How can we divide an equation by a function, where that function isn’t guaranteed to be always non-zero

algebra-precalculus

Suppose I have the following equation, where r(x) and y(x) are functions of x.

r(x)y(x) = y(x)r'(x)

My understanding is that we can divide both sides by y(x), only if we know that y(x) != 0 for all values of x.

If that's not necessarily the case, my understanding is we need to consider both cases. The case where y(x) != 0 and the case where y(x) = 0.

In the first case, we arrive at the equation r(x) = r'(x).

In the second case, where the x value makes y(x) = 0, we are unable to say anything about the relation of r(x) and r'(x).

Is my understanding correct?

If it is, than is it true that the equation r(x) = r'(x) is false? (As it's not necessarily true for all x values).

Best Answer

The question's been basically answered already, but here's another way to look at it without dividing at all, if you're afraid of division (like I sometimes am). It is more formal in a way, but will not let you down if in doubt.

$$f(x)g(x)=f(x)g'(x)$$ is the same as $$f(x)\Big(g(x)-g'(x)\Big)=0$$ which is true whenever (that is, it's the same as)

$$f(x)=0\;\text{or}\;g(x)=g'(x)$$

because a product is zero when either multiple is zero.

The next step in this formal approach is to see carefully where the universal quantifier is:

$$\forall x:\big(f(x)=0\;\text{or}\;g(x)=g'(x)\big)$$

For every $x$, you know that either of $f(x)=0$ or $g(x)=g'(x)$ is true, but you do not know which of the two. And this is the (formal) reason you cannot say anything about $g$ at points where $f(x)=0$.

To conclude something about $g$ at some $x_0$, you need to additionally assume that the left operand of "or" is false - that is, $f(x_0)\neq0$. And note how we're reasoning here only pointwise - for each $x$ a different choice of the two conditions might be true. That's why @Jules talks about the different intervals in his answer.

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