Lesson 3

Open your copy of Lesson 3 Assignment, which you saved in your course folder at the start of this lesson. Complete the assignment.

 

Save your work in your course folder.

 

Project Connection

Go to Module 3 Project: Game Challenge. Complete Step 3.

 

Save your work in your course folder.

 

Going Beyond

 

Abstraction is the process of thinking about a concept in the general sense, without talking about specific examples. For example, in a previous module you used the process of abstraction to generate the quadratic formula,

 

 

The ability to abstract is an important skill in mathematics, and one that is developed throughout your schooling. To abstract well you must be able to think clearly, logically, and with precision. Abstraction allows an individual to apply concepts to a wide variety of examples, not just one. The ability to abstract also enables one to describe new phenomena.

 

One way to practise abstraction is to apply mathematical principles to expressions involving variables. Rearranging formulas is an example of abstraction. In this lesson you simplified sums and differences of rational expressions. In this section you will go beyond the lesson by adding and subtracting rational expressions with multiple variables.

 

Simplify the following expressions:

1. 
   
   
2. 
   
   
3. 

Save your work in your course folder.

 

As you advance to higher levels of math through high school, college, or university, you will  have more opportunities to develop your ability to abstract concepts.