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Fields Medal Prize Winners (1998)




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Adding and Subtracting Monomials
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Addition with Negative Numbers
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Rational Exponents
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Systems of Equations That Have No Solution or Infinitely Many Solutions
Dividing Polynomials by Monomials and Binomials
Polar Representation of Complex Numbers
Solving Equations with Fractions
Quadratic Expressions Completing Squares
Graphing Linear Inequalities
Square Roots of Negative Complex Numbers
Simplifying Square Roots
The Equation of a Circle
Fractional Exponents
Finding the Least Common Denominator
Simplifying Square Roots That Contain Whole Numbers
Solving Quadratic Equations by Completing the Square
Graphing Exponential Functions
Decimals and Fractions
Adding and Subtracting Fractions
Adding and Subtracting Rational Expressions with Unlike Denominators
Quadratic Equations with Imaginary Solutions
Graphing Solutions of Inequalities
FOIL Multiplying Polynomials
Multiplying and Dividing Monomials
Order and Inequalities
Exponents and Polynomials
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Variables and Expressions
Multiplying by 14443
Dividing Rational Expressions
Division Property of Radicals
Equations of a Line - Point-Slope Form
Rationalizing the Denominator
Imaginary Solutions to Equations
Multiplying Polynomials
Multiplying Monomials
Adding Fractions
Rationalizing the Denominator
Rational Expressions
Ratios and Proportions
Rationalizing the Denominator
Like Radical Terms
Adding and Subtracting Rational Expressions With Different Denominators
Percents and Fractions
Reducing Fractions to Lowest Terms
Subtracting Mixed Numbers with Renaming
Simplifying Square Roots That Contain Variables
Factors and Prime Numbers
Rules for Integral Exponents
Multiplying Monomials
Graphing an Inverse Function
Factoring Quadratic Expressions
Solving Quadratic Inequalities
Factoring Polynomials
Multiplying Radicals
Simplifying Fractions 1
Graphing Compound Inequalities
Rationalizing the Denominator
Simplifying Products and Quotients Involving Square Roots
Standard Form of a Line
Multiplication by 572
Adding and Subtracting Fractions
Multiplying Polynomials
Factoring Trinomials
Solving Exponential Equations
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Roots
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Multiplying and Dividing Fractions
Mathematical Terms
Solving Quadratic Equations by Factoring
Factoring General Polynomials
Adding Rational Expressions with the Same Denominator
The Trigonometric Functions
Solving Nonlinear Equations by Factoring
Solving Systems of Equations
Midpoint of a Line Segment
Complex Numbers
Graphing Systems of Equations
Reducing Rational Expressions
Powers
Rewriting Algebraic Fractions
Exponents
Rationalizing the Denominator
Adding, Subtracting and Multiplying Polynomials
Radical Notation
Solving Radical Equations
Positive Integral Divisors
Solving Rational Equations
Rational Exponents
Mathematical Terms
Rationalizing the Denominator
Subtracting Rational Expressions with the Same Denominator
Axis of Symmetry and Vertex of a Parabola
Simple Partial Fractions
Simplifying Radicals
Powers of Complex Numbers
Fields Medal Prize Winners (1998)

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Rationalizing the Denominator

A. What It Means to Rationalize the Denominator

In order that all of us doing math can compare answers, we agree upon a common conversation, or set of rules, concerning the form of the answers.

For instance, we could easily agree that we would not leave an answer in the form of 3 + 4, but would write 7 instead.

When the topic switches to that of radicals, those doing math have agreed that a RADICAL IN SIMPLE FORM will not (among other things) have a radical in the denominator of a fraction. We will all change the form so there is no radical in the denominator.

Now a radical in the denominator will not be something as simple as . Instead, it will have a radicand which will not come out from under the radical sign like .

Since is an irrational number, and we need to make it NOT irrational, the process of changing its form so it is no longer irrational is called RATIONALIZING THE DENOMINATOR.

B. There are 3 Cases of Rationalizing the Denominator

1. Case I : There is ONE TERM in the denominator and it is a SQUARE ROOT.

2. Case II : There is ONE TERM in the denominator, however, THE INDEX IS GREATER THAN TWO. It might be a cube root or a fourth root.

3. Case III : There are TWO TERMS in the denominator.

Let's study Case II:

2. Case II : There is ONE TERM in the denominator, however, THE INDEX IS GREATER THAN TWO. It might be a cube root or a fourth root.

Example:

For the first part of this discussion, we will ignore the top and\par concentrate on the denominator.

Procedure: Multiply top and bottom by whatever works in order to create a perfect cube in the denominator.

We need to multiply the bottom by something that will make the result a cube...

So we can take the cube root of it here...

Which would cause the radical to be gone down here.

Well...

But we also need to multiply it by an x so that we get x 3 (which is also a cube).

So there, we've gotten rid of the radical in the denominator. We've, therefore, rationalized the denominator. Now we'll look at the entire problem with the numerator included this time.

Remember, whatever we do to the bottom, we must also do to the top.

Original problem:

Here is our adjustment --- what we needed to multiply top and bottom by so the bottom would become a perfect square.

And here we see the result of our multiplication on the bottom. We've created something of which we can take the cube root.

Notice we can cancel the Xs since they are factors and represent the same number.

Answer