# Math formula simplification help **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [May 31, 2012, 4:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/math-formula-simplification-help/623668 "2012-05-31T16:42:41Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![DaveBfd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/c6cbf5/32.png) [@DaveBfd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DaveBfd)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2012, 4:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/math-formula-simplification-help/623668/1 "2012-05-31T16:42:41Z")
Ive spent some time today and yesterday creating a formula that mimics an output that I was trying to recreate. It is a bit ugly. Could anyone be so kind as to straighten it (and myself) out? I skipped a lot of math classes in high school, which should explain how it looks. (((4X / rootX) + Y) \* 1.7)- X/20 Im not sure how big of a task this is or if it is even possible, so apologies ahead of time if it is wasting your time. Can I use LaTeX or some variant on this forum? ---
**Author:** ![Saint\_Cad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/saint_cad/32/18907_2.png) [@Saint\_Cad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Saint_Cad)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2012, 4:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/math-formula-simplification-help/623668/2 "2012-05-31T16:54:36Z")
X / sqrt (X) is just sqrt X 1.7(4 sqrt(X) + Y) - X/20 ---
**Author:** ![DaveBfd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/c6cbf5/32.png) [@DaveBfd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DaveBfd)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2012, 5:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/math-formula-simplification-help/623668/3 "2012-05-31T17:08:29Z")
hah! thanks for that. It makes sense… Im silly. Anything else I missed? ---
**Author:** ![BlinkingDuck](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/eada6e/32.png) [@BlinkingDuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BlinkingDuck)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2012, 5:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/math-formula-simplification-help/623668/4 "2012-05-31T17:21:55Z")
> [@Saint\_Cad](#): > > X / sqrt (X) is just sqrt X > > 1.7(4 sqrt(X) + Y) - X/20 it is just sqrt x, x\<\>0. /nitpick ---
**Author:** ![Buck\_Godot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/buck_godot/32/6573_2.png) [@Buck\_Godot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Buck_Godot)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2012, 8:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/math-formula-simplification-help/623668/5 "2012-05-31T20:35:58Z")
Since you have the 4 in front of the x and not in front of the y you may as well multiply the 1.7 through 6.8 Sqrt(x) + 1.7 y - x/20 ---
**Author:** ![Indistinguishable](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/90ced4/32.png) [@Indistinguishable](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Indistinguishable)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2012, 8:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/math-formula-simplification-help/623668/6 "2012-05-31T20:43:51Z")
> [@BlinkingDuck](#): > > it is just sqrt x, x\<\>0. > > /nitpick It is very likely that the OP doesn’t mind unique continuous extension of otherwise partial functions… As a mathematician, I will happily write f(x)/g(x) to mean “The unique continuous function whose product with g(x) is f(x)” in many contexts. ---
**Author:** ![ultrafilter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/3d9bf3/32.png) [@ultrafilter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ultrafilter)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2012, 10:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/math-formula-simplification-help/623668/7 "2012-05-31T22:49:34Z")
> [@Indistinguishable](#): > > It is very likely that the OP doesn’t mind unique continuous extension of otherwise partial functions… As a mathematician, I will happily write f(x)/g(x) to mean “The unique continuous function whose product with g(x) is f(x)” in many contexts. It’s also possible that the OP has absolutely no idea what this means. ---
**Author:** ![Indistinguishable](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/90ced4/32.png) [@Indistinguishable](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Indistinguishable)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2012, 10:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/math-formula-simplification-help/623668/8 "2012-05-31T22:54:10Z")
It’s very possible that even though the OP doesn’t understand formally what that means, they nonetheless agree, and would not mind simplifying “x^a/x^b” to “x^(a - b)” without quibbles. ---
**Author:** ![Saint\_Cad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/saint_cad/32/18907_2.png) [@Saint\_Cad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Saint_Cad)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2012, 11:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/math-formula-simplification-help/623668/9 "2012-05-31T23:43:24Z")
> [@BlinkingDuck](#): > > it is just sqrt x, x\<\>0. > > /nitpick If assuming reals x\>o /nitpick of the nitpick