Algebra Examples

$\frac{1}{x} - \frac{2}{x + 1} - \frac{x}{{(x + 1)}^{2}}$

Step 1

Find the common denominator.

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Step 1.1

Multiply $\frac{1}{x}$ by $\frac{{(x + 1)}^{2}}{{(x + 1)}^{2}}$ .

$\frac{1}{x} \cdot \frac{{(x + 1)}^{2}}{{(x + 1)}^{2}} - \frac{2}{x + 1} - \frac{x}{{(x + 1)}^{2}}$

Step 1.2

Multiply $\frac{1}{x}$ by $\frac{{(x + 1)}^{2}}{{(x + 1)}^{2}}$ .

$\frac{{(x + 1)}^{2}}{x {(x + 1)}^{2}} - \frac{2}{x + 1} - \frac{x}{{(x + 1)}^{2}}$

Step 1.3

Multiply $\frac{2}{x + 1}$ by $\frac{x (x + 1)}{x (x + 1)}$ .

$\frac{{(x + 1)}^{2}}{x {(x + 1)}^{2}} - (\frac{2}{x + 1} \cdot \frac{x (x + 1)}{x (x + 1)}) - \frac{x}{{(x + 1)}^{2}}$

Step 1.4

Multiply $\frac{2}{x + 1}$ by $\frac{x (x + 1)}{x (x + 1)}$ .

$\frac{{(x + 1)}^{2}}{x {(x + 1)}^{2}} - \frac{2 (x (x + 1))}{(x + 1) (x (x + 1))} - \frac{x}{{(x + 1)}^{2}}$

Step 1.5

Multiply $\frac{x}{{(x + 1)}^{2}}$ by $\frac{x}{x}$ .

$\frac{{(x + 1)}^{2}}{x {(x + 1)}^{2}} - \frac{2 (x (x + 1))}{(x + 1) (x (x + 1))} - (\frac{x}{{(x + 1)}^{2}} \cdot \frac{x}{x})$

Step 1.6

Multiply $\frac{x}{{(x + 1)}^{2}}$ by $\frac{x}{x}$ .

$\frac{{(x + 1)}^{2}}{x {(x + 1)}^{2}} - \frac{2 (x (x + 1))}{(x + 1) (x (x + 1))} - \frac{x \cdot x}{{(x + 1)}^{2} x}$

Step 1.7

Reorder the factors of $(x + 1) (x (x + 1))$ .

$\frac{{(x + 1)}^{2}}{x {(x + 1)}^{2}} - \frac{2 (x (x + 1))}{x (x + 1) (x + 1)} - \frac{x \cdot x}{{(x + 1)}^{2} x}$

Step 1.8

Raise $x + 1$ to the power of $1$ .

$\frac{{(x + 1)}^{2}}{x {(x + 1)}^{2}} - \frac{2 (x (x + 1))}{x ({(x + 1)}^{1} (x + 1))} - \frac{x \cdot x}{{(x + 1)}^{2} x}$

Step 1.9

Raise $x + 1$ to the power of $1$ .

$\frac{{(x + 1)}^{2}}{x {(x + 1)}^{2}} - \frac{2 (x (x + 1))}{x ({(x + 1)}^{1} {(x + 1)}^{1})} - \frac{x \cdot x}{{(x + 1)}^{2} x}$

Step 1.10

Use the power rule $a^{m} a^{n} = a^{m + n}$ to combine exponents.

$\frac{{(x + 1)}^{2}}{x {(x + 1)}^{2}} - \frac{2 (x (x + 1))}{x {(x + 1)}^{1 + 1}} - \frac{x \cdot x}{{(x + 1)}^{2} x}$

Step 1.11

Add $1$ and $1$ .

$\frac{{(x + 1)}^{2}}{x {(x + 1)}^{2}} - \frac{2 (x (x + 1))}{x {(x + 1)}^{2}} - \frac{x \cdot x}{{(x + 1)}^{2} x}$

Step 1.12

Reorder the factors of ${(x + 1)}^{2} x$ .

$\frac{{(x + 1)}^{2}}{x {(x + 1)}^{2}} - \frac{2 (x (x + 1))}{x {(x + 1)}^{2}} - \frac{x \cdot x}{x {(x + 1)}^{2}}$

Step 2

Combine the numerators over the common denominator.

$\frac{{(x + 1)}^{2} - 2 (x (x + 1)) - x \cdot x}{x {(x + 1)}^{2}}$

Step 3

Simplify each term.

