Math students are often asked to give their answers in "the simplest terms"—in other words, to write answers in their smallest, shortest possible way. And, a math problem isn't considered "done" until the answer has been reduced to its simplest form. We’ll show you how to simplify basic expressions first, then move on to complex equations.
There are many ways to simplify! When we simplify we use similar skills to solving equations, and that page has some good advice. Some of these things might help: Find some pattern you have seen before, like the difference of squares. And Which Is Simpler Here? Here is one more interesting case: