Algebra II Essentials For Dummies

Chapter 1

Making Advances in Algebra

IN THIS CHAPTER

Making algebra orderly with the order of operations and other properties

Enlisting rules of exponents

Focusing on factoring

Algebra is a branch of mathematics that people study before they move on to other areas or branches in mathematics and science. Algebra all by itself is esthetically pleasing, but it springs to life when used in other applications.

Any study of science or mathematics involves rules and patterns. You approach the subject with the rules and patterns you already know, and you build on those rules with further study. In this chapter, I recap for you the basic rules from Algebra I so that you work from the correct structure. I present these basics so you can further your study of algebra and feel confident in your algebraic ability.

Bringing Out the Best in Algebraic Properties

Mathematicians developed the rules and properties you use in algebra so that every student, researcher, curious scholar, and bored geek working on the same problem would get the same answer — no matter the time or place.

Making short work of the basic properties

The commutative, associative, and other such properties are not only basic ...