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Partial Fractions 2

1. The document provides examples of expressing fractions as the sum of partial fractions by factorizing the denominators into linear factors. 2. Constants in the partial fraction expressions are found by either substituting specific values for x, or by equating coefficients of like terms on both sides of the equal expressions. 3. A second example expresses a fraction with a repeated linear factor in the denominator as a sum of partial fractions using a similar process to find the constants.

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Randred Garcia
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23 views2 pages

Partial Fractions 2

1. The document provides examples of expressing fractions as the sum of partial fractions by factorizing the denominators into linear factors. 2. Constants in the partial fraction expressions are found by either substituting specific values for x, or by equating coefficients of like terms on both sides of the equal expressions. 3. A second example expresses a fraction with a repeated linear factor in the denominator as a sum of partial fractions using a similar process to find the constants.

Uploaded by

Randred Garcia
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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2.24

Partial Fractions 2
1. Worked Examples

Example
5x − 4
Express as the sum of its partial fractions.
x2−x−2

Solution
First we factorise the denominator: x2 − x − 2 = (x + 1)(x − 2). Next, examine the form of the
A
factors. The factor (x + 1) is a linear factor and produces a partial fraction of the form x+1 .
B
The factor (x − 2) is also a linear factor, and produces a partial fraction of the form x−2 . Hence

5x − 4 5x − 4 A B
= = + (1)
x2 −x−2 (x + 1)(x − 2) x+1 x−2

where A and B are constants which must be found. Finally we find the constants. Writing the
right-hand side using a common denominator we have

5x − 4 A(x − 2) + B(x + 1)
=
(x + 1)(x − 2) (x + 1)(x − 2)

The denominators on both sides are the same, and so the numerators on both sides must be the
same too. Thus

5x − 4 = A(x − 2) + B(x + 1) (2)

We shall first demonstrate how to find A and B by substituting specific values for x. By
appropriate choice of the value for x, the right-hand side of Equation 2 can be simplified. For
example, letting x = 2 we find 6 = A(0) + B(3), so that 6 = 3B, that is B = 2. Then by letting
x = −1 in Equation 2 we find −9 = A(−3) + B(0), from which −3A = −9, so that A = 3.
Substituting these values for A and B into Equation 1 gives

5x − 4 3 2
= +
x2 −x−2 x+1 x−2

The constants can also be found by equating coefficients. From Equation 2 we have

5x − 4 = A(x − 2) + B(x + 1)
= Ax − 2A + Bx + B
= (A + B)x + B − 2A

www.mathcentre.ac.uk 2.24.1 c Pearson Education Ltd 2000


Comparing the coefficients of x on the left- and right-hand sides gives 5 = A + B. Comparing
the constant terms gives −4 = B − 2A. These simultaneous equations in A and B can be solved
to find A = 3 and B = 2 as before. Often a combination of the two methods is needed.

Example
2x2 + 3
Express in partial fractions.
(x + 2)(x + 1)2

Solution
The denominator is already factorised. Note that there is a linear factor (x + 2) and a repeated
linear factor (x + 1)2 . So we can write

2x2 + 3 A B C
= + + (3)
(x + 2)(x + 1)2 x + 2 x + 1 (x + 1)2

The right hand side is now written over a common denominator to give

2x2 + 3 A(x + 1)2 + B(x + 2)(x + 1) + C(x + 2)


=
(x + 2)(x + 1)2 (x + 2)(x + 1)2

Therefore

2x2 + 3 = A(x + 1)2 + B(x + 2)(x + 1) + C(x + 2) (4)

A and C can be found by substituting values for x which simplify the right-hand side. For
example if x = −1 we find 2(−1)2 + 3 = A(0) + B(0) + C from which C = 5. Similarly if we
choose x = −2 we find 8 + 3 = A(−1)2 + B(0) + C(0) so that A = 11. To find B we shall use
the method of equating coefficients, although we could equally have substituted any other
value for x. To equate coefficients we remove the brackets on the right-hand side of Equation 4.
After collecting like terms we find that Equation 4 can be written

2x2 + 3 = (A + B)x2 + (2A + 3B + C)x + (A + 2B + 2C)

By comparing the coefficients of x2 on both sides we see that (A + B) must equal 2. Since we
already know A = 11, this means B = −9. Finally substituting our values of A, B and C into
2x2 + 3 11 9 5
Equation 3 we have = − + .
(x + 2)(x + 1) 2 x + 2 x + 1 (x + 1)2

Exercises
x−1 3 4 s+4 4 3
1. Show that 6x2 +5x+1
= 2x+1
− 3x+1
. 2. Show that s2 +s
= s
− s+1
.
5x2 + 4x + 11
3. The fraction has a quadratic factor in the denominator which cannot be
(x2 + x + 4)(x + 1)
factorised. Thus the required form of the partial fractions is

5x2 + 4x + 11 Ax + B C
= +
(x2 + x + 4)(x + 1) x2 + x + 4 x + 1

5x2 + 4x + 11 2x − 1 3
Show that 2 = 2 + .
(x + x + 4)(x + 1) x +x+4 x+1

www.mathcentre.ac.uk 2.24.2 c Pearson Education Ltd 2000

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