# Simplyfing dificulties

• November 3rd 2010, 12:38 PM
Simplyfing dificulties
hi there

ive got a really important maths exam on friday morning and ive just started going through some old maths papers again, and its been such a long time since i done some of it and im slightly stuck on simplifying this;

a^2 - 3ab * 2a + 6b ab

any help would be much apreciated

mike
• November 3rd 2010, 01:32 PM
Quacky
Is this really the question: $a^2 - (3ab)(2a) + 6bab$?

If so, then the first rule I would apply is that $x\times x = x^2$

$= a^2 - 6a^2b+6b^2a$

Then, you can remove a common factor of a:

$=a(a - 6ab + 6b^2)$
• November 3rd 2010, 03:17 PM
sorry i really must apologise i forgot the + sign

a^2 - 3ab * 2a + 6b + ab

is it

• November 3rd 2010, 03:25 PM
Quacky
Quote:

sorry i really must apologise i forgot the + sign

a^2 - 3ab * 2a + 6b + ab

is it

$a^2 - (3ab)(2a) + 6b + ab$

Start in the same way as before. I don't think there's really a lot you can do with this in its present state though.
• November 3rd 2010, 03:31 PM
this is the trouble i was having, the answer that my lecturer has given me is a^2 - 3ab * 2a + 6b + ab simplyfied is = to (ab) which puzzled me even more
• November 3rd 2010, 03:51 PM