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ALGEBRA, 



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DEFINITIONS and NOTATION. 



1. jl\.LGEBRA is the art of computing by symbols^ 

 It is sometimes also called Analysis •, and is a general 

 kind of arithmetic, or universal way of computation. 



2. In Algebra, the given, or known, quantities are usualTy 

 denoted by the first letters of the alphabet, as a, b, c, dy 

 &c. and the unknown, or required quantities, by the last let- 

 ters, as X, y, z. 



Note. The signs, or characters, explained at the be- 

 ginning of Arithmetic, have the same signification in Al- 

 gebra. And a point h sometin^s used for X : thus 



3. Those quantities, before which the sign -[- ^s placed, 

 are called positive, or affirmative ; and those, before which 

 the sign — is placed, negative. 



And it is to be observed, that the sign of a negative 

 quantity is never omitted, nor the sign of an affirmative 



one. 



