Simplify
Factor the first numerator and spot the reversed denominator. is a difference of squares:
while the denominator is — the same factor with the sign reversed. Recognising this is the key move; pulling out the makes the cancellation legal and visible.
Cancel the first fraction.
valid for , where the original denominator is zero.
Factor the second numerator by splitting the middle term. For , find two numbers with product and sum : they are and . Then
Verified at integer values ✓.
Cancel the second fraction the same way. Its denominator is , again the reversed factor:
valid for .
Subtract the two simplified expressions. Both reduced to exactly the same thing, so
The expression is identically zero wherever it is defined. Exact rational arithmetic at sample values of returned every time ✓.
State the answer with its restrictions.
Spot check : the first fraction is and the second is , so the difference is ✓. The two excluded points are genuine holes, not zeros.
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