 Solution

ID: past-exam-of-the-mathematics-course-of-the-year-1-of-the-natural-sciences-course-of-the-university-of-cambridge/2016/paper-1/2/a/solution

Factor out

- 1/2

and use the method of completing the square inside the bracket:

- \frac{x ^{2}}{2} + x = - \frac{1}{2} (x^{2} - 2 x) = \frac{1}{2} - \frac{1}{2} (x - 1)^{2} .

 New to topics? Read the docs here!