complex fractions

dude3833 · Aug 2, 2005

i have no idea how to go about answering

1/p - 1/q
________

1/p-q

please help

Gene · Aug 2, 2005

Guessing you mean

Code:

    1/p - 1/q 
    _________ =
     1/(p-q)

     (p-q)    (p-q)
   - _____ *  _____ =
      qp        1

    -(p-q)^2
    _________
        pq
   
`

if that is where you are going.

(BTW we would prefer to write it
(1/p-1/q)/(1/(p-q))

Denis · Aug 2, 2005

dude3833 said:
i have no idea how to go about answering
1/p - 1/q
________

1/p-q
please help

Is the denominator 1/p - q or 1/(p - q)?

AND: "answering" what? What's the question?

ChaoticLlama · Aug 2, 2005

1/p - 1/q
________

1/p-q

I am assuming what you wrote is supposed to look like this

Code:

1     1
_  -  _
p     q
______
   1
______
(p - q)

That is the same as writting:

Code:

(1     1)
(_  -  _) * (p - q)
(p     q)

Make a common denominator for the terms within the brackets and evaluate

Code:

(q - p)
(_____) * (p - q)
(  qp )

I would then factor a -1 out of the (p - q) to make -( q - p) like so

Code:

(q - p)
(_____) * -(q - p)
(  qp )

then..

Code:

-(q - p)²
_________
   qp

Edit: wow.. all 3 of us fighting to answer this guys questions.... at 1:45 in the morning.

See what too much math does to people? :shock:

Gene · Aug 2, 2005

At least we didn't disagree :twisted: