# Help Simplifying with a polynomial exponent

• June 22nd 2012, 08:42 AM
Help Simplifying with a polynomial exponent
Hoping someone can help me here. I'm taking an online high school math course, and I'm unsure I'm doing one of the questions right, and can't find a similar problem anywhere. Simplify this equation:

Attachment 24135

After going through a bunch of steps including expanding, simplifying, laws of exponents, etc, I've come up with a final answer of x^(3b^2). I'd show my work except I stink at formatting, but I'll try if anyone thinks it would be helpful!

• June 22nd 2012, 12:14 PM
skeeter
Re: Help Simplifying with a polynomial exponent
Quote:

Hoping someone can help me here. I'm taking an online high school math course, and I'm unsure I'm doing one of the questions right, and can't find a similar problem anywhere. Simplify this equation:

Attachment 24135

After going through a bunch of steps including expanding, simplifying, laws of exponents, etc, I've come up with a final answer of x^(3b^2). I'd show my work except I stink at formatting, but I'll try if anyone thinks it would be helpful!

$\frac{(x^{a+b})^{a-b}}{(x^{a-2b})^{a+2b}} = \frac{x^{a^2-b^2}}{x^{a^2-4b^2}} = x^{3b^2}$