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Simplify the expression: 2x + x * (x - x⁻¹)2 - x⁻¹ / (4x⁻¹ - 5 + x)

Mathematics

ScanSolve AI Answer

Answer

4 - x

Step-by-step solution

8 steps
  1. Rewrite the terms with negative exponents as fractions.

    Recall that x−1=1xx^{-1} = \frac{1}{x}.
    Substitute this into the given expression:

    4x−1−5+xx−1−1=4x−5+x1x−1\frac{4x^{-1} - 5 + x}{x^{-1} - 1} = \frac{\frac{4}{x} - 5 + x}{\frac{1}{x} - 1}
  2. Find a common denominator for the terms in the numerator and the denominator separately.

    For the numerator:

    4x−5+x=4x−5xx+x2x=4−5x+x2x\frac{4}{x} - 5 + x = \frac{4}{x} - \frac{5x}{x} + \frac{x^2}{x} = \frac{4 - 5x + x^2}{x}

    For the denominator:

    1x−1=1x−xx=1−xx\frac{1}{x} - 1 = \frac{1}{x} - \frac{x}{x} = \frac{1 - x}{x}
  3. Substitute these simplified expressions back into the fraction.

    x2−5x+4x1−xx\frac{\frac{x^2 - 5x + 4}{x}}{\frac{1 - x}{x}}
  4. Multiply the numerator by the reciprocal of the denominator.

    x2−5x+4x×x1−x\frac{x^2 - 5x + 4}{x} \times \frac{x}{1 - x}
  5. Cancel out the common term xx (assuming x≠0x \neq 0).

    x2−5x+41−x\frac{x^2 - 5x + 4}{1 - x}
  6. Factor the quadratic expression in the numerator.

    We need two numbers that multiply to 4 and add to −5-5. These numbers are −1-1 and −4-4.
    So, x2−5x+4=(x−1)(x−4)x^2 - 5x + 4 = (x - 1)(x - 4).

  7. Substitute the factored numerator back into the expression.

    (x−1)(x−4)1−x\frac{(x - 1)(x - 4)}{1 - x}

    Notice that 1−x1 - x is the negative of x−1x - 1, i.e., 1−x=−(x−1)1 - x = -(x - 1).

  8. Substitute −(x−1)-(x - 1) for 1−x1 - x and simplify.

    (x−1)(x−4)−(x−1)\frac{(x - 1)(x - 4)}{-(x - 1)}

    Cancel the common term (x−1)(x - 1) (assuming x−1≠0x - 1 \neq 0):

    x−4−1=−(x−4)=−x+4\frac{x - 4}{-1} = -(x - 4) = -x + 4

    The simplified expression is:

    4−x4 - x
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