Thread: negative simplification

Consider:

(8a) (b) (a)
----------------
(b) (-8a^2) (-b)


Simplify:

(-1) (a^2-2) (b^1-2)

8 divide by -8 is -1, two a at numerator is a^2, then a^2-2

what about b? I have a minus b at the denominator, what would the final b be? a positive or negative? - I took the numerator b which is a positive.

(-1) (a^0) (b^-1)

(-1) (1) (b^-1)

-b^-1

The answer is b^-1.

I think I got my signs wrong and I don't know how to deal with the signs as in the case of b.

Please help to explain how to deal with the signs of b.

Thanks.

Originally Posted by shenton

Consider:

(8a) (b) (a)
----------------
(b) (-8a^2) (-b)

rewrite this as:

...(8a) (b) (a).............. (8a)(b)(a) ..................(8a)(b)(a)...............
---------------- = ---------------------- = ----------------------
(b) (-8a^2) (-b).... (b)(-1)(8a^2)(-1)(b)...... (b)[(-1)^2](8a^2)(b)

.....................(8a)(b)(a)...............
...............= ---------------
...................(b)(8a^2)(b)

That is collect all the negative signs together and simplify down.

RonL