OTHER EQUATIONS IN ONE VARIABLE

Consider:
8 7 = 0
6 + 4 = 0

If an algebraic equation contains radicals or rational

exponents, we can solve it by raising both sides of the
equation to the same integer power.
Theorem:

If and are algebraic expressions, then = is an

algebraic expression, and its solution set is a subset of the
solution set of the equation = where is any
positive integer.

Example: = 7 ss: {7}

2 = 49 ss: {7, 7}
The theorem is used to solve equations having terms
involving one or more radicals.

First step: Obtain an equivalent equation having the term

involving the most complicated radical on one
side and all the other terms on the other side.
Second step: Apply the theorem i.e. raise both sides of
the equation to the power corresponding to the
index of the radical.
Third step: Check for extraneous solutions.
Examples. Find the solution set of the following
equations:

1. 8 7 = 0
2. 6 + 4 = 0
3. 3 3 3 + 2 = 3
4. 2 + 3 2 2 = 0
5. 3 = 8
6. 4 = 81
Definition: Equations which are Quadratic in Form
An equation in a single variable is said to be quadratic
in form if it can be written as 2 + + = 0 where
0 and is an algebraic expression in .

Examples: The ff equations are quadratic in form:

1. 4 2 2 15 = 0 = 2
1
2/3
2. 2 5 3 = 0
3 = 1/3
1 2 1
3. 3 (4 ) 4 (4 ) 15 = 0

Exercises: Leitholds book (College Algebra and
Trigonometry) Pages 114-115
21. 4 3 + 3 9 = 3 14

25. 5 1 = 1
3
28. 2 1 = 1
30. 9 4 8 2 1 = 0
36. 4 37 2 + 9 = 0
4
40. 5 + 4 = 0
42. (2 2 + 7 )2 12(2 2 + 7 ) 45 = 0