distributive law a term outside a set of parentheses that contains two terms should be multiplied by each term
inside the parentheses:a(b+ c) = ab+ ac.
dividend the number being divided in a division problem (the numerator of a fraction). In the number sen-
tence 62 = 3, 6 is the dividend.
divisor the number by which the dividend is divided in a division problem (the denominator of a fraction).
In the number sentence 62 = 3, 2 is the divisor.
domain the set of all values that can be substituted for xin an equation or function
equation two expressions separated by an equal sign, such as 3 + 6 = 9
exponent a constant or variable that states the number of times a base must be multiplied by itself. In the term
3 x^2 , 2 is the exponent.
factor If two or more whole numbers multiplied together yield a product, those numbers are factors of that
product. Since 2 4 = 8, 2 and 4 are factors of 8.
factoring breaking down a product into its factors
FOIL an acronym that stands for First, Outer, Inner, Last, which are the pairs of terms that must be multiplied
in order to find the terms of the product of two binomials. (a + b)(c + d) = ac + ad + bc + bd
function an equation that associates a unique y-value to every x-value in its domain
greatest common factor (GCF) the largest monomial that can be factored out of every term in an expression
imaginary number a number whose square is less than zero, such as the square root of –9, which can be writ-
ten as 3i.
increasing function a function whose graph rises vertically from left to right
inequality two unequal expressions that are compared using the symbol ,<,>, ,or
integer a whole number, the negative of a whole number, or zero. Examples of integers are 2 and –2.
inverse functions Two functions are inverses of each other if and only if each composed with the other yields
the identity function (y= x). The graphs of inverse functions are reflections of each other over the line y= x.
like terms two or more terms that have the same variable bases raised to the same exponents, but may have
different coefficients, such as 3x^2 and 10x^2 or 7xyand 10xy
linear equation an equation that can contain constants and variables, and the exponents of the variables are 1.
The equation y= 3x+ 8 is linear.
matrix an array of real numbers composed ofmrows and ncolumns
monomial an expression that consists of products of powers of variables, such as 3x^2
ordered pair an x-value and a y-value, in parentheses separated by a comma, such as (4,2)
parallel lines lines that have the same slope. Parallel lines never intersect.
percent a number out of 100. The expression 36% is equal to 36 out of 100.
perpendicular lines lines that intersect at right angles. The product of the slopes of two perpendicular lines
is –1.
polynomial an expression that is the sum of one or more terms, such as x^2 + 2x+ 1, each with whole num-
bered exponents
- GLOSSARY–