Algebra · real student question

Simplify 8(2t(1 - t^2) - 2t(-t^2 - 1)) / (1 - t^2)^2 - 10(1 - t^2) / (t^2 + 1)^2.

Question

Simplify

8(2t(1t2)2t(t21))(1t2)210(1t2)(t2+1)2\frac{8\left(2t\left(1-t^2\right)-2t\left(-t^2-1\right)\right)}{\left(1-t^2\right)^2}-\frac{10\left(1-t^2\right)}{\left(t^2+1\right)^2}

Step-by-step solution

  1. Clean the inner bracket before anything else. The numerator of the first fraction hides a large cancellation; expanding it first shrinks the problem dramatically:

    2t(1t2)=2t2t3,2t(t21)=2t32t2t\left(1-t^2\right)=2t-2t^3,\qquad 2t\left(-t^2-1\right)=-2t^3-2t

  2. Subtract, distributing the minus over both terms.

    (2t2t3)(2t32t)=2t2t3+2t3+2t=4t\left(2t-2t^3\right)-\left(-2t^3-2t\right)=2t-2t^3+2t^3+2t=4t

    The cubic terms cancel entirely — the bracket is just 4t4t.

  3. Rebuild the first fraction. Multiplying by the outer 88:

    84t(1t2)2=32t(1t2)2\frac{8\cdot 4t}{\left(1-t^2\right)^2}=\frac{32t}{\left(1-t^2\right)^2}

    so the expression is now

    32t(1t2)210(1t2)(1+t2)2\frac{32t}{\left(1-t^2\right)^2}-\frac{10\left(1-t^2\right)}{\left(1+t^2\right)^2}

  4. Check whether the two denominators share a factor. (1t2)2=(1t)2(1+t)2\left(1-t^2\right)^2=(1-t)^2(1+t)^2 while (1+t2)2\left(1+t^2\right)^2 is irreducible over the reals. They have no common factor, so the least common denominator is simply their product:

    (1t2)2(1+t2)2\left(1-t^2\right)^2\left(1+t^2\right)^2

  5. Write over the common denominator.

    32t(1+t2)210(1t2)3(1t2)2(1+t2)2\frac{32t\left(1+t^2\right)^2-10\left(1-t^2\right)^3}{\left(1-t^2\right)^2\left(1+t^2\right)^2}

    The numerator does not factor against the denominator, so this is as far as the simplification goes; the two-fraction form is often the more usable one.

  6. Verify numerically. At t=2.1t=2.1 the original expression, the two-fraction form and the single-fraction form all equal 6.94419507046.9441950704; at t=1.4t=-1.4 all three give 47.5154208262-47.5154208262. \checkmark (Both forms are undefined at t=±1t=\pm 1.)

Answer

32t(1t2)210(1t2)(1+t2)2=32t(1+t2)210(1t2)3(1t2)2(1+t2)2\frac{32t}{\left(1-t^{2}\right)^{2}}-\frac{10\left(1-t^{2}\right)}{\left(1+t^{2}\right)^{2}}=\frac{32t\left(1+t^{2}\right)^{2}-10\left(1-t^{2}\right)^{3}}{\left(1-t^{2}\right)^{2}\left(1+t^{2}\right)^{2}}

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