Math Help - Simplify fraction.

1. Simplify fraction.

a^2 - 2ab + b^2 / a - b

2. Please use parentheses. I assume you wanted to say (a^2 - 2ab + b^2) / (a-b)

$\frac{a^2 - 2ab + b^2}{a-b}$

Do you know that $a^2 - 2ab + b^2 = (a-b)^2$ ?
If you didn't know, you learned now

$\frac{(a-b)^2}{a-b}$

$\frac{(a-b)(a-b)}{(a-b)}$

$\boxed{~a-b~}$

3. Originally Posted by wingless
Please use parentheses. I assume you wanted to say (a^2 - 2ab + b^2) / (a-b)

$\frac{a^2 - 2ab + b^2}{a-b}$

Do you know that $a^2 - 2ab + b^2 = (a-b)^2$ ?
If you didn't know, you learned now

$\frac{(a-b)^2}{a-b}$

$\frac{(a-b)(a-b)}{(a-b)}$

$\boxed{~a-b~}$
Hey, thanks. I never knew that.

Now what would it be if the denominator was a + b?

4. Originally Posted by elliotfsl
Hey, thanks. I never knew that.

Now what would it be if the denominator was a + b?
$\frac{a^2 - 2ab + b^2}{a+b}$

Well, there's nothing much to do with this fraction.. Start with adding and subtracting $4ab$,

$\frac{a^2 - 2ab + b^2 + 4ab - 4ab}{a + b}$

$\frac{a^2 + 2ab + b^2 - 4ab}{a + b}$

$\frac{(a+b)^2 - 4ab}{a + b}$

$\frac{(a+b)^2}{a + b} - \frac{4ab}{a + b}$

$a + b - \frac{4ab}{a + b}$