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Definition

Conjugate Pair

A conjugate pair consists of two binomials that share the same first term and the same last term but differ only in the operation connecting them: one uses addition and the other uses subtraction. The general form of a conjugate pair is (ab)(a - b) and (a+b)(a + b).

For example, (x9)(x - 9) and (x+9)(x + 9) form a conjugate pair because both have xx as their first term and 99 as their last term, with one being a difference and the other a sum. Likewise, (y8)(y - 8) and (y+8)(y + 8) are conjugates, as are (2x5)(2x - 5) and (2x+5)(2x + 5).

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Updated 2026-04-29

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