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Step 3.1

Rewrite ${(x + 1)}^{2}$ as $(x + 1) (x + 1)$ .

$\frac{(x + 1) (x + 1) - 2 (x (x + 1)) - x \cdot x}{x {(x + 1)}^{2}}$

Step 3.2

Expand $(x + 1) (x + 1)$ using the FOIL Method.

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Step 3.2.1

Apply the distributive property.

$\frac{x (x + 1) + 1 (x + 1) - 2 (x (x + 1)) - x \cdot x}{x {(x + 1)}^{2}}$

Step 3.2.2

Apply the distributive property.

$\frac{x \cdot x + x \cdot 1 + 1 (x + 1) - 2 (x (x + 1)) - x \cdot x}{x {(x + 1)}^{2}}$

Step 3.2.3

Apply the distributive property.

$\frac{x \cdot x + x \cdot 1 + 1 x + 1 \cdot 1 - 2 (x (x + 1)) - x \cdot x}{x {(x + 1)}^{2}}$

Step 3.3

Simplify and combine like terms.

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Step 3.3.1

Simplify each term.

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Step 3.3.1.1

Multiply $x$ by $x$ .

$\frac{x^{2} + x \cdot 1 + 1 x + 1 \cdot 1 - 2 (x (x + 1)) - x \cdot x}{x {(x + 1)}^{2}}$

Step 3.3.1.2

Multiply $x$ by $1$ .

$\frac{x^{2} + x + 1 x + 1 \cdot 1 - 2 (x (x + 1)) - x \cdot x}{x {(x + 1)}^{2}}$

Step 3.3.1.3

Multiply $x$ by $1$ .

$\frac{x^{2} + x + x + 1 \cdot 1 - 2 (x (x + 1)) - x \cdot x}{x {(x + 1)}^{2}}$

Step 3.3.1.4

Multiply $1$ by $1$ .

$\frac{x^{2} + x + x + 1 - 2 (x (x + 1)) - x \cdot x}{x {(x + 1)}^{2}}$

Step 3.3.2

Add $x$ and $x$ .

$\frac{x^{2} + 2 x + 1 - 2 (x (x + 1)) - x \cdot x}{x {(x + 1)}^{2}}$

Step 3.4

Apply the distributive property.

$\frac{x^{2} + 2 x + 1 - 2 (x \cdot x + x \cdot 1) - x \cdot x}{x {(x + 1)}^{2}}$

Step 3.5

Multiply $x$ by $x$ .

$\frac{x^{2} + 2 x + 1 - 2 (x^{2} + x \cdot 1) - x \cdot x}{x {(x + 1)}^{2}}$

Step 3.6

Multiply $x$ by $1$ .

$\frac{x^{2} + 2 x + 1 - 2 (x^{2} + x) - x \cdot x}{x {(x + 1)}^{2}}$

Step 3.7

Apply the distributive property.

$\frac{x^{2} + 2 x + 1 - 2 x^{2} - 2 x - x \cdot x}{x {(x + 1)}^{2}}$

Step 3.8

Multiply $x$ by $x$ by adding the exponents.

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Step 3.8.1

Move $x$ .

$\frac{x^{2} + 2 x + 1 - 2 x^{2} - 2 x - (x \cdot x)}{x {(x + 1)}^{2}}$

Step 3.8.2

Multiply $x$ by $x$ .

$\frac{x^{2} + 2 x + 1 - 2 x^{2} - 2 x - x^{2}}{x {(x + 1)}^{2}}$

Step 4

Combine the opposite terms in $x^{2} + 2 x + 1 - 2 x^{2} - 2 x - x^{2}$ .

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Step 4.1

Subtract $2 x$ from $2 x$ .

$\frac{x^{2} + 1 - 2 x^{2} + 0 - x^{2}}{x {(x + 1)}^{2}}$

Step 4.2

Add $x^{2} + 1 - 2 x^{2}$ and $0$ .

$\frac{x^{2} + 1 - 2 x^{2} - x^{2}}{x {(x + 1)}^{2}}$

Step 4.3

Subtract $x^{2}$ from $x^{2}$ .

$\frac{1 - 2 x^{2} + 0}{x {(x + 1)}^{2}}$

Step 4.4

Add $1 - 2 x^{2}$ and $0$ .

$\frac{1 - 2 x^{2}}{x {(x + 1)}^{2}}$