PERFECT SQUARE

In mathematics, a square number, sometimes also called a perfect square, is an integer

that is the square of an integer; in other words, it is the product of some integer with
itself. So, for example, 9 is a square number, since it can be written as 3 3.
The usual notation for the formula for the square of a number n is not the product n n,
but the equivalent exponentiation n2, usually pronounced as "n squared". The name
square number comes from the name of the shape. This is because a square with side
length n has area n2.
Square numbers are non-negative. Another way of saying that a (non-negative) number
is a square number, is that its square root is again an integer. For example, 9 = 3, so 9
is a square number.
A positive integer that has no perfect square divisors except 1 is called square-free.
For a non-negative integer n, the nth square number is n2, with 02 = 0 being the zeroth
square. The concept of square can be extended to some other number systems. If
rational numbers are included, then a square is the ratio of two square integers, and,
conversely, the ratio of two square integers is a square (e.g., 4/9 = (2/3)2).

A perfect squareis a quadratic expression that factorsinto two identical binomials.

For example, if you multiply these binomials:
(x+ 2)(x+ 2)
You get:
x2+ 4x+ 4
Therefore, the quadratic expression x2+ 4x+ 4 is a perfect square since it factors into
two identical binomials which are (x+ 2) and (x+ 2).
Notice that (x+ 2)(x+ 2) can be written (x+ 2)2. So:
x2+ 4x+ 4 = (x+ 2)2
Here are some more examples of perfect squares:
x2+ 10x+ 25 = (x+ 5)(x+ 5) = (x+ 5)2
x2- 6x+ 9 = (x- 3)(x- 3) = (x- 3)2

Perfect Squares

is a perfect square.

Geometrical Illustration
Consider a square of side (a + b) units as shown in the following diagram.

From (1) and (2), we get:

is a perfect square.

Example 11

Solution:

Alternatively, we use the formula:

as shown below.

Alternatively, we use the formula:

as shown below.

Example 12

Solution:

Application of Perfect Squares

Example 13
Expand:

Solution: