What is the most efficient method for simplifying the expression
?
Since x^8=x*x*x*x*x*x*x*x and x^3=x*x*x , then
x^8/x^3=(x*x*x*x*x*x*x*x)/x*x*x=x^5
However, expansion is not efficient, especially for large exponents.
What can you do with the exponents to avoid expansion?
You can simplify the expression by subtracting the exponents:
x^8 / x^3 = x^(8-3) = x^5
This method is much more efficient than expanding the expression.