad so that we can factorise by
grouping in pairs.
acx2 + bcx + adx + bd = cx(ax + b) + d(ax + b) OR = ax(cx+d) + b(cx +
d)
= (cx + d)(ax + b)

= (ax + b)(cx + d)

We can find bc and ad by looking at which two numbers add together to

give (bc + ad) and multiply together to give (ac x bd) = abcd