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Viewing Version 1 of 'factors with minus sign'
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Title of object: factors with minus sign
Canonical Name: FactorsWithMinusSign
Type: Topic

Created on: 2007-11-03 14:23:18
Modified on: 2007-11-03 14:23:18

Creator: pahio
Modifier: pahio
Author: pahio

Classification: msc:13A99, msc:97D40
Keywords: product, power
Synonyms: factors with minus sign=sign rules for products

Revision comment (for changes between this and next version):

a link

Preamble:

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\usepackage{amssymb}
\usepackage{amsmath}
\usepackage{amsfonts}

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Content:

\PMlinkescapeword{factor} \PMlinkescapeword{factors} \PMlinkescapeword{base}
\PMlinkescapeword{power} \PMlinkescapeword{powers}

The sign (cf. plus sign, opposite number) rule
\begin{align}
(+a)(-b) = -(ab)
\end{align}
concerning numbers and elements $a,\,b$ of an arbitrary ring may be generalised to the following

\textbf{Theorem.} If the sign of one \PMlinkname{factor}{Product} in a ring product is changed, the sign of the product changes.

\textbf{Corollary 1.} The product of real numbers is equal to the product of their absolute values equipped with the ``$-$'' sign if the number of negative factors is odd and with ``$+$'' sign if it is even. Especially, any odd power of a negative real number is negative and any even power of it is positive.

\textbf{Corollary 2.} Let us consider natural powers of a ring element. If one changes the sign of the base, then an odd power changes its sign but an even power remains unchanged:
$$(-a)^{2n+1} = -a^{2n+1}, \quad (-a)^{2n} = a^{2n} \qquad (n \in \mathbb{N})$$