# Browsing category algebra

## Ask Uncle Colin; A variable fraction

Dear Uncle Colin, I have a fraction, $\frac{x^2-x}{x-1}$, and I want to cancel it down to $x$ - but I'm not sure those are the same. Are they? - Got A Lot Of Interesting Sums Hi, GALOIS, and thanks for your message! The short answer is, yes and no. Everywhere

## Ask Uncle Colin: Why is it not 4?

Dear Uncle Colin, I have a binomial expansion of $(1+x)^\frac{1}{2}$ and need to approximate $\sqrt{5}$. Apparently you need to substitute in $x=\frac{1}{4}$, but I'd have thought $x=4$ was a more obvious choice. What gives? -- Roots Are Dangerous If Understood Sloppily Hi RADIUS, and thanks for your message! That does

## A nice bit of nrichment

My dear friend @ajk44 pointed me at a puzzle on the excellent Nrich site1, and I enjoyed it enough to share my solution. (If you don't want it spoiled, don't read beyond the blockquote.) Four jewellers had respectively 8 rubies, 10 sapphires, 100 pearls and 5 diamonds. Each gave one