DoYourMath.com Algebrator Manual For Your Algebra Problem Solver | Page 98

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Algebrator Manual
You can use the "Remove this data point" button if you need to remove
some of the values that you entered.
Click on the "Solve Step" button to see the next step or "Solve all" button
to see all steps.

If you need an explanation for any particular step, click on the step and then
click on the "Explain" button.

2.2.3

Directing the system to use a particular transformation
Telling the software which transformation to use
The Transformation menu is used when you want to direct the software to
perform a particular kind of transformation. Many students, after using the
software for a while, progress from simply clicking on solve buttons to this stage,
which requires a bit more independence.

For example, in a problem such as

you might want to combine like terms in the numerator.

First select the appropriate sub-expression (in this case that would be 2a+a) and
then click on Transformation | Expression | Combine | Terms.
The desired transformation will be performed:

Now you can perform the same operation in the denominator, and finally instruct
the software to reduce the fraction, via Transformation | Expression |
Fraction | Reduce.

Note that it is very important to pre-select the sub-expression on which
the transformation is to be performed. If you don’t, the software will assume
that the desired step needs to be performed on the entire expression. This may
or may not result in a valid request: for example, in the case above collect-like-

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