α 3. How many times is contained in c? Ans. is contained b c times in c, and is contained bc as many times; that is, Arith. Art. XXIII. a 4. Of what number is c the part? a a b Ans. If c is the part of some number, will be 1 part of the same number, and is part of α bc - α a Arith. Art. XXIV. Hence, to divide a whole number by a fraction, multiply it by the denominator of the fraction, and divide the product by the numera tor. How many times is contained in 7. Solution. Reducing them to a common denominator, is , and is . is contained in 3 as many times as 24 is contained in 35; that is, or 111. contained in? Ans. 1¦¦. Hence, to divide a fraction by a fraction, multiply the numerator of the dividend by the denominator of the divisor, and the denominator of the dividend by the numerator of the divisor. Or more generally, when the divisor is a fraction, multiply the dividend (whether whole number or fraction) by the divisor inverted. Arith. Arts. XXIII. and XXIV. Division of Compound Quantities. XX. Sometimes division may actually be performed when both divisor and dividend are compound quantities. Since division is the reverse of multiplication, the proper method to discover how to perform it, is to observe how a product is formed by multiplication. Multiply 2 a b 3 a2 b2 c + a b3 c2 by 4 a2 b2 + 2 a b c. 8 a5 b3 — 12 a1 b1 c + 4 a3 b5 c2 +4 a1 b2 c— 6 a3 b3 c2 +2 a2 b1 c3. Observe that each term of the multiplier is multiplied separately into each term of the multiplicand. The product therefore must consist of a number of terms equal to the product of the number of terms in the multiplicand by the number of terms in the multiplier. If the product be divided by the multiplicand, the multiplier must be reproduced, and if by the multiplier, the multiplicand must be reproduced. The three terms 8 a5 b3 — 12 aa ba c + 4 a3 b5 c2 of the product were produced by multiplying the three terms of the multiplicand by the first term of the multiplier, 4 a2 b2. Therefore, if these three terms be divided by 4 a2 b2, the quotient will be the multiplicand. Again, the three terms 4 at b2 c-6 a3 b3 c2 + 2 a2 b4 c3 of the product were formed by multiplying each term of the multiplicand by 2 a b c. Therefore, if these three terms be divided by 2 a b e, the quotient will be the multiplicand. Hence we see that the whole division might be performed by any one term of the divisor, if all the terms of the dividend which depend on that term and the quotient could be ascertained. This cannot often be done by inspection; for in many products, though at first there are as many terms as there are units in the product of the number of terms in the multiplicand by the number of terms in the multiplier, some of the terms are united together by addition or subtraction, and some disappear entirely. Even if all the terms did remain entire, they could not be easily distinguished. However, one term may always be distinguished, and from it one term of the quotient may be obtained. First, it is evident that the highest power of either letter in the dividend, must have been produced by multiplying the highest power of that letter in the divisor by the highest power of the same letter in the quotient; for in order to produce the dividend, each term of the divisor must be multiplied by every term of the quotient. Therefore, if 4 a1 be divided by 2 a2 it must give a term of the quotient. Or, if b1 be divided by b2 it must give a term of the quotient. Let the quantities be arranged according to the powers of the letter a. I divide 4 a1 by 2 a2, which gives 2 a2 for the first term of the quotient. Now in forming the dividend, every term of the divisor was multiplied by this term of the quotient, therefore I multiply the divisor by this term, by which means I find all the terms of the dividend, which depend on this term. They are Here is a term 6 a3 b which is not in the dividend, this must have disappeared in the product. The term 2 a2 62 is not found alone, but it is like 9 a2 b2 and must have disappeared by uniting with some other term to form that. I subtract these three terms from the dividend, and there remains 6 a3 b — 11 a2 b2 + 6 a b3 — ba. which does not depend at all on the term 2 a2 of the quotient, but which was formed by multiplying each remaining term of the quotient by all the terms of the divisor. This then is a new dividend, and to find the next term of the quotient we must proceed exactly as before; that is, divide the term of the dividend containing the highest power of a, which is 6 a3 b, by 2 a2 of the divisor, because this must have been formed by multiplying 2 a2 by the hghest remaining power of a in the quotient. This gives for the quotient + 3 a b. I multiply each term of the divisor by this, and subtract the product as before, and for the same reason. The remainder is which depends only on the remaining part of the quotient. The highest power of a, viz. 2 a2 b2, must have been produced by multiplying some term of the quotient by 2 a2 of the divisor; therefore I divide by this again, and obtain - b2 for the quotient. I multiply by this and subtract as before, and there is no remainder, which shows that the division is completed. By the above process I have been enabled to discover all the terms of the dividend produced by multiplying the first term of the divisor by each term of the quotient. If both be arranged according to the powers of the letter b, and the same course pursued, the same quotient will be obtained, but in a reversed order. Here we - 2 a2 b2 has the sign In the division the term must observe that the divisor and quotient multiplied together must reproduce the dividend. If a b be divided by +a, the quotient must be + b, because + a + b gives + a b. " |